42 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[:pEBIltTAR¥, 
Contents for February, 1877. 
Alpacas, Flock of Illustrated. . 41 
Among the Farmers — No. 13 54 
Bee Notes for February -.49 
Boys and Girls' Columns— A Drawing Machine — How 
the Boy's Eyes Sparkled— Fun for a Winter Evening 
— The Doctor's Correspondence — Aunt Sue's Chats 
—Puzzle Box— Dressing the Hair, 6 IUustraf.ions..G5'G3 
Catalogues Received 75 
Clieap Greenhouses 2 lUusiradojis . . 63 
Chickens, Early 57 
Closet in an Ice House, Ventilation in a. . lUitstrated. .58 
Connecticut Agricnlture 49 
Corn Crib, A Rustic Illustrated.^ 
Cow, Marks of a Good Milk. Z lllustrationft . .5S 
Dog Kennels S Illustrations.. oG 
Evener, A Three-Horse Illustrated. 56 
Flower Garden and Lawn for February.. . 45 
Flowers, How they are Fertilized 02 
Forage Plant, A Useful Illustrated. . 59 
Greenhouse and Window Plants for February 45 
Halter, A Convenient 57 
Hints and Helps for Farmers 9 Illustrations . .^t 
Hops, American 51 
Houseiiold Department— Home Topics— Art with Scis- 
sors — Plant Shelves in Windows — Cover to a Pork 
Barrel — Painting Floors 6 Illustrations.. tj^~Go 
House Plan A Illustrations . .5^ 
Kitchen Garden for February 43 
Manure, Baling for Transportation Illustrated. 53 
Manure, Spreading Z lUustralioJis . .hi 
Market Report for Februaiy 45 
Mentzelias as Garden Plants Illustj'ated..61 
Ogden Farm Papers, No. 84 — Summer-Fall owing- 
Earth Closet System— Jersey Cattle 50-51 
Pine Umbrella of Jiipan Illustrated. . (il 
Poultry House, Plan for a 3 Illustrations . .oM 
Science Applied to Farming 49 
Stock for Butter 55 
Subscription Terms, Change in 40 
Wheat Crops, Hoeing Illust7'ated..55 
Work, Hints About for February 42 
IKDBX TO "■ BASKET," OR SHORTER ARTICLES. 
Akebia, Fruiting the 47 
Apples, Bitter Rol in. ... 75 
Artichoke, Jerusalem 49 
Ashes and Salt.Howto use73 
Barley, Fall and Spring. ..4f) 
Botanic Garden audArnold 
Arboretum 48 
Botany, Japanese 75 
Brown Bread 4' 
Cubic Feetin aTon of Hay46 
Carrots for St ock 46 
Cheese Factories 46 
Clover on Snow, Sowing.. 74 
Clover Seed, To Hull. 
Corn Bran. Value of 47 
Corn in Drills 73 
Corn Stalk.'^. Use of 74 
Cotswokla for RhodeIsland4' 
Cow, A Barren 74 
Cream, Foaming of 47 
Cream Cakes, Boston 48 
Cribbing and Worms 73 
Croquettes 4S 
Dairy Journal 74 
Death of E. G. Henderson49 
Early Laying andHaiching74 
Eggs, To Pack Safely 74 
Fair, Florida State 74 
Farmer's Clubs 47 
Fistula in the Jaw 75 
*• Florida Fever" 74 
Florida Paper and Map... 46 
Forage Plants 47 
Fowls Eiiting Featliers.. .73 
Fowls, House for 1000 74 
Fowls, Langshan 73 
Fmgaricnltnre 43 
"Game Grass" 47 
Geese, Toulouse 74! 
