82 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[iilAJtCH, 
Contents for March, 1866. 
Agricultural Education 
Agiiculturist— 40 Pages Again. 
Ague Plant— New Discoveiy. 
84 
106 
Arrowroot— Description and Uses Illustrated.. 10^ 
Barn-Door Fastenings .. 2 Illustrations. . 98 
Barn Plans— 1st Prize 3 Illustrations.. 96 
Bees— Apiary in March SI 
Bees— Italianizing and Swarming 93 
Book— Todd's Manual Vol.2 ■ 85 
Book— Youman's Houseliold Science lOG 
Cooks— Delay in Sending 85 
Books for Farmers and Otliers f5 
Boys and Girls' Columns— The Sweet-Biier and her 
Neighbors— A Sm;iU Loss— A Great Misfortune- 
Amusing Toy— Prize Puzzles— Checkers or Draughts 
— Problems and Puzzles — Wonderful Playthings — 
"Tick! Tick !"— Expansion by Heat— Brains the 
Best Tool5 7 I < lustrations . .107-103 
Bridle and Reins— Hartman's Safety Illustrated.. SS 
Buildings— Barn and Piggery h Illustrations . .9^-Ti 
Camels on the Pacific Coast Illustrated.. 99 
Cattle Plague— State Action Needed 95 
Clematis Languinosa IlIi(strateU..\0-i 
Clematis— Some of tlie Finer Sorts 104 
Coal Tar on Fence Posts 94 
Coffee— How to Retain Aroma.. 105 
Cold Frames— Use and Management 90 
Cooking Hints— Plain Pies— Molasses Gingerbread- 
Pressed Chicken— Wellon Veal lOG 
Corn— Japanese Striped Illustrated. . lOt 
Cotton Planting by Northern Men 91 
Dogs— Terriers... .e- Illustrated.. 81 
Downing, A. J.— Engraved Portrait 84 
Farm Work in March 82 
Farmer's Experience in Various Matters 97 
Fence Posts— Experiments in Preserving 94 
Fences— Board, of Various Kinds 4 Uluittrations.. 92 
Fertilization— Process of 103 
Flower Garden and Lawn inJ^Iarch S! 
Fruit Garden in March S3 
Garden— Kitchen in March 83 
Grape Rot— Dr. Schroeder's New Preventive 101 
Grapes— Cold Grapery in March S-t 
Grapes— Notes on Culture, etc 3 Illustrations. .102 
Green and Hot-Houses in March 64 
Haymaking Implements— Secure Now S4 
Hepatica or Liver Leaf. Illustrated.. 103 
Home Attractions Illustrated. .105 
Horses — Safety Bridle for Vicious {llustratal.. S8 
Horticultural Department in March 83 
Household Items for " Men Folks '* 105 
Humbugs— ^lany Exposed S6 
Land— Owning too Much f 99 
Market Reports 85 
Oil Swindles. S6 
Orchard and Nursery in March S3 
"Papa is Coining" Illustrated. .105 
Pear— Rostiezer Illustrated. . 103 
Pears— Select for General Culture 103 
Piggery— Plans for 2 Illustrations.. 97 
Plowing without Dead Furrows -i Illustrattons.. 95 
Potatoes— Comparative Yield. 98 
Potatoes— Composition and Cooking 106 
Premiums for lS6u S5 
Salsify-Cultivation, etc Illustrated.. 10-2 
Salt Marshes— Reclaiming 3 lilustrafions,. 92 
Seed Raising— Profitable 90 
Sheep- Group of Cotswolds Illustrated.. 93 
Sheep— Value of Long-Wooled 93 
Shelter for Stock— EtTt-cts of gg 
Something that Will Pay 90 
Spavin— Curable and Incurable 2 Illustrations.. 94 
Swindling Shop— A Look into SG 
Tea and Coffee— Suggestions 105 
Tide Gales for Reclaiming .Marslies.. 3 Illustrations.. 92 
Walks and Talks on the Farm, No. 27 ,...69-90 
Wet Ground — Plowing too E.irly gs 
Wheat— IIow to Clean Seed <it 
INDEX TO " BASKET,'' OH SHORTER ARTICLES, 
Advei tipcments, Good... .67 iLauiel Poisonint? 
