363 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Deceiiber, 
Ibddei:—ya.ry the fodder of all kinds of stock as 
much as possible within reasonable limits. It is 
betterto change it on different days, or even at differ- 
ent meals, than to make too great mixtures. Hay 
and straw may be mixed ; ground grains, bran, oil 
meal, etc., may be mixed with hay, straw, stalks or 
roots. Feed different kinds of roots separately. 
Fuel. — Begin early to look out for next season's 
supply from the wood-lot. It is poor economy to 
burn green wood; better to let it stand in a hot 
place, or lie in the stove oven to dry well. Wa- 
ter put upon the fire only tends to put it out. 
Oram Fields. — It is a rare thing when grain fields 
are not more or less damaged by "feeding off" in 
the autumn. Sometimes it seems useful, but is risky. 
Horsen. — Keep brood mares in loose boxes, 10 feet 
square, and when possible give each one a sunny 
3'ard to go to at pleasure in all weathers, when it is 
not too slippery. Be careful of their slipping on 
the ice. Keep all work horses well shod and sharp 
caulked, but do not let horses play together if shod. 
Implements. — If there is no room in the sheds for 
implements, pack them together and improvise a 
roof of boards tacked together ; by no means leave 
them exposed to the weather to be rotted. 
jlia««»-e.— Save every particle of liquid manure. 
If short of litter in the stables, use soil or muck as 
an absorbent. See that no water runs into the 
barnyard. Keep the manure in one or more com- 
pact, well formed heaps, so placed that the leach- 
ings may be pumped over it. 
Meadoies. — Avoid feeding off the meadows too 
close, let no heavj- animals go on the grass 
land at all in soft weather, when they will poach 
up and injure the sod. Turn water from the high- 
ways or uplands upon the meadows and pastures, 
where it will deposit much mannrial matter. 
Oxen. — Keep them in sheltered sheds, or better, 
in good warm stables, well fed and carded frequent- 
ly. Spring poor oxen, or young cattle, are a dis- 
grace to any farmer. Do not neglect shoeing in 
frozen weather. 
Poultry. — Fill a box before the snow covers the 
ground, with a bushel or two of clean gravel, but if 
this cannot be found, pound up some large stones, 
best sand stones. Give pounded bones and other 
animal food with the grain, and see that they all 
have sheltered roosting places. If in warm houses 
well lighted, they will lay if -well fed. 
Sheep. — December is the most important month 
in the year, in this latitude, to effect anything in 
improving sheep. Read remarks on another page. 
Good protection from storms, and regular feeding 
are most important. It is better to commence now 
feeding lambs and all kinds of sheep a little grain 
daily, than to wait until they begin to lose flesh. 
Swine. — Keep fattening hogs in comfortable .apart- 
ments and feed "regularly. So long as swine will 
increase in weight h.ilf of one per cent, daily, they 
are doing well. When they eat little and do not in- 
crease in weight, the sooner they are slaughtered 
the better. Platform scales, with an extra platform 
for a hog to stand on, are convenient for weighing 
fattening swine, to know how fast they gain. 
Water. — See that water does not stand on winter 
grain, nor for a long time on grass ground. A few 
hours' work with spade and shovel will often release 
numerous small ponds, which would materially 
injure vegetation. Surface water frequently settles 
and remains a long time in low places near fruit 
trees, vines, or bushes, to their great Injury. 
IVork iu the Orchard and Nursery. 
In December the Calendar is usually much ab- 
breviated, owing to the crowd of other matter at 
the close of the year. It is usually such an uncer- 
tain month that either nearly nothing can be done 
iu the way of out-door work, or it is like a con- 
tinuation of November, in which case the opera- 
tions noted in the Calendar for that month may be 
performed. Every day's work that can be done 
now in preparing the soil, draining, staking out the 
ground, and even making the holes for planting 
trees is worth putting in, as spring work is always 
crowded, no matter how favorable the season may 
be for operating, or how much help we may have. 
Cions. — Cut from vigorous growth of the past 
season, tie each sort in a bundle, with a plain libel, 
and bury in the cellar, or put them in a box of 
sandy loam, in some place where they will not dry. 
Fruit. — Keep at as low a temperature as possible 
without freezing. The more uniformly it can be 
maintained at 34° or 36°, the longer and better it 
will keep. Send choice apples and pears to market 
just before the holida3-s, as the prices are then high. 
Manure. — Continue to apply to bearing trees a 
liberal dressing, as recommended in October. 
J/icf and Rabbits. — Mice do the most mischief to 
young trees when they can work under the shelter 
of rubbish or light snow. Keep litter away from 
cout.act with the trunk, and pack the snow solid 
with the foot. Among the many things proposed 
to keep rabbits .away, blood seems to be the most 
successful. Rubbing the trunks with liver or 
bloody meat makes the hark offensive to them. 
Nursery. — Stocks for root-grafting may still be 
taken up in mild we-ather, when the roots will not 
be frozen. Make surface drains to carry water 
away from seedlings and other young trees. Look 
out for stakes and see that every row can be iden- 
tified by some means. See that all heeled-in stock 
is sufHciently covered and drained. Prepare stakes, 
tags, and all packing appliances that will be needed 
when spring trade opens. Head back and shape 
young trees in mild weather, taking care not to 
cut so close to a bud that it will be killed. 
Pruning. — Such pruning as can be done with a 
knife may be attended to at any convenient time. 
