AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Januaby, 
snugly sto-n-ed away, and that irregular looking 
patch is where the parsley has been covered with 
evergreen, and now by lifting the cover, a picking 
of bright green leaves may be had at any time. 
Then the cellar contains a store of most of these 
things— besides many others — all covered with light 
sandy loam, from which they may be taken fresh and 
iu perfection. If there is any farmer who cannot 
thus chucKle over his garden products, we would 
rather not board with him. Let him immediately 
appropriate half an acre of the best land nearest to 
the house, for a garden, and resolve to read our 
notes every month and to follow their teachings. 'We 
do not write this for professioual or market gar- 
deners, but for those with whom gardening is not a 
business, thou<;h the former class will often obtain 
useful hiuts from these columns. Having fixed on 
a place for the garden, and considered how it shall 
be fenced, for chiclceus must be kept out at times, 
then decide what to grow and where to grow it, 
and be on the look out for seeds and plants, as well 
as a supply of good 
Manure. — Begin a compost heap which shall re- 
ceive all the odds and ends of fertilizing material, 
liquid or solid. Read on page 14 how our Rhode 
Island friend manages his privy, and see if there is 
not $50 going to waste iu j'ours, and a nuisance ac- 
cumulating there besides. Have an eye open as 
you go by sl.aughter houses, tanneries, distilleries, 
breweries, and all sorts of manufactories, and see 
if there is not some fertiliziug material which may 
be had for the carting or a little more. A stock of 
JFbles and Brush will be needed for peas, beans 
and other climbers, which are readily got in winter. 
If such materials are scarce, it will pay to take 
care of them. Dip the lower ends in gas tar, and 
house when not in use, and they will last several 
years. Those who have cabbage and other plants iu 
Cold-Frames should give them all the air the 
weather will allc.iv, and protect during extreme 
cold by the use of straw mats, shutters, etc. 
Hot'x.A^ Frames^ and Sash will need repairing. 
Cover the inside and the lower edge, and a few 
inches up the outside of the frames, with gas tar 
and they will last muck longer. Those who have 
no hot-beds must wait awhile until we can find 
room to give directions for making them. Such 
work, as well as the repairing of 
Tools, may be advantageously done in the winter 
months. A new handle or a little blacksmithing, 
and a touch of the grindstone or file, will frequent- 
ly make an old hoe or rake as good as uew. Don't 
wait until the cultivator is wanted before the need- 
ed new teeth are put in, but repair it now and at 
the same time give the wood work a coating of 
paint or oil. The best of neighbors will some- 
times need to borrow, and it is best to have every 
implement marked in plain characters. 
Seeds need much more care than they usually get 
— care especially in getting the best sorts and from 
reliable sources. Overhaul those on h.and and be 
ready to make purchases. Our advertising col- 
nms direct to reliable men. Seeds, the vitality 
of which is doubtful, may be tried in a box of earth 
in a warm room, noting the proportion which start. 
Flower Oarden and Lawn. 
If all the tender things have been covered, there 
will be but little out-door work. Let it be remem- 
bered that with many x^^^"*" more Injury Is flone 
by the olteruate freezing and thawing of early 
spring 'ban by the cold of winter. There is usual- 
ly a mild spell in J.anuary, during which tender 
plants, yet neglected, may be covered. After a 
heavy fall of snow, shake the snow out from ever- 
greens, and other trees and shrubs where it ac- 
cumulates in large masses, while it is still light ; 
and if large drifts have formed around low branch- 
^ iug evergreens, shovel it aw.ay, lest the drift as it 
settles injure some of the branches. Hothinggives 
so cheerful a winter aspect to a place as evergreens, 
and winter is the time to decide where they may 
be best introduced. In a walk about the grounds 
on a mild day in winter, mauy improvements will 
suggest themselves. All plans may bo matured 
now, and it often happens that the weather will 
allow of breaking ground for walks and roads. 
Green and Hot-Houses. 
The .amateur florist must look closely after his 
fires, the temperature of the green-house should 
never get below 40'-^ eveu where plants are merely 
to be kept alive through the winter, and it is use- 
less to expect much of a show of flowers below an 
average of 60".' By proper care a succession of 
Tulips, Hijacinihs and other bulbs can be had iu 
bloom. Bring a few pots at a time from the place 
where they have been set to root, and give them 
light and warmth. As soon as the flovjr fades, 
cut away the stalk, and allow the leaves to remain 
as long as they will. 
