AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
FOR THE 
Farm, Garden, and Houseliold. 
ORANGE JVDIt, A.M., 
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. 
Office, 41 Park Row, (Tin.es Bulldir.E«0 
VOLUME XXII— No. 
ESTABLISHED IN 1842. 
Published both in English and German. 
^p^VOKkTI^TJARY, 1863. 
$1.00 PEE ANNUM, IN ADVANCE 
SINGLE NUMBEK, 10 CENTS. 
For Contents, Terms, etc., see page 33. 
NEW SERIES— No. 192. 
^,° ./eacharH, He credited to **•»» i**MVK 
Suggestions and Notes for the Month. 
We take pleasure in beginning our work for 
the year by presenting to each of our readers, the 
•'Compliments of the Season." That the year 
now opening may be to each and all of them a 
"Hvtpy New- Year," ia our earnest wish. May 
it be rendered happy from the beginning to the 
close— to the farmer by abundant and profitable 
returns for his labors in the field; to the house- 
keeper by a diminution of anxious care, by free- 
dom from severe illness in her family, by suc- 
cess in all her efforts to render home more at- 
tractive, more home like, than ever before; 
to the children and youth, by exemption from 
sickness, by vigorous growth of both body and 
mind, and by improvement in their habits and 
morals; to our common country by the return 
of peace, founded upon such principles as shall 
render that peace a perpetual one.— That our 
readers may secure the happy year we wish 
them, we shall on our part spare no labor or 
thought. "We look at half a million sheets of 
pure°white paper already in store, with as many 
more to be added, and the thought comes up 
that all of these are to be covered with the sym- 
bolic marks that convey ideas, and then be 
scattered broadcast over the land. May we be 
able to send forth such words, such thoughts, 
such hints and suggestions, as shall be best cal- 
culated to promote the pleasure and profit of all 
who peruse these pages.-We note down in 
these first columns some hints which, if not spe 
chilly instructive, will at least serve as remind- 
ers of work to be done. The labors of the month 
will always go on more regularly, and be better 
done, if a well digested plan be laid down. Our 
first hint then is: Sit down with paper, and 
pen or pencil, and layout the work for Janu- 
• What must be done, what ought to be 
done, how much can be done, what must be 
done the first week, the second, and so on. Into 
this calculation must enter the probable inter- 
ruptions and delays. This and the following 
month are essentially the farmers' resting season, 
though the care of stock, the providing of a 
rear's fuel where wood is burned, the unfinish- 
ed work in the grain department, and perhaps 
among out-standing corn, especially at the West, 
with other items detailed below, will keep many 
farmers pretty fully occupied. It is well to re- 
member, however, that ' a bow that is always 
bent looses its elasticity; so, every farmer at 
least should at this season, lay on some extra 
muscle, and recruit his vigor for the exhaustive 
labors of the Spring, Summer and Autumn. 
Work for the Farm, Household, etc. 
Account Keeping. - Some system of keep- 
ing accounts is essential to the best success of 
every farmer. A sheet or two of paper with a 
debtor and creditor side, is better than nothing. 
On one side put down every item owed, and to 
whom- and on the other, note every item due. 
Sum up the condition of your wordly posses- 
sions in two columns. Every day's transactions, 
whether cash or credit, should be written down 
with the date. This should include every pur- 
chase for ready money, or on time, of a neigh- 
bor, or at the store, etc. It would pay well to 
have a debt and credit account with each kind 
of farm labor, with each field, each kind of ani- 
mals, of family expenses, etc. Such accounts 
lead to thinking, to investigation, to carefulness. 
The written record to refer to, would prevent 
not a few of such scenes as are portrayed on 
uage 9 Skill in book-keeping is not required ; 
"quail tracks on paper," barely plain enough 
to be understood, are far better than no record. 
McKn^-Replacing a shingle on the roof of 
the house or barn may save much damage from 
leakage. Hundreds of roofs fall in every year 
from accumulations of snow. If the rafters and 
covering are known to be abundantly strong, no 
further care is needed; otherwise remove any 
extraordinary deposits of snow. A wooden 
hoe on. the end of a long pole will answer. 
An extra strip of wood, or of listing, on the win- 
dow or door casings may shut out much cold. 
We have seen a man using half his spare time 
in cutting, hauling, and carrying in wood to 
keep up a rousing fire, when there was an inch 
crack under the outer door that let in cold 
air enough to use half of the heat produced. An 
hour in stopping that crack would have saved 
•forty hours spent at the wood pile, and added 
greatly to the comfort of the house. He "saved 
at the tap and wasted at the bung-hole. 
Better spend one day in stopping up the cracks, 
than ten in keeping up the fire. Some time 
since we showed how cotton was worth $iu a 
pound ; a pound of it in the cracks and crevices 
shut out more cold than $10 worth of fuel could 
drive out We repeat last month's hint, that 
the less outside protection a man or animal has, 
the more food must he consume to keep up the 
internal fire. Make not only the house, but *ho 
stalls, the sheds, and the styes, warm ; mak >e 
animals comfortable, and far less food will >e 
needed. A double floor or a warm cellar under- 
neath will also save fuel and food, and proa >te 
health. See " Children on the Floor," page !1. 
Cattle.— In brief, make them comfortable ; they 
will look better, feel better, eat less, be more 
healthy, and be worth far more in Spring. Every 
animal should have some shelter from wind, 
rain, and snow. If not a stall, then a good shed 
If on a new farm on the prairie, where tim- 
ber is yet too scarce and costly for your means, 
a rail pen covered around and above with straw 
or stalks, will well pay for its cost, in the better 
condition and growth of the animals. If water 
is scarce, better melt snow over the fire than to 
compel them to eat snow. Extra fuel (food) 
must be supplied to keep up the fire in their 
bodies, if snow is melted there. The extra di- 
gestion required for this, detracts from health, 
vigor, and growth. Remember the salt rations 
atleast twice a week. That weak animal will 
continue a "runt," if kept from a full supply of 
food and from shelter, by another overbearing 
animal. Give it some protecting division line. 
Cellars.— Fowl air breeds decay. All rubbish, 
or rotting vegetables should be removed. Fam- 
ilies living in a new or swampy country suffer 
from malaria ; decaying vegetables in the cellar 
send up similar gases through the house or 
barn cellar. If damp, a few boards or straw on 
the bottom, to walk on, may save wife a cold, 
perhaps a fit of sickness, if she goes there often 
from a warm room, with thin shoes on. Ven- 
tilate as often as the weather will permit, but 
stop out the thief Jack Frost, with an extra 
bank of earth or tan bark, if the walls be not 
amply thick and impervious. An hour's frost 
may destroy the products of weeks of toil. A 
coat of whitewash, put on the walls and ceiling 
even now, will promote neatness and sweetness, 
and save the necessity of an extra light, if the 
windows be deficient or in part covered. The 
best windows are those with double glass, 
half an inch to an inch apart, and the sash on 
hinges. Room may be saved by having the 
sash hung at the top to swing up to a hook. 
Coite.-See hints on page U. Care in breed- 
ing and in feeding also, has produced our im- 
proved horses. Stinted colts make stunted hors- 
es By means of good nourishing food, jsot over- 
graining, you may develop lug mmrtes, strong 
bones, capacious healthy lungs, and turn out I, 
far more valuable horse for any kind, of wo; k. 
Club Meetings.— Farmers need the benefit of 
these more than any other class. Mechanics, 
merchants, and business men generally, come 
more in contact ; their ideas are rubbed up bright 
344 
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