REVIEW OF THE MAY NUMBER OF THE AGRICULTURIST. 
2/3 
claiming the iniquitous law of Congress to tax the 
farmer 50 cents for every cast-iron plow he uses, 
under pretence of doing justice to the heirs of 
Jethro Wood. 
Cultivation of Onions. —These are most useful 
and ’well-written articles. But can you tell me 
what is the advantage of roping onions ? It seems 
to me to be a deal of labor, without any corres¬ 
ponding advantage. [When roped, onions are 
often more convenient for handling; and besides, 
in hot climates, they can readily be suspended in 
the air, and consequently will keep longer than 
when left in bulk.] It is surprising that the rais¬ 
ing of onions upon the prairie lands of the west, 
has never been brought into competition with the 
more valuable lands of the east. I have been told, 
and have in fact seen, that the prairie sod, the first 
season after breaking up, will produce the finest 
crop of onions that the most greedy Weathersfield 
cultivator could desire, without an iota of after-cul¬ 
ture. 
Cutting Potatoes. —I wish to know if you pub¬ 
lish this article from your own knowledge, “ that 
the eyes from the end opposite the root end will 
produce sets a fortnight earlier than those from the 
root end V’ If you do, I am bound to believe it— 
but I don’t now. [We never have tried it our¬ 
selves, but there is good authority for it.] 
The Cow—Her Diseases and Management. —The 
first two sentences of this article are worthy to be 
framed and hung up in every farmer’s house, until 
it comes to the dosing with physic. If vje first 
part of the directions are followed, you “ may Ctow 
physic to the dogs” instead of the cows. Some 
persons are eternally dosing their cattle and horses- 
which is just about upon a par with those who are 
continually dosing themselves with “mintjuleps” 
“ sherry cobblers,” and gin cocktails,” and such 
like medicaments; and just as profitable to man 
as beast. “ Air and exercise are absolutely neces¬ 
sary to the cow in order to keep her in a healthy 
state,” to which, add plenty of good wholesome 
food (not distiller’s slops,), with plenty of pure 
water, and my word for it, your recipes for physic 
doses will rarely, if ever, be needed. [All very 
good, Mr. Reviewer, yet, long experience has 
proved that medicine is often indispensable.] 
Improved Agricultural Implements. —I do not 
wonder that the editor of the Christian Examiner, 
was inspired to write this article after visiting the 
warerooms of A. B. A. & Co.; for certainly, to 
every person who possesses the least taste for ag¬ 
ricultural pursuits, the vast collection of imple¬ 
ments, there to be seen, forms a museum, which is 
more interesting, at least it is so to me, every time 
I am in the city, than any other place of amuse¬ 
ment. And then, it is so cheap, too. Although I 
call so often, I am as incog, there as to my readers 
here; but I am treated with such real politeness, 
whether I wish to purchase or not, that I enjoy 
myself much better than I ever did in any other 
museum of curiosities. I do, therefore, invite all, 
whenever they visit New York, to call at Allen s 
Museum , 191 Water street, and freely view the cu¬ 
riosities. I am sure they will thank me for the 
suggestion. And if they do not meet with a most 
kind and polite reception, I will never guess again. 
How shall the Soil be Improved 'i —This is one of 
the most important questions that can be asked, 
unless it is more important to inquire how to pre¬ 
serve the fertility of a virgin soil. The “ Theory 
of Agriculture” which teaches that, if the farmer 
will restore all the earthy and organic matter of each 
harvest to the field whence it was taken, he may 
grow any crop year after year, without injury to 
the soil, in my opinion, is true. But how are all of 
these to be restored, unless all be consumed upon 
the farm—nothing must be sold. If it is. the loss 
must be made up by importation. Making or buying 
manure and converting it into farm products, is as 
simple an operation as it is for me to buy cotton 
and convert it into calico. # The only question is, 
Will it pay % The farm is the mill, the manure the 
material, the grass the product (or comparatively 
the cotton yarn); and if the manufacture is con¬ 
tinued further, then the cow is the loom and the 
butter the cloth. Both of these factories must have 
the raw material. How can the fertility of the 
soil be improved, or kept good, unless this raw 
material be furnished % It would be just as rea¬ 
sonable for me to think that those fifty bales of 
cotton which I bought last week, would keep my 
cotton mill running for ever, as it is for the farmer 
to think that he can continue his manufacture of 
butter and cheese, grain and meat, for exportation, 
without furnishing an equivalent of raw material. 
Do, farmers, I pray you, look upon the matter in 
this light. 
Swine — No. 3. — Introduction of Swine into 
America. —I wish the whole breed, stock, and seed 
had perished on the voyage. For I do most sin¬ 
cerely believe that it has been a most unprofitable 
speculation for the people of this country. For, of 
•ill kinds of human food, used so abundantly 
in this country, I do fully believe that hog’s 
flesh is the greatest promoter of the diseases that 
poor Vvlspeptic mortals are heirs to. And then, 
what amount of dollars and cents can ever balance 
the sins rightly chargeable to thee, Oh, thou 
mighty murderer of the peace of all neighborhoods % 
But so far as the history of a hog is concerned, the 
article here under review is a most interesting one; 
for, in it, the reader may find a digest of the his¬ 
tory of all the original Ymerican hogs—those with 
bristles, I mean. 
Facts in Farming — No. 2 —I wish to inquire of 
the writer of this article, what, in his opinion, pre¬ 
vented the rot from attacking the potatoes planted 
near the corn ? And independent of the preven¬ 
tive of disease, if that is so, is it not a good way to 
plant corn and potatoes in alternate rows! 
Yankee Farming — No. 4.—In regard to the sub¬ 
ject of raising “ taters,” no pen could more graph¬ 
ically describe the good old Yankee process, than 
has that most inimitable and laughter-proving one 
of Sergeant Teltrue, in this number. And as a 
commendation of these articles of the Sergeant’s, I 
desire to mention, that my wife (who by the way 
is somewhat of an Aunt Nabby), says that if the 
Sergeant will come to see us this fall, she will treat 
him to such a dish of roast potatoes as his great 
worth entitles him to. 
The Guinea Fowl. —As to this article, it is a 
very good and readable one, and for aught I know, 
this kind of fowl may be a very eatable one ; but 
as for the music of a lot of Guinea hens, perpetu- 
