133 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
Contents for April, 1866. 
Agi icuUural Department at Washington 132 
Agricultural Education 1^" 
Agricultural Societies— Hints on Management 13i 
American Dairymen's ABSoclallon 132 
Apples— Value for Food '^^ 
Damon Fire muslratcg..U'2. 
Darn Plans— Groesheck Prize.. ..3 Illustrations . A3ir-\S5 
DedJing Plant-Brilliant Illustrated. .U6 
Dees— Apiary in April ^-' 
Bone Dust as Manure ^'^ 
Books for Farmers and Others 127 
Boys and Girls' Columns— Checkers— Puzzles for 
Sharp Eyes-Good Motloes-How Shot are Made- 
How to Find an Unlinown Numlier— Alphabet in 
one Verse-Puzzles and Problems-The Young 
Runaway— Landed at the Wrong Place— Curious 
Plavthing * Illustralmis . . 149-150 
Bulls-Leading Staff for lUuslraled..m 
Catalogues, etc., Received „.12o 
Cattle— Fattening in Winter 13" 
Caltle Plague or Rinderpest 132 
Cellars Poisonous l*^ 
Christmas Rose Illustrated. .m 
Cisterns— To Prevent O verflow Illustrated. .138 
Coal Tar on Timber— Valuable Experiments 133 
Cotton Raising— PracUcal Hints 133 
Cows— Notes on Feeding, etc 13" 
Cranberry Sauce 1"" 
Cultivators vs. Hand Hoes 136 
Drawing— Teacli to Children... IW 
Fan Mills— Improvement in /(ius(ro(eiJ. . 138 
Farm Work in April IJ; 
Farms— Selling and Buying. 13" 
Fig— Cultivation of. I'll 
Flax Fields-Weeds in 3 Illustrations. .1Z9 
Flour— Healthfulness of Unboiled 148 
Flower Garden and Lawn in April 125 
Forest Trees for Slielter 1-46 
Fruit Garden In April 123 
Garden— Kitchen in April 124 
Gopher Traps 3 Illustrations . .13S 
Grain Din— Convenient Illustrated. .\o» 
Grapes- Cold Gi apery in April 125 
Green and Hot-Houses in April 125 
Horses— To Prevent Interfering Illustrated . . 130 
Houses of Unburnt Brick 135 
Humijug- Cheap Plated Ware, etc 127-143 
Insects' Eggs— Resisting Cold Illustrated. . 143 
Insects— Selling up and Preserving. .6 lllustralio7ls..\^i 
Leading Staff for Bull Illustrated.. \ii^ 
Market Reports 1'-" 
Orchard and Nursery in April 123 
Parasilic Animals in Pork ...3 Illustrations ..HI 
Peach Orchard— Mr. Dolmar's 145 
Pears— Manning's ElizabPth Illustrated. . 143 
Fork— Parasitic Animals in 3 Illustrations . .Ml 
Plated Ware— Suggestions 147 
Premiums for 1866 126 
Raspberries and Blackberries 145 
Seeds- Temperature for Germination 140 
Southern Agriculture— General View 1 40 
Timber— Coal Tar for Preserving 133 
Vinegar from Sorghum 148 
Walks and Talks on the Farm, No. 23 136-137 
Weed— Troublesome— Dur-gr.ass Illustrated. . 145 
• Weeds of the Flax Field 3 Illustrations. .139 
INDEX TO " BASKET," OR SlIOBTEU ARTICLES. 