Camellias are apt to drop their buds unless the 
atmosphere is kept moist. Where several buds 
crowd together in a cluster, remove all but 
two and allow them room to develop. Those in 
tlie dwelling house should be kept as cool as pos- 
sible without freezing, and the foliage oceasioualh 
washed to remove the dust. A spriukling over tLe 
b.ath tab, then a slight rubbing with the thumb 
and finger of each leaf to loosen the dirt, and then 
another drenching to wash it off, greatly benefit 
camellias and other smooth leaved plants. 
Irij, so much used now for parlor decoration, is 
kept bright and green by tliis treatment. A bath 
tub is a great adjunct to the window conservatory, 
as pots may be removed to it and sprinkled freely, 
to their great good. Water used on plants should 
be brought to the temperature of the apartment. 
Cactuses may be kept at rest and nearly dry, while 
Soses, that are showing flower, may have a stim- 
ulus of weak manure water. 
Verbenas and I'ttunias may be pushed along, that 
their growth may furnish a stock of cuttings. 
Tlolels, Candytuft and such things in cold frames 
need to be freely aired, whenever it can be done 
without risk, and securely covered on cold nights. 
I^largotiiums need to be pnt near the guies, whore 
they will have plenty of light. Tie out the branch- 
es to make good shaped specimens, and avoid 
growing the long-legged drawn up things we so 
often see. Bettor a few well grown and well formed 
plants of any thing, than a lot of shapeless rubbish. 
Apiary in Oeceniber. 
Prepared by M. Quinby — By request. 
Bees in the open .air winter better in tall hives 
than in low flat ones. The honey is stored in the 
upper ends ; the bees commence at the bottom, and 
ascend as their stores are cousumed. The warmth 
from the bees keeps the houey immediately above 
them free from frost, and they have but little dif- 
flcultj' in reaching it at aU times. But such tall 
hives cannot accommodate a sufficient number of 
surplus honey boxes ; hence the necessity of com- 
promise between the tall and flat hives. The dis- 
covery has just been made that the long, movable 
comb hive, such as described in Bee-keeping Ex- 
plained, and American Agriculturist can be convert- 
ed iuto the tall one at pleasure. Put it on its side 
in summer, when the room for the boxes is need- 
ed ; the bees store the honey for winter in the 
back end. The bottom board and top are fastened 
to the body of the hive temporarily, when it is rais- 
ed on one cud, and changed at once into the tall 
hive. An opening being made at the bottom for 
air, and for a passage way for the bees during win- 
ter, completes it. In spring it is turned down, 
and it is the shallow hive again. Any reader of the 
American Agriculturist having such hives in use, 
may venture to make change without fear of in- 
fringing any patented rights. 
Air pass.ages should never be allowed to get chok- 
ed with dead bees and ice. When mild weather 
occurs to melt the fi'ost, raise the hive and sweep 
out clean. Should severe weather last three or 
four weeks steadily, common hives should be 
brought to a warm, dark room for a day to thaw 
out the frost, and allow the bees to get at their 
stores. The tall hives will only need care to keep 
the air passages open, to have them winter safely. 
Our Excellent Fremixuns, 
STIL.L COi\'TIMljEI>. 
We invite special attention to the list of fiist-rate pre- 
miums offered in the accompanying table. They are de- 
signed for subscribers for this volume (25ih), and the 
offer will be open for several months yet. So there is 
abundant time to fill out lists already commenced, and 
to start new lists of names. We are constantly receiving 
premium clubs from persons who say they found it quite 
easy to get up a club when they took hold of the matter 
in earnest. Not a few have obtained $25 to $100 ai- 
ticles by three or four days' work, and some by only a few 
evenings. It is only necessary to show a copy of the 
paj.er, and explain its leading features, its large amount 
of c mdensed information, its fine and valuable engrav- 
ings, etc., to convince almost any man that it will pay 
him to take the paper a year. 