Kitchen Garden. — A good gardener,like 
the sailor, keeps a "bright lookout .ahead." He 
who shuts up his garden gate .at the first hard frost 
and does no moi-e work until spring opens, is .al- 
ways behind hand. There are frequently, even in 
December, many days in which the plow and spade 
m.ay be profitably kept at work in preparing land 
for cpring plantiug. Clean Ttp all neglectnl i abbisU 
and s.ave so much time in spring. At odd times 
lay iu a stoclv of all kinds of stakes, poles and brush 
that are likely to be needed. See that fences are 
tight and that gates will shut and stay bo. 
Celery. — Protect the tops by means of leaves or 
litter. For a small quantity a shelter of old boards 
may be put over, with straw or marsh hay beneath. 
Cold Framu. — The chief point in successful 
wintering of cabbage and other plants, is to give 
all the ventilation possible, without exposing the 
plants to too great cold. Mice are often destruc- 
tive and must be trapped or poisoned. Have mats 
or shutters .at hand to use in severe weather. 
Compost. — Winter is the great se-ason for accu- 
mulating a supply of fertilizers. The piggery, 
horse and cow stables, and privy, are all to be made 
the most of. Muck, or in lack of that, black earth 
should be at hand to absorb all liquids. Look 
about for other supplies, and see what material 
may be had from breweries, distilleries, slaughter 
houses, and various manufactories, not forgetting 
street sweepings. There is in every neighborhood 
something going to "waste that the soil should have. 
Hot-beds. — One who is handy with tools may make, 
paint, and glaze his own sash and prepare frames. 
Seeds. — Have the home raised stock well cared 
for. Clean out all of doubtful quality or identity. 
Ascertain what Is to be bought and be ready to 
purchase as soon as seedsmen offer their stock. 
Took. — Repair while there is leisure. If there is 
no pl.ace set apart for tools, make a room in the 
barn or some building and have a place for every- 
thing, so that the absence of any implement can be 
detected at a glance. Grease iron and steel tools. 
directed last month. If dwarf trees are liable to 
be injured from accumulations of snow in the 
branches, shake it out before it gets compact. 
Borers may be probed out by means of a wire. 
Manure trees .and shrubs, as directed under orchard. 
Grape vines should h.ave been pruned last month, 
but it may be done now iu mild weather. We have 
heretofore given the method to be followed iu cer- 
tain systems of training, and presume that all who 
have many vines, have some reliable treatise upon 
this subject. If the wood removed in trimming is 
to be used for propagation, keep it where it will 
not dry. As soon as the ground is slightly frozen, 
give strawberry plants a covering of straw or leaves. 
Ploxper Os»«-«lcn nnd l<awn. — If 
proper winter protection has been given and all 
rubbish cleared up, there will be but little out of 
door work to be done. Hardy climbing roses will 
come out all the better in the spring, if they can be 
detached from their trellises and laid upon the 
ground. The perpetu.als and less hardy sorts may 
be bent down and covered with earth. Lawns may 
have a good top-dressing of compost. Save all the 
leaves for hot-bed and other uses. If snow collects 
in evergreens and clumps of shrubbery, shake it off 
before it becomes icy. Much may be done in the 
way of planning improvements to be carried out 
when the weather permits. Materials for rustic 
work may be brought from the woods, and seats, 
vases, etc., may be made up from seasoned material. 
Frnit Garden. — General work of prepara- 
tion may be done, as directed under Orchard and 
Nursery. If the pruning of currants and gooseber- 
ries was not done last month, do it now. If it is 
desired to use the cuttings of the new wood for 
propagation, tie them in bundles and treat them as 
Green and Hot-Hon§es.— Tempera- 
ture, moisture and ventilation are the three essen- 
tials to be regarded. The amount of heat will de- 
pend upon the kind of plants, but in any case sud- 
den changes are to be avoided. In green-houses, 
where plants are merely kept over, they will do 
well if the temperature is not allowed to sink 
below 40°, but there are few things th.at flower well 
if kept less than 60°. 
Bulbs. — Bring the pots forward, a few at a time, 
graduallv to the warmth and light. Remove the 
flower stalk as soon as out or oiov^xu, but nllow the 
leaves to remain to perfect the bulb. 
Camellia.s. — Use the syringe freely. A dry, warm 
atmosphere causes the buds to drop. Those in 
dwelling houses need to have the foliage sponged. 
Carnation,'!. — Keep rather cool, with plenty of 
light, and do not over-water. 
Cacti. — Most of these need rest and but little 
water, except the Epiphyllums, which are winter 
blooming, need warmth and sufficient water. 
Fuchsias. — Keep the young plants growing rapid- 
ly, and train to good shape by pinching. 
Rlargoniums.— These to grow and flower well, 
need to be as near as possible to the glass. Judicious 
pruning and tying will make shapely specimens. 
Cold Grapery. — Prune vines and pre- 
pare them for their wiuter sleep. Chorlton, in his 
Grape-Grower's Guide, recommends covering the 
canes with the following mixture, to destroy larvae 
and eggs of insects: Whale-oil soap )^ lb., sulphur 
4 lbs., tobacco }£ lb., powdered nux vomica 1 oz. 
Pour over these 1 gallon of boiling water and stir 
well together, and apply with a paint brush. To 
lay the vine down, tie it to the wire at about two 
feet from the ground, aud then bend the por- 
tion above this point to a horizontal position, 
cover .about three inches thick with strawand tie it 
on, or put up boards in front of the vines and cover 
with forest leaves. Keep the house cool by open- 
ing ventilators on clear days ; close at night, and 
on cloudy and severe days. 
Apiary in December. — Prepared hy M. 
Qidnby, by request. — When all the fine days, in 
which the bees can fly, have passed, it is time to 
put them into winter quarters. Those who have 
but few, and cannot afford to prepare special de- 
positories, should select only the best stocks. Any 
that are deficient in supplies and numbers of bees, 
had better be taken up even now, than consume 