Adverliseraents, Good.. ..127 Cow Milker 129 
Adverlisers, Notice 127 Crows Killing Lambs. ..130 
AgriculluralDep't 128 Death, G. M. Beeler 129 
AgricuUura/ist, N. W....131 Dog and Moon -..123 
Agricullurisl in Coloradol31 Eqgs, Transporting -131 
Agriculturist, Noiices — 131 ErraUini l'-7 
Am. House Carpenter. ...123 Feed, Length of 130 
Ashes and Plaster 130 Garden Compost 128 
Dank Bills, Cutting 131|Grain Drills 130 
Barley, Nepali 1 130 Giapes in Steuben Co ...128 
Dees, Profitable ISlGuJipowder, Harmless. ..131 
Beet Article 128 Honey Locust Seed 129 
Done Dust, Caution 129 Horses. Interfering 130 
Dook, Dowles' 131 Horses, Best Needed... 129 
Book-Keepinc;. Farmeis. 123 Humbugs. Seventy 127 
Book, Plant Life 12S Ice, Chaff Packing. ....130 
Dreck's Flower Dook. ..128 Land Drainage 128 
Broom Corn Culture 129 Lands, N. J. vs. L. 1 131 
Broom Corn Planter 131 Laurel Poisoning 129 
Calves, Feeding 130 Lawn Manure 128 
Canary Seed 131 Life Insurance 129 
Cancer, Wash for 131 Lime in Soils. 129 
Catalogues Received 125 Live Stock Markets 130 
Catlle Breeders' Ass'n. ..127iManures, Composts 128 
Cellar above Ground... .130 Manures, Gartlen 127 
Chicken Doctoring 13M\ieteoioloKical Fads. ..131 
Chicken Literalure 131 Milking Experience 1^0 
Chickens, Ale for 131 Moles Eating Trees 130 
Chloride of Lime 130 Muck Substitute 123 
Composts, Quick 12S N.tjl, Drawins ISO 
Corn Compost 128,New.spapei' Writing 131 
Cotton Manual 128 Oil, Keeping Liquid..,. .131 
Osage Orange Seed 129 
Over 100.000 127 
Pages Increased 127 
Pear Culture, Field's... m 
Peat Land Iw 
Petroleum Advertisem'ntl27 
Pigs, Protecting Young.. 130 
Planes, How to Set 131 
Plants Named 127 
Plum Orchard 125 
Potato Fertilizer 12S 
Pure Air Neerled 131 
River's Miniature Fruit 
Garden 127 
Rural Economy 123 
Seed Drill 123 
Seed Queries 131 
Sheep, Feedin;; 
Sorghum Sugar 
Stone Fence, Duilding. 
Story, Good 
Swine, Essex, etc.. 
Trees, Slaking 123 
Velches or Tares 129 
Wall Builder 127 
Wall Paper. Designing . 131 
Wheat, California 129 
Wheat. Drilled in 129 
Wheat. Hoeing 1'29 
Winter in Oregon 131 
Work, Good Hints .....127 
Wool or Grease 130 
AMERICAS AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW-TORK, APRIL, 1S65. 
The Bun has passed the equinox, and already the 
earth Tvarms -with solstitial auticipatious. The 
fields, though they early lost their snowy blankets, 
and -were exposed to the furious and cold blasts of 
Mareh, tardily indeed, but still surely, are, one after 
another, putting on their garments of Tcrdure. 
Whatever fate befalls the Fenians, we all can unite 
in their chorus, "God save the Green." Whatever 
February and March may do to brown and blast the 
grass and grain, the -warm sun and showers of April 
always eo.ye the green. It matters little how much 
\vork may have been anticipated, and with how 
much so ever foretliought and industry the prepar- 
ations for April work may have been made, there 
is always just as much to do as can be attended to. 
He that has been thoughtful, and is ready for work, 
will keep up with it, but otherwise he will be driv- 
en by it, and loose opportunities that might well be 
those tides in his affairs, which, if taken at the flood, 
■would lead to fortune. Our readers would do well 
to run over the hints for previous months, espe- 
cially about planuing beforehand for all kinds 
of work, stock and crops. Keeping no accounts 
and working without plan, no wonder some say 
they have bad Utck. The results of work without 
plan may well be called luck,— vrlth plau and knowl- 
edge, they may be anticipated with a great degree 
of accuracy. 
Hints about Work. 
Working Stock.— A.n kinds of stock ought to 
come through the winter in good condition, but 
animals that are to be put to h.ard work should 
come out in a little better order than they went in. 
Every ton of hay sold is money out of pocket if it 
prevents this result. 
Oxen.-U may be a very pleasant thing for a man 
whoso cattle have lost 100 or 200 pounds of flesh 
the past winter, to say that " they are just in good 
working order." But if cattle or horses are run- 
ning down iu flesh, they arc in just the -worst 
condition for being put to bard work. They must 
be well fed now at any rate,and thoroughly groomed 
Give a pair of cattle a peck of com meal d.aily upou 
hay or corn stalks, cut up .and soaked 8 to 13 hours, 
with all the good hay they will cat. Allow them a 
long nooning, water regularly three times a day, 
see°that the yokes do not pinch or gall them, and 
if they do, or their necks are tender, first wash and 
then lay or bind folded clci^hs, wet with cold water, 
upon tile spots for an liour or two after work. The 
same treatment is good for galls upon 
jfoj.se,,. —Those that have not been much exposed 
during the winter should be blanketed when out 
of the stable, kept out of draughts, and rubbed 
down well if wet, with even greater care than is 
used at any other season. While the animal is re- 
newing bis coat he Is particularly sensitive to 
changes of weather, and li.able to take cold. Feed 
liberally and groom well, and this rather critical 
period "will pass quickly. Horses turned into the 
fields for exercise, enjoy it so thoroughly that it is 
a great temptation to turn several loose together. 