We have no special or traveling agents, but any one 
dispos-!d to do so can act as voluntary agent, and receive 
the premium as an acknowledgment of his efforts, 
and if it be an article he does not want, he can usually 
sell it fcr nearly or quite the regular price, and thus re- 
ceive a rjood compensation. 
inen and ^Wonien, of Tarious ocoupationR, 
Farmers, Gardeners, Post-masters, IVer- 
cliants, Iflcebanics, Clerorynien, Teachers, 
Soldiers, Boys, Oirls, etc., can engage in the 
work, and secure good pay for it, in the premium ar- 
ticles, -which are all good and desirable. 
Tableof Preminms andTerms, ^ 
For Volume 25* |^ 
Open to all— No Competition, gg 
Namefiof Preynium Ai'tlcles. l 
1— Goon Books— .*^fe terms below* 
3— Garden Seeds for a Family (40 kinds) . . , J5 00 
3— Flower Seeds for a Ffimily (100 kinds). *5 00 
4 — Nnrserv Stock (anv Kinds desired) J'»0 00 
5 — lona Grape Vines {1*4 Of Xo. 1) ... jlS 00 
6— Concord Grape Vines (100 of No.l) ..$12 00 
7— Strawberry Plants (100 of good Kinds) SS DO 
8— Japan Lilies (12 Eulbs) $G 00 
9— Downinir's Landscape Gardening $6 50 
10— American Cyclopediji $80 00 
11— Mitchell's New General Atlas ^10 00 
13— Worcester's Great lllnstrat'dDictionaryil2 00 
13— Any hack Volume ^f/;i"e«Wi^ris(, 1 ^s jl 75 
14 — Any Two back Volumes do 
l.">—.\u>- Three do 
do 
do 
16— Any Four do 
do 
do 
17— Any Five do 
do 
do 
IS-Any Six do 
do 
do 
19— Any Seven do 
do 
do 
30— Any Eiclit do 
do 
do 
31-Vofs. XVI to 5XIV 
do 
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4.tO 
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1.500 
11 
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95 
19 
65 
1.511 
4S(I 
SI 1 
lOU 
-■^5 $7 00 
c ^ 5 $S 75 
^^■£$10 50 
; .£$12 25 
^^•^$14 00 
^ fe; $15 75 
3'-4— Slump Speech— Steel Plate Colored. . . $10 00 
33-The County Election do do $10 00 
34— Halt in the Woods do do , $10 00 
2r>— Morton'sbest No. 5 Gold Pen. Silver Case$4 50 
36— Case ot Drawing Instruments.,, $S 00 
37- Lady's llosewood "Writing Desk $12 00 
38— Gentleman's do do do $14 00 
39~Best Family Clothes-Wringer 410 00 
30— Doty's Washing Machine ..$12 00 
31— Tea Set (Best Silver Plated) $50 00 i 
33— Sewing Machine, (Wheeler & Wilson).. $55 00 , 
33— Sewing: Machine (Wilcox & Gibbs) .... $55 00 
34_Sewing Machine for Tailor Work $00 00' 
35— Melodeon (Best Four Octave) $07 00 
36— Melodeon (Best Five Octave) $112 00 
37— Piano. 7-Octave (Steinwav & Sons). ...$600 00 
38— Barometer (Woodrnft's Mercurial) $1^3 00 
39— Barometer (Woodrutl's Mercurial) $18 00 
40— The Aquarius, or Water Thrower $11 00 
41— Buckeye Mowing Machine No. 2 .$125 00 | 
43— Allen's Patent Cylinder Plow $20 50 \ 
l^^No charge is made /or packing or boxing any of the 
articles in this Premium List, The Premiums. 1,2, 3, 7, 8, 
atid 13 to 26, are delivered to any part of the United 
States and Territories, free of all charges. The other 
articles cost the recipient only the freight after leaving 
the manufactory of each. ^^ Every article offered is 
7iew atfl of the very best manufacture. 
* Preiniain l,^Good Books.—Any person sending 23 
ormoresubscribers,may select Books from the List on page 
5. to the amount of 10 cents for each subscriber sent at 
$1: or to the amount of 30 cents for each name sent 
at the (ten) club price of $1.20 each: or to the amoimt of GO 
cents for each name at $1 ."tO. This offer extends only to clubs 
of 25 or more names. The Books will be sent by mail or 
express, jwepnid &y w.«.— This is a good opportunity for the 
farmers of a neichborbood to unite their efforts and get up 
an Asricultural Library for general use. 
