42 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[Febkl'ahy, 
Contents for February, 1866. 
Agricultural Education.. 55 
Barn Plan> — Prizes Awarded 50 
Bees— Apiary in February 44 
Bees-Superiorily of Kalian 54 
Birds and Squirrels Illustrated.. 60 
Birds. Insect' and Fruits 58 
Books for Ftirmcrs and Others 44 
Borden's Conj!en?ed Beef — 66 
Boys and Gii is' Columns— Gan:ie of Tag with Varia 
lions— Lively Game in the Snou— Just Reward- 
Checkers or Draughts— Problems and Puzzles— The 
Truant's Revenge— Difficulties of Lawyers— Phara- 
oh's Serpents T lUustratious. .67-08 
Carving Roa-t Beef 2 Illustrations ..GQ 
Cut Feed— Cliatfed Hay. etc. 54 
Degeneration of Phtnts 63 
Dike for Reclaiming Marshes A Illustrations.. hQ 
Farm Work in February 42 
Flower Garden and Lawn in Fei)ruary 43 
Fodder Rack Illustrated. 53 
Foliage Plant, (^Achyranthea VtrsckaffeltU) 65 
Fruit Garden in February. .43 
Garden— Kitchen in February 43 
Gardening in a Back Yard r>9 
Glanders and Farcy Illustrated. S* 
Grapes — Notes on, and Culfurf 5 
Green and Hot-Houses in February 44 
Hop Culture, European Notts r>4 
Hot-Beds and Cold Frames lllustrnted. .b\ 
Houses— Convenient and Cheap 3 lilustratifms. .53 
Hurdle Fence— Good Kind. IHiistrafed.52 
India Rubber— Description of lllnstratvU G5 
Lemon Pics, Excellent 60 
Maple Sugar Making 3 lUasHrations ..ft2 
Market Reports 45 
Mountain Laurel, {Knlmia Lati/olia) ILiustrated.SA 
Names of Plants and FruiJs 59 
Nature's Musicians Illustrated .60 
Newspaper and Popular Science 59 
Oats— Wild 62 
Oixhard and Nursery in February 43 
Orchards— Renovating Old .. 63 
Peais -Choice for Winter 58 
Peppermint Cnliivation v. . ..^ 5? 
Pink — New Hybrid Illustrated. .61 
Piuins — Selection of Good Sorts 63 
Potatoes— Newer Varieties .^Illustrations 55 
Premiums for li65 45 
Rack for Horse Stable-; 56 
Sf-eils for the Kitchen Garde. i 63 
Seeds— How, Wlien. and Wheie [o Sow 61 
Siiell Flower, {Phaspolns CaracuUa) Illustrated.. (A 
SoJa-asii. S^leratus, etc 66 
Statuary— Cheap 62 
Slacken Mallard Illustrated. . 41 
Walks and Talk,^ on the Farm. No. 20.. . , .'iO 
Waler-trouuh — Hollow Log Ilhtsfrafed,.5t'> 
AMERItA!V AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW-YORK, FEBRUARY, 1866. 
A mouth goes by very quieUly, and Jauuary 
seems to us always to speed its Sight more quickly 
than other mntiths. Ouly a few days ago we greet- 
ed the New Year with its hopes ami promises, now 
it is already old. The lessons of the new year may 
beat any time properly laid to heart. We alw.ays 
plan for the future, for improvement, for higher 
sueeess. We always have the past with its expe- 
riences, of pro.sperity and adversity, of sueee.ss and 
failure to draw lessons from. We are now ap- 
proaching the season of hard work, and he that 
lays carefully his plans with reference to it, will 
save himself not only labor, but perplexity and 
anxiety enough to make all the ditfereuce between 
a life of comparative ease and satisfaction, and one 
of annoyance and worry. Good plans are the lu- 
bricators of a tiirmer's life. Wheels with well 
greased axles contentedly " purr" along the road. 
Work without plan drags, and like a squeaky wag- 
on distresses eveu the passer-by. Let us then lu- 
bricate, — and if our readers will use onr hints as 
their wagon jacli, tliey may put the running parts 
of their farm wagons in good order, so that they 
will not require half the team when the rnts are 
deep, and before the roads are settled for the season. 
It is a poor time to stop and grease axles when 
the team is floundering in the mud. 
INDEX TO " BA.SKET." OR SHORTEll ARTICLES. 
