82 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Makch, 
Contents for March, 1872. 
Artesian Wells, where they can bo Matlc lit.. 97 
Balloon- Vine, or Heart-Seed. .. Illustrated. .101 
Bats, Our Native Illustrated. .99, 100 
Bee Notes 89 
Boys and Girls' Columns— Map Prizes— Trying to Find 
the Key-hole— Aunt Sue's Puzzle-Box— Boys and 
Girls' Pictures 5 Illustrations.. 107,108 
Caponizing S Illustrations. . 98, 99 
Churning by Means of a Weight Illustrated. .96, 97 
Cisterns, Filter for Illustrated. .98 
Concrete Buildings, How to make Illustrated. .95, 96 
Cooking Food for Stock 99 
Cow, Story of a Good . - 98 
Cows, Milk-Mirror in 99 
Dwarf and Small Fruits in Kentucky 102 
Egg Farm 2 Illustrations. . 91, 92 
Farm Gate Illustrated.. 96 
Farm Work in March 82, 83 
Fence, a Prairie Illustrated. .90 
Flower Garden and Lawn in March 84 
Fruit Garden in March 83 
Greenhouse and Window Plants in March 84 
Greenhouses attached to Dwellings 103 
Harrow, Thomas's Smoothing Illustrated. .89, 90 
Hog-Troughs, Improvement in Illustrated . . 96 
Household Department— New Flour-Box— Fanners' 
Daughters— Home Topics— Cooking the Egg-Plant— 
, Table Etiquette — Samp or nominy— Cost of Bones 
and of Cooking 3 Illustrations. 105, 106 
Kitchen Garden in March 83 
Matrlniony.Vinc Illustrated. .101 
Mignonettes, White and Crimson 102 
Ogden Farm Papers, No, 26— " Gilt-edged Butter"— 
Feeding Cows 90, 91 
Orchard and Nursery in March S3 
Prune, When to 103 
Saws, Improved 4 Illustrations.. SI 
Sea-Beans— Entada Illustrated. .104 
Sewing Machine, A Good Cheap, at Last 111.. SS 
Shovel and Mole Plow8 in the Garden 2 Ms. .108 
Something about Trapping and Furs 5 ifib.,93 
Sowing Seeds of Tropical Annuals 101 , 102 
Squashes, Turban Illustrated.. 104 
Stable Farm 4 Illustrations. . 97, 98 
Stock, Cost of Poor 96 
Swine, Yorkshire Illustrated. .81, 87 
Thunbergia, Great-flowered Illustrated . 104 
Venture a Little Seed 103 
Walks and Talks on the Farm, No. 99— Care of Stock 
— Sheep and Lambs— Pea and Oat Straw — Corn- 
stalks for Cows— Food for Sows— Corn Raising- 
Cultivating Corn— Coleseed Crop 94, 95 
INDEX TO "BASKET," On SHORTER ARTICLES. 
