36G 
AMERICA'N AGRICULTURIST. 
[OCTOBEK, 
Contents for October, 1875. 
BccNotes muslruled..%-;o 
Boys and Girls' Colciimis — October — Aiiswei's to 
CorrcspondcMtfl— Wliat ilo yoii Call jour Father ?— 
Ilydi-a, and How it Lives— Aunt Sue's dials- More 
about t'als- Aunt Sue's Puzzle-Box- young Indians 
on the Move Jlludratioiis . .SS^-'XIi 
Catalogues Received 399 
CleaniugUp 3"U 
Clearing Land, Use of Dynamite in 383 
Curing Corn-Fodder 3*3 
English Laborers' Union 3S:i 
Eiicalyi>tus in California. 383 
Fair List 399 
Feed, Procuring Winter 380 
Fence-Post, to liaise Up Illustrated..^^ 
Flower-Garden and Lawn for ©ctober 368 
Fluke, Liver 6 lUuHrations. 379 
Foot and Mouth Disease 37G 
Fruit Garden for October 3(17 
Greenhouse and Window Plants for October -363 
Growing Crops with Chemical Fertilizers,; ...-.•: 3S3 
Hemlock or Spruce Gum Illustrated..:^ 
rionsehold Depart men t—Ilome Topics — How to Build 
an Oven and Smoke-Housc— Cooking Some Things 
■we Like 8 lllustratiom . 387 330 
House Plan 4 lUuslratiom. 3T2 373 
Kitchen Garden for October 367 
Late Pasturing Meadows 374 
Market Report lor October 368 
Mills, to Steady Portable 5 lUustralions. .3Si 
Notes from the Pines— Summer liaius — Pt>tato-Bugs — 
Triumph and Excelsior Sweet Corn— Flower-Gar- 
dcu- Bed of Cannas — Amaranths- Chinese Bladder 
Nut— Sorrel Tree— Perennial Phloxes 386-3S7 
Nursery Agents and Tree Pedlers 383 
Ogden Farm Papers, No. 63— Irrigating i Illus- 
trations 374-375 
Orchard and Nursery for October 367 
Plants, Blue Stokesia Illustrated . .mi 
Plants, Shrubby Ciuqne-foil llliLilraled. .S8i 
Pokes, Animal 6 lllmtraliom. . 381 
Poultry Keeping as a Business 2 Illustrations . .^ii 
Ruffed Grouse lltiisl rated.. mi 
Science Applied to Farming 373 
Shed or Barrack for Straw 2 lUustralions. 381 
Sheep, Cro3s-Bred , 2 Illustrations. . 377 
Sheep, How to Catch 3 lUustralions . .881 
Spontaneous Generation of Plants :582 
The Late Moses Quinby Illustrated.. ZS 
Walks and Talks Correspondence 398 
Walks and Talks on the Farm, No. 142— Thrisli- 
ing by Steaai— Reapers— Cutting Corn-Fodder — 
Sheep— English Rims ~. ,378-370 
Why the Peaches did not Sell .986 
Work, Hints About .366 
INDEX TO " BASKET." On snOHTER ATtTICLES. 