Grasshoppers in Kansas.. 46 
Grist Mills, Small Farm.. 75 
Guano, Fish 75 
Guernseys or Jerseys, ...74 
Health Almanac for 1877. .471 
Heaves Cause of 73l 
Horse. Difficnl ty of Brea I h - , 
ing in a 75 
Household Management 
and Cookery, Book on. .43 
How to by a "Professor". 74 
Humbugs, Sundiy 47 
Jersey Cows in Califurnia.46 
Ladders, Extension. ..74 
Land in Florida, Govern- 
ment 75 
Lime, Use of 74 
Orange Tree. A Famous 73 
Persimmon, The Japanes 75 
Petroleum in Tobacco Cul- 
ture 74 
PiL^s. How to Feed Yonng.74 
Plant, The Tunninj- .' 74 
Plants. Giving Credit for. .74 
Plow, Draining 47 
Plow, Swivel 47 
Potato Puff 47 
Poultry, Diseases of Do- 
mestic 46 
Primroses.Double Chinese47 
Sausa<re Meat 43 
Seed Firm, Change in a... 48 
Seeds and Sea Water 74 
Sheep. How to Feed Old. 71 
Sheep Keepine. Profit ol.. 74 
Smoke House. Venti]ation74 
Soap Maiinfaclurcrs 48 
Sorento and Inlaid Work. 46 
Spavin Cure 75 
"Sport" in England, Cost74 
Stable Floor 73 
Subscription Terms. ChanL'e 
in 46 
Sweeny in the Shoulders. .73 
The Illus. Adelaide News.?5 
The Lord's Land : 47 
I Tomato. lOQ Days 47 
Tree Labels 46 
Turnips andBeets.Drill for4B 
Weight, Estimating by 
Measure "46 
"Walks and Talks." 
— •*■ — 
The writer of "Wai-ks and Taxks on the Faem," 
published in the American Agriculiurist for ten years or 
more, has during tlie past 14 months l)ecn quietly attend- 
ing to his farm-work, gathering experience and ob- 
servation, and in writing a Book on Manures, now about 
completed. "We take pleasure in announcing that lie will 
resume his pen in the next nnmber of the ATnerican 
Agriculiurist, in a new series of articles "Talks on 
Fakm Ckops," to continue through the year. This will 
■ he a pleasant announcement to many of our readers, 
who have " walked and talked " with him in past years. 
Calendar for February. 
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a;t. fnioa. and 
(/reaon. 
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7 2 
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6 S9 
6 58 
6 56 
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6 53 
53 
6 51 
6 49 
6 4S 
6 K 
6 4.-> 
43 
(i 41 
li 40 
6 3< 
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22 
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5 14 
5 16 
5 19 
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5'il 
5 -a 
5 24 
5 25 
r. 26 
5 27 
5 29 
,i 3(1 
5 31 
5 33 
5 31 
5 35 
5 37 
5 :« 
5 39 
5 4(1 
5 41 
5 43 
5 44 
5 45 
5 m 
3 4S 
5 49 
H. M. 
9 40 
10 54 
morn 
6 
1 16 
2 24 
328 
4 24 
5 14 
5 52 
6 27 
6 56 
'?et-^ 
6 57 
S 1 
9 4 
11) U 
11 19 
moi'ii 
SO 
1 41 
2 55 
3 58 
4 51 
5 33 
6 6 
6 :l:i 
6 57 
S. T. Citij. CI., 
plutadetphia, 
yew Je>ney. 
I^enn.. Ohio. 
Indiana, and 
liUuoi>i. 
7 10 
7 9 
7 
7 
7 S 
7 3 
7 2 
7 1 
7 
6 59 
6 .5S 
6 56 
6 
6 54 
6 52 
6 51 
6 5ii 
6 48 
6 4 
6 46 
6 44 
6 43 
6 41 
6 40 
(1 SS 
6 3 
6 3d 
H.M 
5 IS 
19 
5 21 
5 22 
5 23 
5 24 
5 28 
5 27 
5 28 
5 29 
5 30 
5 82 
5 S3 
5 34 
5 35 
5 36 
SS 
5 39 
5 40 
5 41 
5 42 
5 43 
44 
41) 
47 
4S 
49 
6 51 
"= 'r 
H. M. 
9 39 
10 51 
morn 
a 
1 Id 
2 20 
3 22 
4 IS 
5 7 
5 47 
6 21 
6 43 
sfts 
6 59 
8 1 
9 5 
10 S 
11 16 
morn 
26 
139 
2 43 
3 50 
4 45 
5 26 
6 3 
6 32 
6 57 
\Va.^hiiigton. 