Are Twin Cattle Barren. . .S7 
Artesian Well. Depth of. .86 
Ashes, Spreading 85 
Barry's Fruit Garden 89 
Batch of Questions 85 
Best Beef Cattle 87 
Bickford Knitting Mach. .89 
Bliss &Sons 89 
Bone Manure, Mau'fact'g. .S7 
Branching Corn 87 
Breaking Oxen 85 
Burned Swamp Land S7 
Buying Food for Hogs... S7 
Humbugs, Sundry S5 
Hungarian Grass 85 
Improving Stock 85 
Kidncy-W orms in Hogs . . 86 
Lolling of the Tongne in 
Horses 87 
Mad Itch 85 
Manure from Straw and 
Grain 86 
Manuring by Pasturing. ..85 
Marl . Value of 87 
Measuringnay in theStackS7 
Mink Raising 86 
Cabbages for Fattening. . .87] Muck, To Use 85 
Carrots, How to Feed 87>Navicular Disease 86 
Catalpas and Magnolias. ..67 Northern Pacific Railway. 86 
Clevis for 3-horse Evcner.S9 Organs and Melodeons. .S9 
Colorado ' 87 Paint for Tools 87 
Cranberry Culture S6 Pawlonia 85 
Cribbing, Cure for S0;Peach-Buds 86 
Curculio, Lady-Bugs, and ' Pine-Wood Ashes 87 
Borers 86, Produce of 15 Hens 85 
Curing Clover SSiQuinn Pear 89 
Death of J. B. Lyman S9jRabbits,To Preserve Trees 
Diseases of Cattle 87| from S6 
Dissolving Bone So Raising Roots 87 
Drain Tile S5;Rotation of Crops in Md..S7 
Dyehonse Cherry 89 Salt in the Garden 86 
Early-Laying Pullets 85;Seeding a Marsh 86 
Eggs— Swindled S7j Seeding down Corn with 
Evergreens 87| Clover 87 
Farmers, Look Out 89 Shall he go West? 85 
Fish Manure 85; Spring Bazaar S9 
Four Months Remain S9;Spring Work S9 
Fowl-House Needed 86 Steam-Engine 87 
Grape andCurrantCuttings80 Stock, which is the Best ?.S6 
Gray Squirrels and Maple ISugar Beet 89 
Trees S6,Snndry Humbugs 85 
Hand-Thrasher 85, Tanners' Refuse, Value of.87 
Harrowing Wheat 85 The Right Sort B6 
Heifer Coming in, How to Trophv Tomato 86 
Feed a 86 Truck" Farm 89 
Hen Manure 87 Warbles 85 
Horses, Earache in 86 Wild Onion 87 
Peas for jPI©-wiiig under.— "J. M.," 
Portage Co., O. The best pea for this purpose is one 
with a great amountof stalk and leaves, like the large 
Marrowfat. Two to three bushels of seed should be 
used, as the ground is richer or poorer. 
Calendar for March. 
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Boston. XEng- 
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State. Michi- 
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sin, Iowa, and 
Oregon. 
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H.M n.M 
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6 34 5 51 
6 33 5 52 
C 315 54 
6 29 5 55 
6 28'5 56 
6 26 5 58 
6 25:5 59 
6 23 6 " 
6 21 6 
10 
6 176 
6 16 6 
6 14 6 
6 12.6 
6 10 6 
6 96 
6 7:6 10 
6 516 11 
6 1 
5 59 
5 57 
5 .V, 
5 53 
5 52 
r, 50 
5 in 
6 14 
6 IS 
6 16 
li 1 
6 1!l 
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6 23 
5 46:6 24 
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II. M. 
morn 
45 
1 57 
3 6 
4 8 
5 1 
5 15 
6 20 
sets 
7 29 
8 37 
9 44 
10 43 
11 52 
morn 
53 
1 51 
2 45 
3 31 
4 12 
4 47 
5 IS 
5 44 
rises 
7 S 
8 12 
923 
in -X 
11 50 
morn 
1. 
-v. r.ata, a. 
Philadelphia, 
New Jersey. 
Penn., Ohio. 
Indiana, ana 
Illinois. 
n.ai n.M 
6 34 5 52 
6 32!s 53 
6 31 5 54 
6 29 5 55 
o 2s 5 56 
6 27,5 51 
6 25,5 59 
6 24 6 
6 22 6 
6 20 6 
i 6 18.6 
\6 16 ! 6 
6 15 6 
6 13 6 
1 6 12:6 
6 10 6 
8 
9 
16 7i6 10 
6 5 6 11 
6 3 6 12 
[6 2 6 IS 
6 16 14 
]6 6 15 
5 58 6 16 
5 56 6 17 
5 54 6 18 
5 53 6 19 
I 5 52 6 20 
5 50 6 21 
: 5 48 6 22 
I 5 466 23 
a. ii. 
morn 
41 
1 52 
3 
4 2 
4 56 
5 40 
6 16 
sets 
7 29 
S 36 
9 4! 