Do not do it. They often strike or kick one an- 
other upon the head so as to produce swellings, 
diseases of the bone, or other permanent deformity. 
For hints about 
Brood 3iares, see previous numbers. Colts, if drop- 
ped thus early, may be left chiefly to the care of 
the marcs, kept clean, early accustomed to -n-earlng a 
halter headstall, and taught to lead so that at a few 
weeks old they may be led by the sides of their 
dams on the road or at the plow. 
Ones and Catoes. —Cows that have had to " rough 
it," if fed a little corn on the ear, or perhaps simply 
h.ave the quality of their feed a little improved 
just before calving, notoriously pass this period 
successfully, while the better attended animals of- 
ten have a hard time. The reason lies in the well 
eared for cows having too little air, sunshine, exer- 
cise, etc., — perhaps in being made too fat. Give 
cow's the tonic of the wind and the light, plenty of 
sweet bay, clean stables, the card with a few roots 
daily, if you have them, and a handful or two of 
cars of corn if you please, (which some of our 
friends consider a specific against slinking), .and the 
calves will come along in good condition, and the 
flow of milk will be abundant. If there are signs 
of caking or feverishncss in the hag, bathe with 
warm soap suds, and afterwards -wash with dilute 
tincture of arnica. 
Beeves intended for grazing, should be kept con- 
stantly on the gain by feeding corn meal or oU 
meal upon cut straw, wet up. 
Sheep need dry, well-littered sheds and yards, 
with a feed of roots daily, if possible. Boughs of 
hemlock or pine thrown to them two or three 
times a week, promote the health of the flock. 
Teaning ewes should have close, well ventilated 
sheds, littered with straw cut 8 inches long, and 
warm yards. The long tags of wool should be 
clipped off around their teats, so that there -n-ill be 
no difficulty in the lambs finding them. Should 
the lambs become chilled, bring them into the 
kitchen, ncaragood fire; if badly off, give warm 
baths, rub them dry, wrap them in blankets, and 
feed fresh ewe's milk, wanned. A few spoonfuls of 
mild milk punch (say one tablcspoonful of proof 
6]nrits in a teacup of milk, sweetened) will often re- 
vive them at once. 
^ioific— Raw roots fed daily before farrowing, is 
one of the surest preventives of constipation, and 
consequently of that depr.aved state of the stomach 
and bowels which leads a sow to cat her own young. 
See "basket" item on sows overiying the pigs. 
Look out eariy for a good stock of pigs, or store 
hogs for manure makers. The markets are dull now 
on'aecount of the hog panic about the trichina 
disease, which is described on page 147. 
JbHf^ri/.— Whoever will give proper care to eariy 
chickens, may set the hens as eariy as the first of 
April. Eariy chickens are particulariy useful as 
insect killers, for the first in.sects are the parents of 
future swarms. Give seldom more than 13 eggs. 
Select those of perfect form, of medium or not ex- 
tra large size, and strong shells. Mark each egg 
with a lead pencil, and on several put the date at 
which they are put under the hen. Let hens lay in 
movable boxes, so that when they begin to set they 
may be removed .away from the laying hens. Feed 
regulariy, and keep water always before them. Feed 
may always he kept before sitting hens if I'ats are 
not troublesome. Turkeys should be confined .and 
made to lay at home in a low box or basket, where 
they can be controlled, so that when their young 
liatch they may be kept in doors for a week or teu 
days, as they are very apt to die if they get wet. 
Set Ducks' eggs under hens. Geese take care of 
themselves, but should not bo forced to go far 
for food while sitting. 
J3;,.(7s._-Wreu and Bluebird houses should be put 
up eariy, but those for the difl'crent birds kept apart, 
thev quarrel. Robins, though they are great thieves, 
may be attracted, if it is desirable, by mak- 
ing a basis for a nest in the crotch of a tree, and 
piUting a board a few inches above it for protec- 
tion. Prepare for only one robins' nest in one part 
of the grounds. The quarrels of robins, too, ai-e 
annoying, and occupy their time which should be 
spent iu killing insects. Cat-birds can't be coax- 
ed by nesting places, hut will perversely find their 
own in hedges, etc. Let them severely alone, and 
one ■will have no better friends. 