.\dverlisements. Gnoil. . . .45 
Agiicillluial Departni't. ..46 
.\g'[ Edilor, Deatli of 49 
Ag'l Journ:ils. Stmtheiii. ..49 
Ag*l Societv. C'onn. Slate. .48 
.\g'l Soc'y, N. V. Stale. 4S. .'.0 
Alder, European 47 
.\pple nameil 47 
Apples in Wisconsin 47 
Back Volumes 45 
Bee-Keepiiig Rook 4" 
Book, Arllier -Merlon 45 
Books, Excellent 49 
Books, S. S. Question. ...49 
Bricks, Sunburnt 47 
Butternut Trce.s 46 
Catalogues Received 49 
Cattle Plague 48 
Caulitloweis 46 
Cheese Makers' Ass'n 4S 
Cider, Crab 47 
Clover, While 46 
Commiinieations, Aiion's,49 
Corn FoJJer 4S 
Co\\', Prolific 46 
Esgs, Tesliag 50 
Entomologist 4' 
Fiirminir in Minnesota. ...46 
Forest Trees 4' 
Forty Pages Again 4; 
Fruit Drawings 4' 
Garden Notes 46 
(lei man Edition 45 
(Jrammar, Editorial. 49 
Grape Book, Fuller's 50 
Grap,» ('uttlngs 4T 
Grape -Mildew 47 
Grapes. Essay on 47 
Grapes in Iowa 47 
Grapes, lona. etc 47 
Horn Ivnobs, Oak Knot. .49 
Humbug, Horse Bo<ik....48 
Humbugs, Delecting 4S 
Humbugs, Plant 46 
Ice Houses. Filling 46 
Implement Trials — .. 1^ 
Ivy Poison... 
Lamps, Kerosene 
Library, Select! iig 
Lime in Orchards 
Locust, Exteiniinating 
Manure, Prevent Burning. 
Manure, Woulen Waste.. 
Mower and Reaper Tiial.. 
Mulching Trees 
Mule and Horse Teams... 
Numbers Delayed 
Nut, Loosening 
Onion Culture 
Pens Morton's 
Plant for Edging 
Plants by Mail 
Plants Guessed at 
Plants IN'atued 
Plows.elc, Trial . 
Posts, Preserving 
Potato Trade 
Potatoes, Mixing 
Potatoes, Single Eyes 
Poultry House for Maine. 
Ripper, Fitch's Patent 
Sausaces, Fine 
Saw. Drag, Questions ... 
Seeds by Mail 
Seeds. Washing- 
Seed Stores 
Sheep Labels 
Sheep. Laurel Poisoning. 
.Shrubs, Floweiing 
Strawberries. Lnle 
Slump Puller, Ciieap ... 
System, Cui iiMis 
Timekeeper Huin'jug 
Tui key Picluie. Invert. . . 
Turnips for Slock 
Vieloi's Stories 
Weevil, Destroying 
Wheat, Best Spring 
Windmills 
Wine Plant 
Wite Clothes Line 
Wuol Growers' .\ss'rt 
IliiilK about AVork. 
<-)tii- etfort in these " hints " thrown out from 
month to month is not to be repetitious. Still there 
must almost of necessity be a little sameness, .and 
we fear some of our readers avoid these pages with 
the thought that they contain the same things over 
and over again. This is a great mistalic. Few 
pages are the result of more thought or contain 
more valuable ideas. While upon the subject of 
spring work we are led to consider the 
Workiiiij .\nimah. — On these the farmer depends 
for almost every thing of success. They are as 
necessary to most tillers of the land on a large 
scale, as is the soil itself. Their good condition, 
for labor is just so much capital. The abominable 
farming whieli still in many parts of the country 
regards "spring poor" stock no disgrace to their 
owner, and looks upon the condition of leanness, 
which m.any oxen .and steers present in the spring, 
as perfectly natural, cannot conic under too strong 
reprobation. It is not only cruel in the extreme, 
but damaging to the farmer's own interests to the 
last degree. Poor stock give out soon in plowing 
and heavy work. Four oxen will hardly do the 
work that two .should. Pluck and endurance may 
be accurately measured by condition. 
Serf Stock kept stalled, will jrain very rapidly as 
the weather moderates. The meal or oil cake fed 
should, if .my thing, he increased. 
Coic? which "come in" in tlie spring slionld have 
good hay or cut feed (stalks or straw) with bran 
upon it, and if possible some roots daily. They 
at least need warm sheds and sunny yards. Good 
.stakling at night and in cold weather, and warm 
slieltered yards on pleasant days, will make not 
only a cow's paradise, but reward the farmer with 
flue calves, and a better flow of milk. It is es- 
pecially important that 
Skk or accidentally dUubled animals be cuntiued 
away from the herd, as soon as the injury or siek- 
uess is discovered. When cows are near tlieir time, 
an accident to one causing " slinking " will be very 
likely to cause the same dissister to several. Every 
stock yard should have one hosiiital. and many an 
animal may be preserved from severe sielcness by 
taking it fiom tin' herd and changing its diet, 
blanketing, eniTying, etc,, for a few days. Never 
"doctor" animals by guessworlv. In the anxiety to 
do something, many are just as apt to do the wrong 
thing as the right. Consult your family physician 
in severe cases; if he is a humane man he will think 
it no unwarrantable liberty ; or watch the symptoms 
carefnllv and consult the druggist. 