10 45 
11 48 
morn 
43 
1 45 
2 39 
3 25 
4 6 
4 42 
5 14 
5 42 
rises 
7 2 
8 10 
9 20 
10 32 ] 
11 45 
morn 
54 I 
Washington, 
Maryland, 
Virginia, Ken- 
tuekij. Missou- 
ri, and Cali- 
fornia. 
n.M n.M 
6 33 5 53 
6 31 5 51 
6 30 5 55 
6 28 5 56 
6 27,5 57 
6 26,5 58 
6 24 5 59, 
H. M. 
morn 
36 
1 46 
2 54 
3 56 
4 50 
5 36 
6 13 
sets 
6 23 6 
6 21 6 
6 19 6 
18,6 
6 16 6 
6 15 6 
6 13 6 
6 12 6 
6 10 6 
6 96 9 
6 76 10 
6 56 11 
6 3,6 12 
6 2 6 13 
6 1 6 14 
6 6 15 
5 5S6 16 
5 56 6 17| 
5 55 6 18, 8 8 
5 54 6 19 9 17 
5 53 6 20 10 28 
5 51 6 20 : 11 40 
5 49 6 21 morn 
5 47622: 043 
29, 
8 34, 
9 39 
10 4l! 
11 43 
7 morn 
4.3 
1 39 
2 33 
3 19i 
4 1 
4 37 
5 111 
5 39 
rises | 
PHASES OF THE MOON. 
BOSTON. N.YOKE. WASU'N. cnA'STOX CHICAGO 
oil Quart.. '2 2 45 cv 
New Moon 9 8 9 m. 
1st Quart.. 161 9 41 ev. 
Full 24! 8 59 ev 
3d Quart.. 131 9 48 ev 
n. M. 
2 33 ev. 
7 57 m. 
9 29 ev, 
8 47 ev 
9 36 ev 
n. m. 
2 21 ev 
7 45 m 
9 17 ev 
S ai cv 
9 24 ev 
U. 31. 
2 9 ev. 
7 S3 ni. 
9 5 ev. 
8 23 ev. 
9 12 ev. 
n. m. 
1 S'.i ev. 
7 3 m. 
S 35 ev. 
7 53 ev. 
8 42 ev. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW YORK, MARCH, 1872. 
It is not easy for us, here at the North, to realize 
that spring has eome. We sometimes have " six 
weeks sleighing in March," and at any i-ate it is 
seldom that much real spring work can be done 
before the middle of April. Only once in our ex- 
perience have we been able to do much plowing in 
March, and then the ground was frozen below the 
furrows. We got in three acres of barley on the 
last day of March, but the next morning the earth 
was covered with snow, and it was two weeks be- 
fore we could plow and sow the rest of the field. 
In a well-regulated factory, the manager can 
often tell what the men will be doing each day, for 
a week or a month ahead. But it is not so on a 
farm. We know what work there is to be done, 
but are never certain as to the particular time when 
wc can do it. And the success of a farmer will de- 
pend a great deal on having everything in its place, 
in working order, and ready for use at any moment. 
It is at all times, but particularly so at this season, 
a good plan to write down everything that you 
propose to do, and what to do it with, and how, 
going as much into detail as possible. Ask a 
farmer what work he has to do this spring, and he 
will reply, " I have got to plow twenty acres of 
corn stubble for oats, and break up twenty acres 
for corn." Aud a person that knew nothing about 
farming might suppose, from his reply, that this 
was all he had to do. It is evident that the farmer 
regards this as his principal and most important 
spring work, lu one sense, of course, this is true. 
