10 
WORK FOR JANUARY, ETC. 
in readiness to put up in spring. Cut and pile a 
sufficient supply of fire wood, this month, to last a 
year, in order to be hauled home when dry, as 
it is needed. 
Threshing Grain and Shelling Corn. — See that 
these are attended to, if not done before, and care- 
fully stored, free from vermin or wet, in order to 
be ready for a favorable sale. If you have much 
of this work to do, money will be saved by 
procuring the best machines designed for this pur- 
pose. 
Winter Plowing. — Take advantage of every op- 
portunity that offers during the winter months, and 
plow stiff soils intended for seeding in spring : but 
be sure and not meddle with such grounds while 
they are wet. 
Care of Stock, Ifc. — See that all domestic animals 
are provided with proper food and drink (not ice 
water if it can be avoided), as well as with shelter 
and warmth . Interest no less than humanity dic- 
tate attention to their comfort and wants. Their 
vards, sheds, and stables shouid be perfectly dry. 
Cleanliness is not always to be expected, and in 
many instances is incompatible with economy, as 
the proper mixing of the manure with the vegeta- 
ble matters, peat, turf, &c, in the yard, frequently 
requires that the manure be scattered all over it. 
But they must be kept out of the mire at all times 
and in all weathers. They should be under shel- 
ter in all severe storms or excessive cold; and they 
will thrive better, if in warm but well ventilated 
stables throughout the winter. Warm, dry shel- 
ter saves food as well as preserves health, and the 
rent of $100 well laid out in proper buildings and 
sheds will go much further than the interest on 
$100 in provender. The cows, mares, ewes, &c, 
that are 1 coming in the ensuing spring, should be 
particularly looked after, and well, but not profuse- 
ly fed. As they advance towards their time, they 
must be supplied with ample room. Separate 
stalls (box stalls), where they can be loose and 
free from disturbance from others, are particularly 
necessary with heavy or infirm animals ; and in 
cold weather, this is essential for all the ewes and 
sows, equally with the largest animals. 
Kitchen Garden. — Hot beds should now be made 
.n the middle and western states by those desirous 
of having very early vegetables, such as lettuces, 
mdive, dwarf cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli, pars- 
ley, asparagus, radishes, &c. By some attention, a 
.jreat many little comforts may be procured in this 
way, and, if you live near a market, enough may be 
sold from your early vegetables to produce a pro- 
fitable return. 
Fruit Garden and Orchard. — Examine your or- 
chard-, and cut off all dead limbs close to the trunks 
or branches ; scrape off the moss, and destroy all 
the chrysalides of cocoons or insects you can find. 
General pruning should be left until summer. Root- 
grafting may be performed this month as well as the 
next. 
Flower Garden and Pleasure Grounds. — Should 
the ground continue open, hardy bulbs may be 
planted : if frozen, large trees may be transplanted, 
with a mass of earth adhering to the roots. Per- 
form any work that may tend to forward the busi- 
ftess of spring. 
WORK FOR JANUARY, SOUTH. 
As a considerable portion of the directions given 
in the work for north and west, this month, will ap- 
ply to the south, it is not deemed necessary to re- 
peat them here. 
Grinding and Planting Sugar Cane. — Do not 
grind your canes any faster than they mature, for 
the sake of finishing your harvest. For, where 
hard frosts do not occur, it will sometimes be ad- 
vantageous to allow them to continue in the ground 
until February; as then, their juices will be in a 
richer state. But, should the heavy frosts set in 
before the crop is ground, the canes will be so af- 
fected that their juice can no longer be crystalized. 
This may be obviated, however, by cutting and 
grinding them before they thaw. 
Finish planting canes this month, if the season 
requires it, covering them to the depth of about 
three inches, but not too closely together. 
Sowing Tobacco Seed. — In the early part of this 
month, if it has not been done in December, select a 
spot of ground, prepare the necessary beds and sow 
your tobacco seed. Make the beds, if possible, on 
land newly cleared, or at least on land that has been 
seeded with grass. Break up the ground properly, 
grub up the small stumps, draw out the roots with 
a root puller, or carefully remove them by hand. 
Make the beds from three to four inches high, of a 
convenient length and from three to three and a 
half feet in breadth, so as to enable the fingers, at 
arm's length, to weed out the young plants from 
both sides of the bed. Before the seed is sown, 
take some dry trash, and burn upon the beds in 
order to destroy insects and the seeds of grass, 
or vile weeds. Take one ounce of tobacco seed, 
mix it with a quart of dry ashes, so as to separate 
it as much as possible, and sow it broad-cast in 
the beds. Then slightly rake the surface, roll or 
tread it down with your whole weight, in order that 
the ground may at once closely adhere to the seed, 
and sprinkle with rain or river water, if not. suffi- 
ciently supplied by showers. Should the beds be- 
come dry from the sun, or blasting winds, water- 
ing should constantly he repeated until the 
young plants are large enough to remove. Keep 
the surface of the beds in a moist state, well stirred, 
and the plants clear of weeds. 
Kitchen Garden. — Plant artichokes, garlic, as- 
paragus, egg plant (under frames), chervil, northern 
cabbage, cress, shalots, spinach, lettuce, broad-leaved 
endive, dwarf beans (end of the month), Windsor 
beans, lentils, mustard, parsley, radish (round and 
long), roquet, carrots, tomatoes (under frames), pep- 
pers, northern turnips, peas, cauliflower (in beds), 
sweet potatoes, early corn, Irish potatoes. Trans- 
plant early cabbages from hot beds ; also onions, 
either young plants or dry sets. 
Fruit Garden, Shrubbery, ^c. — Continue to plant 
cuttings of grapevines, fruit and shade trees, &c. 
Sowing Osage-Okange Seeds. — Mr. Munn, 
of Kentucky, recommends us to soak the seeds of 
this plant in warm water, one or two days, until 
they swell ; or soak them 24 hours when they 
should be tied up in a bag, and buried in moist 
earth, examining them every week until sprouted, 
after which, sow the usual way. 
