REVIEW OF THE JULY NUMBER OF THE AGRICULTURIST. 
285 
the United States, where they are so abundant 
that the cultivated crops are seriously injured. 
The best plan I have ever tried, is, to freeze 
them to death, by turning over the ground in 
the fall and harrowing it several times during 
the winter. 
Pasture Lands. —That such lands should be 
more productive than those which have been 
mowed, is not to be wondered at, because the 
grass fed off by cattle is left upon the soil to 
enrich it, in their excrements. But it is wonder¬ 
ful when farmers do see such productive¬ 
ness, that they should ever think of keeping 
“ permanent pastures,” or permanent mowing 
lands in preference to a rotation of grain and 
grass crops. 
The Horses of Siberia .—Interesting as this 
article may be in a historical point of view, I 
beg leave to inquire whether an article on the 
horses of America, would not have been more so? 
Do we import Siberian horses ? or if we should, 
do so, would you recommend driving them “ forty- 
eight hours under the yoke, without being once 
baited with feed or drink?” Or, would you re¬ 
commend us to believe such is the custom in 
Siberia, or that they travel them “ unchanged, 
a distance of 200 versts,” (about 150 miles,) not¬ 
withstanding it is so stated in the book? The 
next time you are in the mood of “ talking horse,” 
pray, do not drive us quite so far without food 
or drink, or else we may kick the traces. 
Cultivate a Variety of Crops .—Yes, and to be 
in the height of fashion, cultivate them in any 
variety of ways but the right one. If you hap¬ 
pen to hear of any one succeeding better than 
you do, be careful not to adopt his course, be¬ 
cause that would be an acknowledgment that 
your neighbor knows more than you. Stick to 
your old way if it is wrong; it shows your in¬ 
dependence. What is the use of changing from 
one crop to another, your father did not? He 
never broke up an old pasture, nor meadow, to 
plant corn upon the rotting sod. He used to go 
along the roadside and dig up sods, and haul 
them into the barnyard, and rot them, and then 
haul them out into the “old field” to manure 
corn upon the same ground where he had grown 
it every year since he was a boy. But now these 
new-fangled notions would recommend you to 
grow the sod on the same ground instead of 
hauling it. The world is full of new notions. 
To Promote the Success of County Agricul¬ 
tural Societies. —Good as these suggestions are, 
I think I can improve upon them. Besides the 
permanent building, or at any rate, enclosed 
ards and entrance fee, that every society m.usi 
ave to succeed, I would have the annual show, 
a fair , in the old English sense of the word. In 
the first place, I would charge one dollar mem¬ 
bership, which should entitle the member to a 
year’s subscription to any agricultural paper or 
book that could be had, wholesale, for half a 
dollar. The other half dollar should entitle the 
member to a vote to all business meetings, and 
free admission to the show grounds, and the use 
of a stall or place where he or she might exhibit 
or sell any article whatever, suitable to such a 
place. To make the fair more attractive, and 
induce visitors to enter and pay the gate fee, I 
would hire a band of music, some good singers 
of appropriate songs ; and perhaps exhibitors of 
some attractive and innocent pastimes for the 
children, and speeches for the old folks; so that 
it should come to be looked upon, not only as a 
place to show big bulls and fat pigs, but a real 
farmers’’ fare and festival; where, for three days, 
every sort of commodity should be for sale, and 
every sort of innocent, moralising and mirthful 
enjoyment had, for a small amount of money, 
from each visitor, but which would amount in 
the total, to a large sum, and enable the man¬ 
agers to give some real useful and valuable pre¬ 
miums, worth contending for by the stock or grain 
grower, or farm improver, or implement maker. 
What county will first try the experiment? My 
word for it, that it succeeds. 
Cutting and Curing Hay. —I infer from the 
reading of this article that the writer is of opin¬ 
ion that, unless hay retains its bright-green color, 
it is nearly unfit for use. Such hay is most sal¬ 
able, but not always the most nutritious, nor 
palatable to cattle. If hay is put in cock some¬ 
what green, it often undergoes a sweating pro¬ 
cess, and turns black, without heating or injur¬ 
ing its quality. If it is put in mow or stack in 
an uncured condition, and salted, it may turn 
dark-colored, but cattle never refuse it. The 
qualhy of hay in market may be judged in the 
same way that General Taylor used to select 
sweet corn in Florida, for his own bread or 
hommony. Among a number of sacks of musty 
corn, there were a few sweet ones, which were 
difficult to select, until the “good hard-horse 
sense” of “ old Whitey,” was called into requi¬ 
sition. He would poke his nose round among 
the bags until he found one to suit his taste, 
which also suited his master’s ; for instinct taught 
him to select none but the sweetest. I am not 
in favor of “ early-cut grass for haybecause 
my experience has taught me that after it at¬ 
tains a degree of maturity, it is more nutritious. 
Not, however, if the seed is threshed off as this 
writer says he did before sending the hay to 
market. 
Adjustable Screw Wrench. —This is just about 
one of the most useful little farming tools ever 
purchased for the same amount of money. The 
name of its uses is legion. It is more easy to 
tell what it is not useful for, on a farm, than to 
enumerate all its conveniences. Like almost 
every other tool, the quality of this has been 
greatly improved of late, and at the same time 
the price reduced. 
Breaking Rocks with Fire. —The writer thinks 
it is not generally known that rocks may be 
easily broken with fire. Perhaps not. Does he 
know all about it? To break a rock with fire, 
first make a little furrow across it with a pick, 
and then build the fire of something that will 
give the greatest heat, (charcoal is best,) and 
when red hot, pour water into the furrow. Some 
rocks will split with very little heat. I have 
known it done by a loose cotton rope dipped in 
spirits of turpentine and burnt in the furrows. 
The Farmer’s Home .—Strong as the contrast 
is drawn in this article, between what the farm- 