JJarpiand, 
VifnUiia. Ken. 
tucky, MiH>iou- 
ri, and Caii- 
fornia. 
H.M U.M 
7 65 22 
7 615 23 
7 4^5 24 
7 315 25 
7 2:5 20 
7 ll; 
7 015 29 
6 59:5 SO 
6 5S 5 81 
6 57'5 32 
9 56 
6 55 
6 54 
6 52 
6 61 
6 50 
6 49 5 40 
6 48 5 41 
46 
6 45 
6 «i 
6 42 
6 40 
6 39 
6 3S 
6 36 
6 85 
6 34 
42 
5 43 
3 45 
5 46 
5 4 
5 4S 
5 49 
5 50 
5 51 
j 52 
a. 31. 
9 39 
10 50 
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1 5 
2 13 
3 15 
4 11 
4 59 
5 40 
6 15 
6 43 
sets, 
7 
8 1 
9 4 
10 5 
11 12 
morn 
21 
1 82 
2 41 
343 
4 83 
5 21 
5 59 
6 29 
I'HASES OF THIS MOOJS. 
3il Quart. 
New M'li 
1st Qua It 
Full M'li 
ir. M. 
16 mo. 
4 15 mo. 
11 32 ev. 
2 30 cv. 
N. YOUK. 
WASH'N. 
CHA'STON 
CHICAGO. 
H. 31. 
n. 31. 
n. M. 
n. 31. 
4 mo. 
11 52 4th 
11 40 4th 
U 10 4th 
4 3 1110. 
3 51 mo 
3 39 mo. 
3 9 mo. 
11 30 ev. 
11 8ev. 
10 56 ev. 
10 26 ev. 
2 IS ev. 
2 6 ev. 
1 54 ev. 
1 24 ev. 
IMERICAiV AGRICULTPRIST. 
TSEW TOKK, FEBRUAUT, 1877. 
It is generally accepted as a trutli that the more 
intelligent a man may be, the more valuable mil be 
his labor. While this is true of all industries, it is 
especially so in regard to the cultivation of the 
soil. There are so many circumstances which af- 
fect or control the result of a fanner's labor, that 
he, more than all other men, should be well inform- 
ed as to the principles and practice of his industry. 
A very certain measure of a persiip's intelligence is 
the extent to which he reads or studies. It is inter- 
esting to consider how much or how little farmers 
are in the habit of reading. A recently published Ust 
of Farmer's Clubs in the several States and Terri- 
tories, which shows that there are 1,897 of these 
institutions, may throw some light on this question. 
This is very favorable as far as it goes. But every 
Farmer's Club ought to have a library, at least for 
reference, if not for circulation amongst the mem- 
bers. This should be the first requisite for the suc- 
cessful conduct of a club. Now of these 1,897 clubs, 
only 548 have libraries, and of these libraries only 
165 have over 100 volumes. Of the rest, a large 
majority have from 10 to 30 volumes only ; while 
1,349 Farmer's Clubs are without a single book. 
What do the members of these clubs talk about ? 
Without books or papers to inform them, the con- 
versations and discussions can have very little 
good result. Perhaps this fact accounts for the 
many wide differences of opinion that exist about 
very simple matters or questions that are as cer- 
tainly settled as that the sun rises and sets. Things 
are constantly talked about and discussed, and ex- 
periments proposed and made, over and over again, 
that have been decided years ago, and the results 
given in standard and perfectly trustworthy hooks. 
A library of at least 100 volumes should belong to 
every Farmer's Club. This could be purchased for 
S350 or thereabouts. If there were 25 members 
only, the cost would be §10 each, and every mem- 
ber would practically own the whole S250 worth for 
his share of the cost. It is not too much to say 
that every member would realize the value of his 
share every year, for there is no place where useful 
knowledge can be put to more profitable practice 
than the farm, garden, or orchard. 
