162 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
keeping. It has come, and as good fortune would 
have it, a lady visitor arrived the same day who 
knew how to use it. It is put to service forth¬ 
with. Every member of the household feels com¬ 
petent to use it. Grandmother can drive the 
needle scientifically on the first trial, because, in 
her youth, she plied the linen wheel, an obsolete 
piece of furniture in our day. But the sewing 
machine and the “ little wheel,” are operated pre¬ 
cisely alike. Now, after three days’ duration, ev¬ 
ery member of the family can use the machine. 
It is whirling as soon as the children are fairly 
dressed. Sarah made twelve towels before 
breakfast this morning, and Jane found time be¬ 
tween the processes to sew up her doll’s dress. 
The older members of the family are buying cloth 
by the piece to make up sheets, pillow-cases, and 
necessary garments for the various members of 
the family. After this trial of the machine, the 
ladies all say that it will do the work of twelve 
seamstresses. Ladies from the neighborhood are 
dropping in to see this patient and uncomplaining 
servant, and they all, with one accord, exclaim: 
“ I must have one ; I shall save it in health and 
comfort, even if I have to diminish other expen¬ 
ditures.” So the ball, or rather the “ spool," is in 
motion in our quiet village. So far as I can judge, 
tlm machine sews with great rapidity, accuracy, 
neatness and strength. It does not seem liable to 
get out of order. The apparatus is very simple, 
and the wheels are so massive as not to be easily 
broken. It seems to me to be an admirable in¬ 
vention for the saving of labor and trouble ; and 
when personal service is so high and difficult to 
obtain, its introduction is exceedingly opportune. 
My wife could not be hired to give it up. She 
fell in love at sight, and I think the passion will 
be as lasting as life. In fact, the machine is a 
universal favorite here, and I like the idea ex¬ 
ceedingly of having all our sewing done by a ser¬ 
vant that never talks —only sings 
“ Stitch, stitch, stitch.” 
It neither brings nor carries news; never gos¬ 
sips ; never tells tales Its constant refrain is 
“work, work, work;” and when its busy hum is 
hushed, its very silence is eloquent of service 
done, of task performed, leaving nimble fingers 
and bright eyes to the ladies. Agricoi.a. 
New-Hampshire, April 10, 1857. 
Ammials—Transplautisu gr¬ 
in our June number we gave a chapter on “ Flowers,” 
with directions for planting, &c. If sown at the proper 
season, many annuals are now ready to transplant from 
those borders where they came up too thickly, to vacant 
spaces and where failures have occurred. 
It may be remarked that some kinds will not bear the 
operation unless performed in a careful manner and 
under favorable circumstances, such as cloudy weather, 
careful lifting and separation of the plant, watering, shad¬ 
ing, &c.; others, owing to their constitutional vigor and 
hardiness, speedily recover from the shock, and make a 
rapid growth; while others, again, though not many, are 
almost sure to die, no matter how carefully the operation 
may be performed. These last should be planted at 
once where they are to remain, and thinned out when they 
come up too thick. 
When the plants are sufficiently advanced in growth to 
be in proper condition for transplanting, say when they 
have made two or three leaves in addition too the seed 
leaf, enter the trowel a couple of inches from the plants, 
and some four or five inches deep, giving it a slanting di¬ 
rection toward the plants; press your fingers against the 
soil on the side nearest the plants, and withdraw the 
trowel; this will prevent the earth from breaking. Next 
enter the trowel on the opposite side, slanting toward the 
plants, as before; press the handle of the trowel down 
as you would a lever, and a mass of plants will be lifted 
in the same way. Separate them by crumbling down the 
ball of earth with the thumb and fingers, but gently, so as 
not to injure the small fibrous roots; then take the plants, 
one at a time, by a leaf, and they will part readily. Se¬ 
lect the places where you wish to plant, loosen and pul¬ 
verize the earth, make a hole of sufficient size, .and insert 
the plant up to the seed leaf, drawing the earth about it 
and press gently to secure it in its place. If the weather 
is dry, watering will be necessary, shading the plants for 
a few days by placing over them a piece of paper, or, bet¬ 
ter still, an inverted flower pot, always removing the cov¬ 
ering at night and during cloudy and rainy weather. 
Mow to Set Calbliag-e Plasats. 
It is now time to put out the second crop of cabbage. 