Ag'l Society, N. Y. Stale. ^7 Letters, Where frc 
Am. Pomolngical Societv.S7 " • - 
Apple — Snow .S7 
Basket Items Deferred. . .87 
Broom Corn Seed 67 
Catalogues Received S7 
Cattle Breeders' Ass'n 87 
Cattle Pest 87 
Evergreens, Forest 87 
Fruit Models S7 
Pruit Querv 87 
Glass. Substitutes 87 
Grape Cutting? 87 
,-se 
om 87 
Peach Culture. New 67 
Pear, Clapp's Favorite... 87 
Planting, Fall 87 
Raspberry, Doolittle's. . .S7 
Seed Orders 87 
Sheep Adopting Lambs. .88 
Sheep for Illinois, 88 
Strawberry Plants, Prem.S" 
Strawberries. Sex of 87 
Subscriptions Commenc'gS7 
Trellis. Movable 87 
Willow, Flowering 87 
Club Additions.— To Clubs of subscribers at club 
prices, additions can be made at anytime at the same 
prices, if the addllions begin at the same time as the others. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW-YORK, MARCH, 1SC6. 
The first month of the spring is the List of the 
winter in many places, .and of all the months in the 
year, not only is March the most variable, but none 
has such ditfcrcut characters in various localities. 
At the South the woods are full of blossom. The 
yellow jessamine hangs in festoons from the trees, 
or wreathes the hedge-rows and blackened stumps 
in the cleared grounds, with golden chaplets, while 
the purple flowers in the wild l.iud reflect the 
color of the peach blossoms about the plantations, 
where gardening is the order of the day. Horses 
and cattle there are luxuriating in the cane brakes, 
the 3'oung shoots of which form so palatable feed 
before the grasses are sufficiently forward — this, 
while the frozen North is still held in icy fetters, 
Maine woodsmen are felling their timber upon 3 or 
i feet of snow, or just beginning the sugar season ; 
but all around our larger towns .and cities, as soon 
as the snow leaves the ground bare and we have a 
few d.ays of sunshine, the market gardeners show 
great activit}'. The sun is reflected from the bright 
sashes of thousands of frames, and the patches of 
green spinach .and parsnips, and the blue salsify 
brighten up under the spring-tide influences, and 
soon yield their c'rops of roots or leaves to the 
ever-hungry market. 
Hints about Work. 
Following the uatur.al order of things, farmers 
generally plan to have the increase of their flocks 
and herds take place chiefly in the spring time, and 
the careful herdsman gives especial attention to 
animals heavy with young. 
Brood Marcs that will foal this spring, if worked, 
should be driven with caution, never overheated, 
nor put to their speed, nor given drink when hot, 
nor lack water when thirsty. Light work will not 
hurt them, even before the plow and harrow. If 
not worked, give them good room. See hints in 
January and February. It is equally important that 
irdch Cows, soon to calve, should not be too 
much confiuedln stables. Exposure to the weather 
when it is not wet, in dry yards and lawns where 
they can take some exorcise, but not where they 
will be subject to the annoyance of quarrelsome 
cattle, will be of essential benefit to them. If their 
stables are kept scrupulously clean and sweet, and 
they have good feed of hay .and some roots, they 
will pass this critical period sueeessfully. Cows 
very near their time, m.ay be recognized by their 
distended udder, and such should be placed every 
night in well littered box stalls. Should the bag 
become hard, tender, and feverish before calving, it 
is sometimes necessary to draw the milk, and rub 
.and wash the bag with warm suds, and perhaps with 
diluted tincture of arnica. Use the same treatment 
after calviug if necessary. It is often desirable to 
milk young cows for some weeks or months after 
calving, three times a day (once in about 8 hours), 
so that the tendency to milk secretion ehall be in- 
creased in every way ; for the same reason give suc- 
culent food, mashes of oil-cake and bran, and plenty 
to drink. Steaming the fodder is also well. 
Calves. — When calves are to be brought up by 
hand, which is the economieal way, we arc decided- 
I3' of the opinion that it is the most humane practice 
to remove the young animal from the dam at once ; 
the more the cow has to do with it, the h.arder will 
be the parting. When provision has been made for 
having enough roots for new milch cows to take 
the place of gr.ass, it is very desirable to have the 
calves dropped early. As veal, they are much more 
valuable, and if they are to be raised, they arc able 
to take care of themselves in the pasture much 
earlier, and require little care when other farm 
labors are pressing. 