Kints a1>out tVork. 
In the Southern States, farmers are busy preparing 
their ground or planting spring crops, while in the 
North we are only beginning to think about them. 
Both there and here, everywhere in fact, early pre- 
parations lead to the best results. To have every- 
thing ready when the need comes, is the business 
of the prompt farmer, and the southern farmers 
should now have all their contracts made for help, 
their fertilizers secured, and their seed on hand. 
It has been clearly shown that it is wise to provide 
for a large increase in the fodder and grain crops, 
and the number of stock kept in the Southern 
States. Aside from the difference is climate and 
seasons, what is good for the northern farmer is 
advantageous for the southern farmer. Oats sown 
this month will not tiller like the fall sown ; 2 to 
2i bushels of seed will be needed. 
Clover Seed may now be sown on the wheat. 
This plant wUl thrive nearly all over the Southern 
States if care be taken mth it. A liberal dressing 
of superphosphate with the seed will help both 
the wheat and the clover. If sown alone, a peck 
of seed to the acre will not be too much. 
Grass and Hay. — There is no necessity for south- 
ern farmers to buy a bale of hay. Although, in 
many localities, timothy and other grasses common 
at the north wiU not thrive, yet blue grass and 
some of the hitherto despised native grasses, will 
grow almost everywhere, yielding both hay and 
pasture. Instead of fighting out the grass as here- 
tofore, many southern farmers are encouraging it — 
or rather letting it alone — which is encouragement 
enough for the Bermuda and Crab grasses — with 
profit. The experience of the past year, in Georgia 
especially, proves that grass may be made more 
profitable than cotton acre for acre. 
Stock. — Humanity, as well as interest, demands 
the best attention to live stock. To keep every 
animal well fed, clean and comfortable, is a profit- 
able and a kindly act. A humane man should suf- 
fer to see cows standing in filth, and with their 
flanks covered with it. A cow or any other animal 
continually kept in such a condition is a disgrace to 
any man, and a (iirect injuiy to his pocket as well. 
Winter Wheat. — Last season the bare ground, . 
deeply frozen, was an injury to the wheat, while 
this season the deep snow gives occsasion for fears. 
The farmer rarely escapes one or the other ex- 
treme, except by constant watchfulness. Now he 
must look to the outlets for water from his field, so 
that the ground may not be flooded when a thaw 
comes. If it is intended to top dress the wheat or 
rye, this should be postponed until it is probable 
that the manure would not be washed away with 
the melting snow. Such contingencies as this prove 
how much better it is to have the wheat crop 
manured before winter sets in, or before it is sovvn. 
Spring Wheat. — ^In districts where spring wheat 
can be grown, it would be well to remember that 
this grain, at present, brings a comparatively high 
price. Where everything is favorable, as much 
land as possible should be prepared for it. A dress- 
ing of 150 pounds of nitrate of soda, upon a clean 
com stubble, either fall plowed or plowed early in 
spring, would make a good preparation for this crop. 
Manure. — The manure from the stables and sheds 
should be piled as it is hauled out. A square, com- 
pact heap, kept well built at the sides, and flat on 
the top, will retain sufficient heat to resist frost, 
and the manure will rot rapidly in the coldest 
weather. Fresh additions on the top will soon 
heat, and by and by the whole may be turned over 
and rebuUt, the outside portions being placed in 
the centre of the new heap. Managed in this way 
the manure will he in excellent condition for use 
in the spring. If free from long stalks or straw, 
the manure will be fine and well rotted. 
Milk Cows. — Cows that are to come in early 
shouldbe dried off in good time. It is not economy 
to mUk cows as long as a few pints may be drained 
from them. The drain on the system in nourish- 
ing the calf is enough for the cow to bear. If the 
cow is a copious milker, care must be exercised in 
feeding, lest in the new flush of mUk garget may 
occur. To avoid this, feed low ; give no corn meal 
whatever, and it is safest to give nothing but hay 
and some roots. There need be no apprehension 
if a large heavy udder is not shown before calving. 
It will be the safer, and the flow of milk may easily 