Under a burning sun, it is sometimes difficult to make the 
young plants live. The rainy day, so much coveted for 
this purpose, is sometimes a stranger for two or three 
weeks, and much time is lost upon the crop. With proper 
care the plants may be put out and live, even in dry 
weather. The best time, if a rainy day can not be had, 
is just at evening. The seed bed from which the plants 
are to be taken, should be thoroughly saturated with wa- 
ter to the depth of three or four inches. Then by taking 
up the plants gently with a small spade or trowel, a ball of 
earth will adhere to each plant, and if put out carefully 
they will live and soon become established. They should 
be watered as soon asset out to settle the dirt around 
the roots. If the sun comes out very hot it is a good plan 
to put a green leaf of pie plant, burdock or cabbage, over 
them by day, removing it at night. By managing in 
this way, ninety-nine in a hundred of good plants will 
live. Never set cabbages in ground manured with the 
contents of the pig sty. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Kape OtiKure. 
An article under this head, in the June number, induces 
me to write. I have an acre of Rape under cultivation, 
sown and planted last summer and fall, in different ways, 
for the purpose of testing the practicability of producing 
the seed for oil. The enormous prices demanded here for 
every description of lamp oil, and the low price of land of 
a deep and rich soil, seem to call loudly for a thorough 
trial of the merits of this plant. The present appearance 
of my crop, however, does not justify the recommenda¬ 
tion of its general culture, nor yet its condemnation ; fur¬ 
ther experiments only can decide this. 
Up to the warm weather in February the plants looked 
well, but since that time, about three fourths of them have 
been killed by the alternate freezing and thawing. 
Those which did Winter it through are in a very flourish¬ 
ing condition now, beginning to blossom. Let us “try, 
try again.” 
I have read that even in its most favored country it is 
an uncertain crop and that three good, crops out of Jive, are 
all that is expected, and will pay well. From the little I 
have seen of it, I do not apprehend that the “ labor ” re¬ 
quired will be any hindrance to its general culture. 
Crawford Co., Pa. FRANCIS SCHREINER. 
Keail tSie Chapters 021 ©raining'—Geology. 
We hope no one will omit to read these articles from be¬ 
ginning to end, on account of their length. To make the 
subject as plain as possible to even the youngest reader 
of the Agriculturist, and also as a matter of interest, as 
well as profit, we have discussed somewhat more minute¬ 
ly than we at first intended, a few of the elements of 
Geology, bearing upon the formation of soils. We con¬ 
sider the science of Geology so intimately connected with 
a knowledge of the soil we cultivate that we are half in¬ 
clined to give a few elementary chapters on this topic and 
may do so at the beginning of our next volume, if not be¬ 
fore. While we claim that practice— experience —is the 
best present guide to successful soil culture, we are yet 
convinced that a little knowledge of chemistry, geology 
and metereology, will not only assist the practical man 
in his operations, but also add vastly to his pleasure while 
pursuing his wearisome labors. 
HtTue JEdLitor Albseatt. 
The Conducting Editorofthe Agriculturist (Mr. Judd) 
has been absent on a Western tour of observation and 
study, since the early part of June, and will not return 
until about the middle of this month (July). Our readers 
will please take this as an excuse for any defects they may 
find in the closing pages of this number which has gone 
to press without his usual supervision. Several com¬ 
munications and private letters must also remain unat¬ 
tended to at present. 
Office Assistants. 
Aclssiowleilgcjsxent oS Seeds. 
We have received a large variety of seeds from corre¬ 
spondents and subscribers in all parts of the count] y, and 
take this method of returning our thanks for them, as we 
are unable to reply to each individually. We are giving 
most of them a fair trial upon “experimental grounds,” 
and those which prove valuable will come into the free 
distribution next season. Our policy is to disseminate 
choice seeds as we would knowledge, instead of confining 
them to localities where first introduced, or allowing them 
to be monopolized by unscrupulous speculators. 
STATE AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS 1857. 
Name. 
Where Held. 
Date. 
Canada East. 
Illinois,. 
Maine. 
Pennsylvania.. 
Connecticut. 
North Carolina. 
Massachusetts.. 
Maryland. 
Alabama. 
Virginia. 
. Louisville, Ky.. 
.New-York. 
. Cincinnati. 
.Montreal. 
• Peoria. 
er’s Ass’n, Alton, 
.Bangor. 
