AUGUST. “While bowers and groves and orchards round me waved, Farm Work for the Month. The press of the summer's work will now be abated, and the farmer may afford to give himself, and his laborers, an occasional respite on Saturday, and at midday make the hour of rest somewhat longer. The corn will now be dependent only on the state of the weather, as all will have been done that industry and skill can do in the way of cultivation. The wheat and other grains will have been secured, ready for the threshing machine. The hay will have been made, and put out of harm's way in mow or stack. The care of tobacco, potatoes, turnips, and other such crops, will be light work. TOBACCO FIELD. It is an important month to the tobacco crop, and mainly determines its character. In the early stages of its growth, it should be ploughed deeply, to encourage it to strike its roots well into the ground. Otherwise, the hot and dry weather will force it to a rapid, upward growth, and make a light crop. The ploughs and hoes must be kept diligently at work, during the month, until the leaves so interlock, as to make them liable to be broken. Vol. I.-No. 2. Topping. This work should be done as the tobacco comes into bloom. Early in the season top down to leaves of six inches in length, and at a later period still lower, to give the upper leaves the chance to ripen before housing. The plant will, usually, be fit for the house about three weeks after topping. Suckers. As soon as the plant is topped, suckers will begin to grow from the foot of each leaf.-These consume the juices that would otherwise give weight and body to the leaves, and should be taken out before they make much growth.— Especial care must be taken to destroy them before cutting the plants, as they continue to grow after the tobacco is hung in the house, and, if frozen, will stain and damage the leaves. must be left, from which seed may be saved.-Saving Seed. Some of the most perfect plants When the leaves are thoroughly ripe on these plants, they should be stripped off and tied up to cure, while the stalks are still left for the thorough maturing of the seed. RUTA BAGA AND OTHER TURNIPS. Sow ruta bagas at once, if not already done, and white turnips from the 10th to the 20th.The first in slightly raised drills, two and a half feet apart, with about 300 weight of good superphosphate sowed in the drill. White turnips, sow broad cast. RYE. If rye is to be sown, the ground should be got in readiness this month, and everything be prepared to sow not later than the 1st of September. This is not a favorite crop on any ground that will grow a tolerable crop of wheat, but on light soils it may, with a light manuring, prove more profitable. But under almost any circumstances, a small lot should be sown for early green food in the spring. It is fit for cutting two weeks before clover, and no one who puts a proper estimate on green food for stock, in early spring, would be willing to dispense with it. For such a purpose it should be well manured and sowed thickly-say at the rate of two bushels of seed to the acre. TIMOTHY. This valuable hay grass is most commonly sown in a rotation with grain, which is the best practice. In that case, it is to be sown whenever the wheat is; but if a lot of ground is to be appropriated exclusively to it, let it be got in thorough readiness, and sown the latter part of this month. If seed enough be put on the ground at that time, there is no reason why a heavy crop should not be cut the first season. It may be sown as early as the middle of August, and in that case, a crop of white turnips may be sown with it, scattering the seed very thin upon the ground; or mixing a quarter of a pound of turnip seed, with a peck of timothy, before sowing. If it is the purpose to grow timothy unmixed with other grasses, in a rotation with grain, the proper place for it is with the wheat crop that is sown on a clover fallow; this would of course lengthen the ordinary four-field rotation in proportion to the number of crops of timothy. CATTLE PENS. It is a convenient method of manuring the thinner portions of a field, or any part that wants heavy manuring for a special purpose, to make Inoveable cattle pens, the bottom of which should be covered with coarse litter, of any sort that may be got together. If such pens are moved once a fortnight, much ground may be manured before the time to take them into the yards. It is a favorable season now to gather material of every description that may make manure. THRESHING GRAIN. It is always advisable to thresh the grain early, to be in readiness for market, and the most convenient time is generally that between harvest and wheat seeding. Prepare at once, and use every possible precaution against the dangerous accidents that often occur. PREPARATION FOR WHEAT. The preparation of the clover field, or the oat stubble, for wheat, should be begun at the earliest possible time, that the condition of the ground will permit. All experienced wheat growers are aware of the advantage of early ploughing; and the uncertainty of the state of the weather allowing it, at this season, makes it especially incumbent to be prepared for the first opportunity to do so. If well turned now, a superficial working at seed time will be all that is needed to put into the best condition. Then the necessity for early seeding becomes yearly more apparent, and some good varieties of red wheat admit of sowing the 1st of September. There need be no fear of making this first ploughing as deep as three good horses will turn it, unless there be good reason to suspect some poisonous ingredient in the subsoil, which should be turned up, very cautiously, late in the fall.