A Fine Catalogue 371 jOclober Fairs 370 
American Pomolog. Soc.369;Periodical for D;iirymen.370 
Buckeye Mower .376 Poultry and Eggs for 
Capacity of a Cistern. ..397 Prolit 398 
Cow Pox .397iPonltry for Eggs and 
Dt)nble Furrow Plowing. 398 Meat 307 
E/ferts ofForests on the iRnoflng Felt for Slacks. .371 
Raiu-fall 3n8iRoses by Mail 371 
Effects of Impine Water. .393'S,-ediug with Orchard 
Exports of Wheat aiid Grass 371 
Flour 371 Sending ns Fruit !..370 
Fonuderin a Hiu--e .397|Sowiug Grass-Seed in the 
Grub in IheHead .39s| Fall. .. . 371 
Hollow Celery .371 Sprinkling Hate h i n ■' 
Ice-llouso 308| Eggs 307 
Iin|>ortation of Percheron jSundry Humbugs 369 
Horses 370 Tomato Catsup". . . 398 
Kille I by a Piece of Wire .371 To Prevent a Horse Roll- 
Malacatune 37ll ing in the Stall 371 
Manure for Grain 397iTo Remove or Prevent 
Merino Sheep and Sliep* I Rust .371 
herd Dogs 307 Tuberoses in Winter... 871 
Much Rain .370, Twin Dahlia 371 
New England Fair 37(1 Useful House-Plans 360 
New Enemy to the Ifcisp- |UseofLiine. . 303 
berry .369 When to Plow Under 
N.Y. Slate Ilort. Society..370 Clover 303 
New Post-Of«ce 3U9l 
Kc|>»iriiigr Sliiiiglc Uoolr-.— " C. E. 
F.," Wilininglon, N. C. A slightly decayed shingle roof 
may bo temporarily preserved from further decay, by a 
good coat of thick lime-wash. A second coat of still 
thicker lime-wash, in which fine sand is kcnt stirred, 
will act as a fin-ther preservative, bnt the latter applira- 
tion should be renewed every summer. Painting doeii 
not help to preserrc a roof, unless done on both sides of 
i the shingles; if done on but one side, the moisture 
which penetrates beneath them, is kept there, and pre- 
vented from escaping by the co.at of paint on the out- 
, side, and the shingles rot very rapidly. Lime is a good 
preservative for shingles, bntcnidc petroleum is the best. 
The skingles, first thoroughly dried, may lie dipped into 
it, Of it may be put on after they are laid. 
Calendar for October. 
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AniERICAIV AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW YORK, OCTOBER, 1875. 
If we were to believe the statements of the Dews- 
papers, which call theniselves '' Mercantile Jour- 
nals," we should out of charity opeu oui' graneries 
and cribs, and invite those poor distressed people, 
the merchants, to walk in and help themselves, 
and thus be relieved from their distresses. We 
should feel almost guilty in the possession of so 
much wheat, and corn, and pork, as the newspa- 
pers insist that farmers are holding with such 
wicked pertinacity, while these poor inerchants 
want all this produce so badly. "Everything is so 
dull," we are told by the mercantile newspapers, 
" money is so cheap," and " produce is so plenti- 
ful," that prices are ruinously high. Sometimes it 
is that money is so dear that these poor men can 
not afford to pay so much as they *voulJ like for 
our grain and pork. Just now it happens to be the 
other way. Fortunately fanners read the papers 
now-a-days, and when they go to market they are 
not so apt to say to the buyers " what cati you 
afford to rjiveme for this load of wheat ? " as they 
were some years ago. It may be that the wheat 
crop all over the world will reach an average, and 
that the frosts have not injured our late com crop, 
but this i;i very doubtful. Our wheat crop is not 
up to the average, oats are short, and if corn at 
husking time be found generally sound and unin- 
jured by the early frosts, still there will be at best 
hut an average crop. But all over Eurojie, and 
here as well as there, the cost of every bushel of 
grain harvested, has been increased ten per cent by 
Ihe wet weather, and corn has been smothered by 
weeds, makingits cultivation much more laborious. 
Much grain has been cut with the antiquated sickle 
or the scythe ; old-fashioned cradles h.ave been 
brought out, and the reapers have been useless ; 
the ground has been so wet and the grain so tan- 
gled, that harvesting has cost very much more than 
it usually does. Wlicn grain is tlirashed, some 
will be found light, and the quality of much 
of it will have been injured by sprouting in the 
shock. Tliere are exceptions to tliis in some local- 
ities, but this is the general condition of things. 
