'Entered according to Act of Congress, in January, 1867, by T. A. Blank, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court ot the United States for the District of Indiana.
Volamo II,—No. 5.—Terms, SI per Year.
INDIANAPOLIS,  INDIANA, MAT 1,1867.
T. A, BIAND, Editor and Proprietor.
I?
Contents of May Number.
"Work for the Month, Continued  81
Stirring the Soil   81
Reading for Farmers'Boys  82
Scientific Farming, Xo. 10  83
The Thrifty Farmer  83
Treatment bf Cows  84
Tin- Industrial College  84
Agricultural Colleges  85
Notes from Dearborn County   85
Nature Knows no Accidents  85
A Plea for Farmers  86
Home Amusement   86
Letter from Rev. Wm. Turner.   86
Appeal to Fruit Growers  87
Fruitand Wheat Prospects  87
The Convolvulus Minor  83
Letter from Southern Michigan  88
More about Dwarf Pears  88
A New White Wash  8!)
Ornamental Flower Stand  89
Letter from Montezuma  89
A Wicked World  8!)
Plow Deep  89
Farmingin Great Britain  90
Henry Ward Beecher's Paper  90
Illinois Horticultural Report  91
Dr. A. C. Stevenson  91
Agricultural Lectures     91
The Ten Best Varieties of Apples  91
Industrial College Question  91
Address of J. U.Klippart  92
Onr Premiums  93
Editorial Favors  92
The Season and the Wheat   93
Craig Microscope  92
Bloomingdale Fair   92
The Earth is Man's Abiding Place  92
Sample Copies  92
Brief Notices  92
Correspondence Received   ... 93
The American Naturalist  92
Dogs vs. Sheep          93
Commercial Education for Women ..'  1)3
Farmers'Wives  93
Tho Good Wife—roetrv  91
Finger Marks ".   94
Domestic Economy  94
New Music  94
Business Notices  95
STinuiNTr The Soil.—Repented stirrinr
of the soil wo regard as almost, if not
quite, as essential to good and successful
cultivation as manure. Indeed, we have
known good crops taken from land that
was counted as "too poor to raise beans,"
by merely repeated plowings and harrow-
ings. Expend money first in draining, if
you have heavy, clayed, or naturally wet
soils; then plow, plow, plow, as often and
deeply as you please. The more, and
ofteuer, and deeper the soil is stirred, the
better will trees or plants grow and fruit.
The mechanical action of the soil, and its
permeability to atmospheric influence,
are too often lost sight of, and many a
piece of ground on which manures lu've
been placed until it has got to be what is
termed •' fat" and unproductive, only needs
repeated stirring and opening to the action
of atmospheric elements to bring it to the
highest and most profitable condition.—
Ex.
&&
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immi&
For the Xorth  Western Farmer.
Work For the Month.
Loveliest and busiest month of the year,
for the farmer. Everything seems to claim
attention at the same time, from the tiniest
garden seed, requiring the most delicate
care, to the hardiest seeds or tubers, admitting of the most negligent treatment. But
while so much is required of the farmer in
labor, nature seems willing to oiler a compensation in the budding flowers, growing
grass, and putting forth of every living
thing; while the feathered songsters of the
field tune their best notes—these, with the
"sunshine and breeze," lends life and animation to rural life, within the reach of
the humblest cottager, but attainable nowhere else.
THE FARM.
Accounts.—The farmer is too negligent in
reference to a correct knowledge of his actual expenditures, as well as his positive
profits. This should be approximated as
nearly as practicable; yet there are many
little things of which, it is impossible to
keep a correct estimate. One of the best
rules is to deal on the " cash system." in
making purchases or sales, and tiie "balance on hand" will give a pretty good
idea of success, at the close of the jear.
It is an excellent plan to carry a small
blank book and pencil, in order to be ready
to make an entry of all transactions, as
well as note things to be remembered, by
way of a reminder.
Bacon.—As warm weather approaches
bacon will be liable to the attack of flies,
if not thoroughly cured. The best practice is to apply a good coat of black pepper finely ground, before banging the meat
up to receive the smoke. Some people,
however, leave the peppering process
until after the smoking. Make a note of
this, that is, that black pepper, and exclusion from light, are valuable aids in preserving meat from depredations of insects.
Pees.—In the press of work, the farmer
too often forgets this profitable emblem of
industry. Look to the board, or bench on
which the hive stands; do not let it become
decayed and thus afford harbor for insects,
that not only annoy, but often destroy the
bees. The moth, however, is the great pest
to bee keeping. Pint, quart, or even larger
bottles may be partly filled with sweetened
water, and set near the stand, with open
mouth, and the amount of moths caught in
them will be astonishing. The more of
these traps the greater the number of moths
destroyed. Empty the bottles every few
days, and renew tlie bait.
Broom Corn.—It is not every farmer that
can make a good broom, yet every one can
raise good broom corn, and if it cannot be
manufactured at home, it can be taken to
the nearest broom factory and manufactured
to the shares. A year or so since wc cultivated a few rods of ground in broom corn,
and had it manufactured on the shares,
which furnished a supply for the next five
years to come.
Buildings—that are not on a permanent
foundation, arc liable to bo moved or
wrecked during the severe freezing of winter. All repairs should be looked to in
due time ; and. best of all, procure a good
permanent foundation. I'aiut wooden
buildings inside and out, as often as necessary, to preserve the wood-work. It is
poor economy to build frame houses without painting the weather-boards.
Cabbage.—Set a few early for family use.
The main crop may be set later, and "often
succeed very well set early in next month.
Manure from the hog-pen is said to be the
best for cabbage.
Calves—are often turned to grass to shift
for themselves, before the grass affords
sufficient nutriment to sustain them. A
little meal, shorts or bran should be fed
them until tlie pasture is sufficient.
Cattle—will still require some feed, if the
spring is backward. (See directions for
last month.) Cattle seem to require more
salt when first turned to grass than at any
other time.
Cellars. — Keep these clean, and thoroughly aired and dried. Make all walls
rat-proof. Tho ''concrete" is an excellent
cheap material for cellar walls.
Corn.—This great staple of the Xorth-
West is to be looked to first, last, and all
the time. In central Indiana and Illinois,
about the first of this month is the best
time for planting ; but should wet weather
prevent coming up to time, wc should not
despair tor four to even six weeks later.
Tlie wet spring, nine years ago, very little
planting was done until the twentieth ot
June, and yet most of the crop was pretty
well matured. Many fanners plant in
drills three-and-a-half or four feet apart;
but corn planted thus is not quite so easily
cultivated as it planted iu rows both ica>_,s,
and thus allow the horse to do what otherwise would have to be accomplished by
hand. In this age of improvements, the
horse must be made to lend every possible
assistance to man that lie can. It is ruinous policy to spend a day doing a job of
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