Sept. 1— 5 
“ 12 
“ 15—18 
“ 16 18 
“ 21-24 
Ill. “ 29 
“ 29 Oct. 2 
u 09 “ 2 
. Janesville. 
“ 29 “ 2 
. Brantford. 
“ 29 “ 2 
New-Brunswick. 
“ 29 “ 2 
.Montpelier. 
“ 30 “ 2 
Indianapolis. 
Oct. 4—10 
• Buffalo. 
“ 6 — 9 
. Muscatine. 
“ 6 — 9 
.Concord. 
“ 7— 9 
.Henderson . 
“ 12—16 
.Bridgeport. 
“ 13—16 
■ Knoxville. 
“ 20-23 
• Raleigh. 
“ 20—23 
Boston. 
“ 20—23 
. Baltimore. 
“ 21—25 
. Montgomery_ 
“ 27 30 
■ Jackson. 
27 30 
. Columbia. 
. Nov. 10—12 
COUNTY FAIRS. 
MAINE. 
Hillsborough. 
.. Gardiner. 
Sept. 
23-25 
Oct. 
1— 2 
6- 7 
.. Lewiston. 
6— 8 
li 
7— 8 
.. Waldoboro. 
<< 
13—15 
u 
14—15 
iV-HAMPSHIRE. 
Sept. 
23—24 
Milford. 
30— 
..Exeter. 
Oct. 
1— 2 
VERMONT. 
Sept. 
17—18 
23-24 
it 
23-24 
Franklin.St 
Orange. .. .Cl 
MASSACHUSETTS. 
Essex.Newburyport. . .Sept. 30—Oct. 1 
CONNECTICUT. 
Windham.Brooklyn. 
NEVV-YORK. 
Saratoga.Mechanicsville.. 
Jefferson.Watertown. 
St Lawrence.Canton. 
Wayne.Lyons. •. . 
Monroe.Rochester. 
Franklin.Malone. 
Queens.Jamaica. 
Livingston .Geneseo. 
Orleans.Albion. 
Palmyra Union.Palmyra. 
PENNSYLVANIA. 
Delaware... 
Sept. 16—17 
15- 17 
16— 17 
16-18 
16-18 
21—23 
23— 25 
24 
24- 25 
1 — 2 
14—16 
Oct. 
MARYLAND. 
Sept. 17—19 
Washington. 
KENTUCKY. 
Oct. 
13-16 
Harrison. 
Aug. 
25-28 
Kentucky Central. 
Sept. 
15— 
Bourbon. 
22—25 
Logan. 
Oct. 
6- 8 
OHIO. 
Fayette. 
Sept. 
8—10 
Clermont. 
8—11 
Hamilton. 
it 
8-11 
Warren. 
9-11 
Geauga (free). 
“ 
16—18 
Trumbuil. 
22—21 
Darke. 
<( 
23-25 
Stark. 
it 
23—25 
Columbiana. 
.. .New-Lisbon. 
u 
28-80 
Portage. 
28-30 
Butler. 
Sept. 29 Oct 1 
Ashtabula. 
“ 30 
“ 1 
Adams. 
“ 29 
“ 2 
Muskingum. 
“ 30 
“ 2 
Belmont. 
“ 30 
“ 2 
Jefferson.. 
“ 30 
“ 2 
Tuscarawas. 
“ 2 
Geauga. 
“ 30 
“ 2 
Lake. 
“ 30 
“ 2 
Union. 
Oct. 
i — 2 
Putnam. 
“ 
1 — 2 
W ayne. 
1 — 3 
Wyandot. 
it 
1 — 3 
Ottawa. 
fcC 
6— 8 
Lorain. 
t< 
6— 8 
Harrison. 
u 
6— 9 
Licking. 
-Newark. 
(i 
7— 8 
Washington. 
<( 
7— 9 
Clark. 
(1 
7- 9 
Guernsey. 
INDIANA. 
8— 9 
Henry. 
ILLINOIS. 
Sept. 
23—25 
Morgan. 
Sept. 
“ 29 
Oct. 
8—11 
Oct. 1 
14-15 
Pike. 
MISSOURI. 
Franklin. 
Oct. 
8—10 
Above we give a list of all Exhibitions of 
which we have 
received authentic information. We wish to make the 
list much more extensive and complete next month, and 
solicit reports from every county in the country. 