This increase in cost of production, must be bal- 
anced by an increased value in every market, and 
farmers must not be misled by the complaints of 
mercantile p.apers, to suppose that in the coming 
down to hard-pan, they must fall faster and harder 
than any other class. With fair prices for our crops 
we shall do very well, although there will be little 
left for tlie hank to take care of. If prices are not 
equal to what the crops cost, there might be no 
compulsion to sell at a loss, and t'aere will be none 
if fanners will do business on the cash system, and 
have no debts hanging over them. The trouble is, 
few farmers know what their produce costs them, 
and never will know this until they keep accounts. 
Hints altoiit ^Voi-k. 
Wheat and Rye may still be sown,' even in the 
northern states, while in the south there is yet ample 
time to put in this crop. For fodder, or for spring 
pasturing, rye or wheat may be sown up to Nov. 1. 
Jiollim/ W/icut is to be done with judgment. A 
cloddy surface, melIo5v underneath, is the best for 
wheat. It a roller is used at this season, it should 
be the corrugated kind ; but we would rather defer 
rolling with a smooth roller until spring. 
Corn, that has not been cut, should be cut at 
once, if the stalks are to be used as feed for stock. 
Fodder that has been frozen while green, is neither 
nutritious nor wholesome for cattle, and the grain 
is not improved by hanging on the uncut ripe slalk. 
Husking Com. — Hall's husking gloves, if they 
have once been used, will be considered indis- 
pensable, as they will save their jirice in one season 
in lessened cost of husking, to say nothing of the 
protection they give to the hands. After some ex- 
perience in putting corn away in the barn unhusk- 
ed, to husk at leisure afterwards, we would never 
repeat it. A loss through moldy corn can hardly 
be prevented. Husk early, and leave the fodder to 
cure iu the field. 
Jhtatocs. — The wet season has caused some rot- 
ting of potatoes, and much scab in highly manured 
fields. It would be well to dig the early crop at 
once, and if any are found diseased, use the worst 
by boiling them for pigs, and scatter fresh dry- 
slacked lime over the others in the cellar. When 
touched with the rot, they are safer in the cellar or 
root house than in a pit. Potatoes are generally 
worth '25 cts. a bushel to feed wheu boiled. It is 
not economy to sell them for less than that price. 
Fidl Piowing should be pushed ahead on every 
fine day. Encourage the fowls to follow the plow, 
.and if a few crows or crow blackbirds alight on the 
field, do njt scar'3 them awiiy. .They are doing- 
good service in devouring grubs, beetles, and cut 
worms. If a farmer can teach a score or two of 
fowls to follow him in the furrow, they will destroy 
hundreds of insects every day. 
Drains. — Open drains "nill be choked with 5veeds 
at this time, and will need thorough cleuuing out. 
This should be done before heavy rains occur, and 
while the ground is comparatively dry. The out- 
lets of under-drains sliould be cleared of weeds 
and other obstructions. 
Clearing nj) of i-ubbish in the fields and around 
fences, should not be delayed, and the corn husks, 
old straw bands, leaves, etc., which lie about, 
should be raked together methodically, with ahorse 
rake, and burned. Tliis is more important where 
chinch bugs abound, because these pests hide in 
such rubbish, and may thus be destroyed in myriads. 
BuiWinys. — Sheds, stables, pens, and poultry- 
houses, and the rubbish heaps about the house and 
barns, should all be cleaned up, and the scrapings 
used as top-dressing on wheat, or go to the com- 
post heap. Stables should be repaired, white- 
ivashed, and made comfortable, broken windows 
glazed, and doors made tight. AVurmth is a great 
economizer of food and comfort, a great help to 
health and thrift. 
Lii'e Stock. — Different kinds of stock should be 
kept separate both in the fields and yards. Heavy 
losses are always occuring from allowing horses, 
cows, sheep, pigs, and fowls to run in one yard. 
Horses in their play will kick or scare cows, and a 
cow near her time, may lose the calf in conse- 
quence ; cows will hook sheep ; pigs ivill kill and 
eat lambs and chickens; and small stock are trod- 
den on by the heaviest animals. In the arrange- 
ment of the yards for winter, this should be 