Sheep and Lambs. — It is on the whole seldom 
desir.able to have sheep ycau very early. Yet early 
lambs of the mutton breeds meet with a quick 
market and high prices at green-peas time, and 
when such flocks have first-rate care, it is not un- 
common that the male lambs pay all the expenses 
of the flock, leaving the wool and the ewe lambs 
clear profit. Mutton sheep should have their daily 
feed of grains and roots incre.ased. Ewes that will 
soon yeau, ought to be separated from the flock, 
and given dry comfortable quarters, and an extra 
allowance of roots, peas or beans. 
Workiiic/ Oxen and Steers that have not been 
much used this winter, must be gradually ac- 
customed to hard labor. There will be light work 
enough that may be distributed among them, toget 
their necks toughened and the muscles and wind 
strengthened before the hard Labor of plowing and 
harrowing comes on. Oxen scarcely less than 
Horses, and indeed all animals shedding their 
coats, should be thoroughly and carefully curried 
and brushed ; it greatly promotes health and good 
looks, and makes the feed go further. Work horses 
should be exercised daily by doing some work. 
There is wood to saw, straw to cut, clover seed to 
cle.an, or there may be other machine work to do. 
Such work ought to be kept .along for the good of 
the teams, and not dashed off at one grand "spurt," 
crowding the teams and wearying them in their 
present condition, fitly demonin.ated " soft." 
Painting m.ay be done in dry weather to excellent 
advantage, because there is little or no dust flying, 
the sun cracks are not gapping open as in summer ; 
they will be covered more smoothly, and there 
is less ILability of the heat of the sun blistering the 
half-dry paint ; surfaces to be painted must be tho- 
roughly dry, however, or paint will be .apt to peel. 
liepairiiig. — In the lull of other work, which a 
cold snap, or rain may occasion, the time may well 
be employed in making .alterations or repairs in the 
barns and out-buildings, or in preparing to do bo 
when the cattle are at pasture, and the mows and 
bays are clear of fodder. 
Manure may be hauled with much less labor to 
both men and beasts, ou runners than on wheels. 
So it will often pay well, though a little of the value 
of the manure m.ay be lost, to haul out that 
destined for the most distaut fields, where it is to 
be plowed in as soon as the frost is out. We do 
not believe in top-dressiug with animal manures in 
the spring. Plaster, ashes and bone may be applied 
very well, but even these are better put on in the 
autumn. Leave the manure in compact heaps, 
spread it when the frost is coming out of the 
ground, but not where it is wet, or springy, or liable 
to wash away. The present is agood time to prepare 
Compost Heaps for corn, etc. — Use muck, if you 
have it, with any good yard manure, mingliug with 
it any manures you can find, .as the waste of fac- 
tories, breweries, chandleries, etc. The lime and 
similar alkaline wastes should not be mixed witli 
animal manures, or with others containing nitrogen, 
unless great quantities of muck or soil are used. 
Seed, Grain, etc. — Sec articles in the jiresent and 
in the January uumber on this subject. The care- 
ful selection of seed for other crops is equally im- 
portant, and not less so the early jjreparation for 
raising a good supply of seed, which, after a little 
experience, may be made very profitable, for there 
is almost always a quick sale for reliable seeds of 
all kinds. 
Field ]Vork. — There is work enough in the mea- 
dows and pastures at this season when the ground 
is loosened by the frost ; stones m.a}' be raised, 
picked up and hauled off, or thrown in heaps ; 
fences righted up, and the posts reset or renewed. 
Furrows should be plowed to draw off surface 
water, and water furrows in grain fields opened 
anew. Wherever 
T/ie Was!i of the Ilighicays can- be turned upon 
the meadows .and pastures it should be secured, and 
when the current is not very strong, or may bo 
fasily spread, it is very valuable on any land. Tllis 
is especially true of snow-water. 
Delays often happen which cannot be guarded 
.agaiust, but these are few compared with those 
which come from our owu ignorance, indolence, or 
misjudgment. When the land is fit to plow, then 
Is the time ; before that, there are a thousand and 
one things to be done, and which may just as well 
be done before, and a great deal better. 