But in point of fact, the plowing of this forty 
acres of land is the very last thing that requires his 
consideration. It is the little foxes that spoil the 
grapes. The farmers of the United States sustain 
more damage, every year, from a little stagnant 
water beneath the surface of their fields than from 
the great floods on our mighty rivers. There is 
here and there a farmer who spends so much time 
in getting ready, that he has no time left to 
do the work. Such a man will never succeed in a 
country like this, where the seasons are short and 
work must be done promptly. A farmer should 
train himself to think and lay plans in advance, 
aud get everything he is likely to need, ready for 
immediate use, but when the time comes for the 
performance of the work he must throw off his 
coat aud labor with his might lie must pay great 
attention to such important little things as he is 
inclined to overlook and neglect, and he must study 
his operations until he finds out what arc the 
points of greatest importance. An experienced 
thrasher pays more attention to some of the little 
pinions that revolve rapidly than to the main driv- 
ing wheel. He looks at every part of his machine, 
but more frequently at those which are most likely 
to get out of order. And so it is in farming. Tha 
steady, big jobs will almost take care of themselves. 
It is the little details that are apt to be neglected, 
and yet upon them mainly depends the profit or 
loss of the whole year's operations. Look well to 
the pennies, the pounds will take care of themselves.. 
Hints about Work, 
The first work in the spring, on our own farm,. 
when the snow begins to melt, is to let off any 
water that accumulates on the surface. No matter 
how carefully the dead furrows and outlets may 
have been made in the fall, there is always more or 
less to be done in the spring, to provide free egress 
for the water. A few hours' work with a hoe and 
spade, at this season, will often let off thousands of 
gallons of water, which otherwise would soak into 
the soil and keep it wet and cold for several weeks. 
We would urge every reader of the Agriculturist 
to attend to this matter. We are sure that many a 
farmer would in this way save enough in one year 
to pay for a dozen good papers aud a score of the 
best agricultural books. In letting off a shallow" 
pool of water, the easiest aud quickest plan is to- 
commence at the pool aud make a little furrow- 
with a hoe, letting the water follow you. But 
where the water is in a somewhat deep basin, with 
little apparent fall from it to the outlet, a bettei- 
plan is to commence at the outlet aud dig with a. 
spade up to the basin ; and in order to be sure that 
you lose no fall, dig the ditch deep enough to let 
the water follow you up to the basin. In this way 
we have rarely, found a basin that could not be, 
drained. There is nothing that people are so often 
deceived about, as the amount of fall to land. 
Spring is a Good Time to Vnderdrain. — Unless wc 
can do the work in the winter, spring is the best 
time to dig underdrains. The land is fall of water, 
and it is much easier digging than in the summer 
or autumn. And it is no slight advantage to have 
water enough to level by. If the water Bows freely 
through the tiles when laid, aud eare is exercised 
in filling in the ditches, and packing the soil round 
the tiles tight enough to hold them in place, there- 
is little or no danger of their stopping afterwards. 
Tlie Cost of Draining depends a good deal on the 
nature of the land and the depth of the drains. In* 
saudy or mucky land a ditch 2}^ feet deep for 
tiles should be dug, with labor at SI. 50 per day,, 
for 15 cents a rod ; 3 feet deep, 20 cents a rod. On 
heavier laud, nearly free from stones, a ditch 2^ to 
3 feet deep will cost 25 cents a rod. A good 
ditcher, at these prices, can make two dollars a day. 
An unskillful man that cuts the ditches unneces- 
sarily wide, and is fond of U6ing the pick, might 
work just as hard and not earn a dollar a day. 
Spring Wlieal is the first crop to be sown in the 
spring. We hope our readers will bestow extra 
pains in putting it iu well, for we anticipate con- 
siderable demand for wheat next fall. 
Barley, taking one year with another, is a well- 
paying crop on good land and in the hands of those 
who know how to manage it. But it is a poor crop 
on poor land. A careless, slovenly farmer, whose 
land is poor, wet, and foul, should not attempt to 
raise barley. Oats will pay hitn better— or rather, 
he will lose less. As a rule, the earlier barley can 
be sown, the better. But a still more important 
point is, to get the land in good condition. It cam 
not be too fine and mellow. On very rich, mellow 
soil, sown early, 1}{ bushel per acre, drilled in, is 
sufficient seed; but on average good land 2 bushels 
is none too much. In England, the best barley is 
grown on light, sandy land, made rich and firm by 
consuming a turnip crop on the land, the pre- 