Hbrse.1. — It is quite common for large horses to 
have swollen legs in winter, especially if they are 
not kept in regular use. The same horses in sum- 
mer, especially if more or less in the pasture, are 
not troubled in this way. These enlarged legs in- 
dicate a weakly constitution. In a system perfect- 
ly vigorous, these secretions would work oflT and 
leave the limbs clean and smooth. The proper treat- 
ment in winter is to keep the horse in fair condi- 
tion, not fat, and allow him to stand a part of each 
day in .1, roomy box (or large stiible) where he can 
walk about a little. Then he s&ould have regular 
out-door exercise, not less than au hour daily. The 
legs should be rubbed dry and clean after each ex- 
posure to mud and snow. Indeed, the more "elbow- 
grease" expended in rubbing the legs, the better. 
Brood Marcs that are kept tied in stalls, should 
have an opportunity to exercise every day, either 
in the yard, or by moderate diiving. A liberal sup- 
ply of water is also essential, as we have known 
mares to " slink " when tlicy did not get driuk for a 
day or two. Work-liorses not required to labor, 
should be driven modeiately at least once a day, 
several miles. Teams that are worked hard all 
winter, endure the severe fatigue of plowing, har- 
rowing, etc., much better than if worked but little 
during the cold weather. 
Water for Stock. — When water must be ]>nmped 
for all kinds of stock, in very cold weather, the 
weaker ones sometimes fail to get a suitable sup- 
ply, as the surface freezes over, or the master 
animals driuk the limited quantity that boys and 
lazy men will draw for the entire herd. 
>S/«"e/).— Every animal, whether old oryoung, that 
does not get its proper allowance of feed, or that 
requires a little extra care, should be separated 
from the flock, and provided with comfortable 
quarters and better feed than strong and healthy 
sheep receive. A few old ewes and the weakest 
lambs may occupy a small .apartmcut together. 
Mutton sheep, as well as those to be kept over, 
should have a few roots dally, to prevent the 
stretches. Ewes that are near 3"eaDing should be 
confined in a spacious, but warm apartment, so that 
the lambs may not be chilled and lost by exposure 
to cold. Hemlock and pine boughs are excellent 
for all kinds of sheep, and are a substitute for roots. 
Swhic. — Breeding sows require care this mouth. 
Do not feed them mucli meal. They require bulky 
and light feed. Skimmed milk with bran, or oat- 
rae.al and boiled potatoes are the best feed. The 
best feed for young hogs designed for heavy poiiv 
next autumn, is equal qn.antities of oats and jie.is, 
ground and mingled with milk and slops from the 
kitchen. Let all swine have warm and clean apart- 
ments, well supplied with dry straw. Swine will 
?at a small ipiantity of light clover hay, and if it be 
cutt wo inches long, all the better Oceasion.al feeds 
of raw root= of any kind will be good for them. 
The Wood Lot receives at this season more at- 
tention than at .any other. AU agree to the desir- 
ableness of cutting firewood in the wiuter, but in 
regard to felling timber for other purposes, there is 
considerable dissent. Trees that have ceased to 
grow rapidly, only cumber the ground. Such are 
usually recognized with case, by the peculiar mos- 
siness of their trunks, and tlie scattered dead limbs, 
and with a little calculation they may be felled with- 
out injuring growing timber. See an article on this 
subject on page 373, December, 18<i5. No trees 
should be cut now for limber, which leaf out early 
and reiiuire only a few warm days to fill the-ji with 
sap, like the maple, birch, beech, etc. Oak, hickory 
and ash may perhaps be cut now as well as 
earlier. Sticks of hard wood for wagon tongues, 
.sleighs, farm i1uplemeut^, elc.,may be cut now, and 
be'' slicked up" that is piled with sticks between 
them, so that the air may circulate among them 
that they may season uniformly. It is very import- 
ant th.at 
Fencing .S(«ff' especially that for posts, sliould iie 
split out, peeled, and piled up to season before 
being set ; and the same is true of bean and 
hop poles, wood for grape trellises, ^takes, etc., t'> 
insure durability. Good sledding must be improv. 