— There is seldom any reason for apprehension on this point. The Vegetable Garden. Prepared for The American Farmer, by DANIEL BARKER, Maryland Agricultural College. AUGUST. BEANS. Early Six Weeks and Valentine, may still be sown during the first two weeks of the month, being careful to select a piece of ground which has received a liberal coating of manure, and well spaded, or deeply ploughed. Late beans, upon poor, thin soil, should the fall be dry, will be very stringy. CUCUMBERS AND MELONS Frequently suffer from the effects of drought, at this season of the year. A surface dressing of half rotted manure will benefit them, and be the means of prolonging their bearing until frost destroys them. CELERY. The early planted will now require earthing up about every ten days, being careful not to add too much earth at a time, as by so doing it is likely to get into the heart of the plant, and cause it to rot. LETTUCE, For a fall crop, may be sown about the middle of the month upon a piece of well enriched ground. The true Early Paris Silesian is the best kind, all things considered, we have ever cultivated. Out of some twelve different kinds cultivated here this season, we have nothing to equal the above.. SPINACH, To come into use before winter, may be sown about the end of the month. Sow in drills about two feet apart, and work well with the hand, or borse, cultivator, as soon as the plants are well above ground. WEEDS. Keep them from every part of the garden, as they are great robbers, and not to be trusted,— the seeds from which, if allowed to mature and fall upon the ground, will cause hard fighting hereafter. Fill every vacant place in the garden, from which early peas, potatoes, &c., &c., have been taken, with cabbage, turnip, spinach, &c. Never allow any land to lie vacant during the growing season. Continue to give all crops of carrots, onions, parsnips, late beets, corn, &c., good cultivation between the rows, until all the land is covered with the foliage of the plants. We can testify to the superiority of this variety, as cultivated this season by Mr. B., at the Agricultural College.-ED. The Fruit Garden. STRAWBERRIES. August and September, we consider the best time of the whole year to make new beds, in order to insure good bearing next year. If good rooted runners are plentiful, select the best only, taking up the plant with a good ball of earth, and transferring them with great care to their newly prepared bed With such careful manage ment they will barely feel the removal, and with ordinary care will become very strong plants and produce a good crop of fruit next spring. This extra care can, of course, only be given to plants which have to be removed a short distance.When runners are plentiful, we always destroy the weak ones; but any varieties it is thought desirable to propagate to the utmost, we select all the strongest, and plant them in beds for bearing, and the late ones in separate beds for stock. These will not, as a general thing, produce much fruit until the following year, and then will be, under ordinary circumstances, very strong plants. Strawberries, to fruit in pots next spring, should by this time be well established, and in need of shifting into four-inch pots, into a compost of good, strong, turfy loam, well chopped over with good rotten cow-dung, and potted firmly. Peaches, Nectarines, Grape Vines,-hardy and exotic,-attend to directions given last month. INSECTS. Do not omit to watch for aphides, (plant lice,) &c., &c. We have found strong soapsuds very effectual for destroying them, (plant lice,) by applying it through the nose of a watering pot or syringe. RASPBERRIES, As soon as the bearing season is over, should have all the old canes cut out, and the new ones thinned out to about four, unless wanted for making new plantations. NEWLY TRANSPLANTED TREES Should have the ground well worked between them, and a good coating of mulch applied as a top-dressing to every tree, covering a radius of not less than four feet from the stem. Frequent applications of soapsuds to all newly transplanted fruit trees, grape vines, strawberry plants, &c., will be of great and lasting benefit. MILDEW Will show itself in all close damp places, and do incalculable mischief if not checked. Sulphur dustings are the best remedy we know. ARREARS. At this time of the year we generally find ourselves in arrears in regard to some departments of our work, but as much of the planting is done, and little watering is required, and there is a momentary lull in the activities necessary during the early spring months, we would now pipe all hands to give an effectual working of the ground wherever the hand or horse cultivator can be used; the pruning and tying grape vines; working old, and new, strawberry beds; pruning old and neglected orchards; eradicating borers; with many other odd jobs which present themselves from time to time to the observant cultivator, and which are "too numerous to mention." "It is a mark of want of intellect to spend much time in things relating to the body; as to be immoderate in exercises, in eating and drinking, and the discharge of other animal functions. These things should be done incidentally, and our main strength applied to our reason." Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well." The Flower Garden. ANNUALS, To stand the winter, should be sown from the middle to the end of the month, in ground not too highly manured. The sorts to sow now, are white and purple Candy Tufts, the beautiful varieties of Nemophilas, Erysimum, Clarkias, Convolvulus Minor, the pretty Godetias, new Rocket Larkspur, Lupines, Escholtzias, French and German Poppy, and the beautiful varieties of Schizanthus. STOCKS. Intermediate, Queens, and Brompton, for flowering early next spring, should now be sown.— After about one inch high, they should be potted singly in small pots, and kept shaded until they make fresh roots. The soil should be good, turfy loam, not too rich, or the plants will become too sappy to stand the winter well. They are among the most beautiful of our early spring flowering plants. PANSIES, Towards the end of the month, should be propagated in quantities for planting out in beds, and for early blooming in pots next spring. When well rooted, those to stand in open beds, should be planted in a good loamy soil, with a liberal admixture of good decayed cow-dung, sand, and a small quantity of charred rubbish, if there should be any on hand. ROSES. Fascination.-Flowers, a beautiful rosy salmon, with a margin of bluish white; a fine and beautiful variety, with good form and truss. Foliage, light green, with dark zone. Very effectiye.. Madame Vaucher.-A pure white Geranium; fine large truss, well up in the centre, giving it a fine, flat, even surface, and in form and color almost equal to the old double white camellia.— Habit, dwarf and compact. A beautiful variety. Brilliant.-Light scarlet; an immense truss.— Light foliage, with dark zone. Habit, robust, well adapted for planting in the flower garden, or grown in a pot for green-house decoration. Bel-Demonia.—A beautiful, rosy salmon color, of dwarf compact habit of growth; the trusses very large, and the petals of great substance, remaining in perfection for a lengthened period. New Mimulus Monstrosus."-This variety is a decided advance on all that we have hitherto cultivated. Habit, very robust and compact, producing its blossoms in the greatest profusion, and of gigantic size. Color, varying from a beautiful soft canary, to bright orange, with large broad blotches of claret maroon, of a velvety appearvnce; throat and lower lip densely spotted with the same color.. NEW LOBELIA.-Lobelia Alba-cærulca.—This very distinct and beautiful plant, alike adapted for the flower garden, planting in vases, or for a hanging basket, will be found a great acquisition, being a very profuse bloomer. The flowers are very large, being from half to three-quarters of an inch across, with conspicuous, white centre, Prune Pillar roses, so as to remove a moderate amount of both old, and new wood. All that is left to be of its full length and at regular dis-edged with blue. Splendid habit:-annual. tances, that there may be good symmetrical heads next season. Short cuttings of Chinas and Bourbons will root now in the open ground, planted in a shady situation. Notices of New and Rare Plants. BY D. BARKER, MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. NEW ZONALE GERANIUMS.-This most splendid class of flowers, alike adapted for the adornment of the green-house and flower garden, and one of the best for cultivation as a window plant, deserves from their great improvement to be more generally cultivated. They vary in color from pure white, through every shade of rose, pink, and salmon, to the most dazzling scarlet, with form almost perfection. We have in our possession the entire stock of some from Europe, which we hope to describe with other novelties, both fruit and flowers, in forthcoming numbers of The Farmer." Homemade Manure. Twenty hens will furnish enough excrements in a year, if well cared for, to give an acre of corn a good start, equal to a liberal supply of the patent materials. The privy for six in a family, if well attended, will produce enough for the hill for two acres of corn; and then, if more is needed, clean up all the fine manure in the yard and in the barn cellar, mix three bushels of ashes to a cartload of thirty bushels, and immediately use it, putting a pint in a hill. It costs no money, but needs a little time and attention. I have never found the farmer yet who did not acknowledge that $10 is better used in making manure at home, than in the buying of others' manufacI believe this rule may generally be applied. Some exceptions exist. But that it is a bad policy to waste fertilizers at home, and buy foreign ones, is a fact too plain to be disputed.— N. H. Mirror. ture. [CONCLUDED.] If you view our field labor as so many means Cultivation and Manure as Fertili- for exposing every portion of the surface soil to zing Agents. By Henry Tanner, Professor of Agriculture, In addition to this benefit, another desirable result has been attained by the use of lime-viz: that, as nearly all soils contain ammonia in them, in a dormant state, the use of lime displaces part of this ammonia, and thereby this fertilizing matter becomes available for the plants growing in the land. the air, you will at once realize the value of many operations which we have hitherto only considered as of mechanical value in preparing the laud for seed, by rendering it light, and giving the roots freedom for their growth and extension. But the advantages are double; for not only is it necessary for the luxuriant growth of a crop that it should be so placed that its roots have a freedom of action for searching after the food which the crop requires, but, as I have already explained, the means we adopt for attaining this result equally facilitate the success of the crop by the accumulation of fertilizing matter which is being simultaneously made. This free and loose condition of the soil is equally favorable for the passage of rain into the soil; and when this is properly assisted by an efficient underdrainage, then alone is the full advantage derived from the rain, and its fertilizing contents. Thus it is seen that in the soil there are bodies capable of separating ammonia from the rain as well as from the atmosphere, and afterwards preserving these fertilizing stores until required for the crop. We have in the use of lime a double advantage; it not only gives the soil superior powers of acquiring that valuable fertilizing matter, ammonia, but it also renders the existing stores of dormant ammonia ready for active service in promoting vegetation. It is, however, of no practical value to us having in our soils the means of accumulating fertilizing matter, if at the same time we place it in a position in which this power is rendered inoperative; consequently we have two means by which to promote the accumulation of ammonia in the soil, and these are-1st, increasing the capabilities of the soil to absorb ammonia; and 2d, giving the atmosphere a free access to the soil, so that these powers may come into full operation. The addition of lime to the land has in this respect a double actionviz: it sets part of the ammonia in the soil free, and available for promoting vegetable growth, and it also renders the soil more competent for accumulating a store which will maintain the fertility of the land; and thus we have, in the use of lime as a manure, a valuable means of realizing the first requirement-an increased absorbing power. The attention may now, however, be advantageously directed to the facilities for the increase of these powers, and these are manifestly twofold-viz: the exposure of the soil fully to the air, and the passage of rain through the land. The tillage of the land is therefore just the agency required to accomplish this desirable result; for as I have said before, the inversion, stirring, and crushing of the soil by the various operations of ploughing, cultivating, harrowing, and rolling, each and all promote the exposure of fresh portions of the soil for atmospheric action; and whatever capability is possessed for the secretion of ammonia, the soil is thus fur-fect knowledge cannot exactly approve of. nished with the opportunity for its exercise. With a knowledge of these principles, if you review that old established practice of fallowing, you will not fail to detect the reason for past success in this practice, and you will see another instance of that true union which exists between practice and science, which every lover of agricultural progress hails with feelings of pleasure. The true principle of fallowing has been to expose the land to the wind, rain, frost, and heat, and to keep the land moving as much as possible. Manifest have been the advantages derived from extra ploughing, which to the eye appeared at the time productive of little change or benefit, but the succeeding crop has in many such cases given evidence of increased capabilities of production, which, until lately, has been set down as simply resulting from the mechanical condition of the soil being more favorable for growth, instead of its being also referred in part to the increase of food for the crop which was thus obtained. The use of lime for fallows is an old established practice loudly decried by some as exhausting to the land, but still the practice was continued, because it was found to succeed; and now the practice has, by its successful results, survived the period of its condemnation, and entered into one of more honor, in which both practice and science agree to sanction and advise its use. Here let us all take a lesson for our future guidance, and remember that old established and successful practice has truth for its foundation, and although there may also be some error intermixed with it, yet we shall be unwise to condemn any successful practice as useless, which our present imper We have now to notice the influence of tillage |