88 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
Contents of This Number. 
[Articles marked with a star (*) are illustrated; the fig¬ 
ure With the star Indicates the number of illustrations.] 
Among the Farmers, No. 02.—The Milk Question— 
Our Orloff Fillies—The Shoeing Question.. .*. .100-101 
Apple, A New, ‘ Highland Beauty.”.*..108 
Asters, Dwarf China.*..108 
SSee Notes.122 
Birds, Some Common . .2*.. 99 
Blue-grass at Rothamst.ed, England. 91 
Boys’and Girls' Columns -.—Doctor's Talks: Snails 
—A Sixteen Point Puzzle—Our Puzzle Box—Hlus- 
trated Rebus—Making Shadows on the Wall—Help 
in Drawing- The Kitten in Trouble.11*.. 112-114 
B«an of Indian Corn and Wheat.101 
Building, Drawing Together.2*..105 
Cart, A Farm Dumping.*.. 92 
Catalogues Received.122 
Celery, A Trouble with. 108 
Cistern for Gravelly Soil.*.. 91 
Commercial Matters. 123 
Cottage, A Country, Costing $600.5*.. 98 
Dahlias.New Single and Other Double.*. .107 
Essays, Prize Horse. 123 
Feeder for Young Lambs.*.. 101 
Fertilizers, Management of Liquid.103 
Filter, A Cistern. . 2*. .100 
Fires, Losses by Forest . 92 
Flora of California.123 
Furnaces, About Hot Air.123 
Gate, A Double Latched.2*.. 92 
Gad Fly.•..119 
Gate, A Small, in a Picket Fence .*.. 103 
Grant, A. R., Death of...121 
Grass, “Guinea” or “Johnson”. *..104 
Halter for Pulling Horse.2*.. 93 
Horse-radish. 107 
Household :—A Handy Book Case—To Make a Mus¬ 
tard Plaster—A Gourd Flower Stand—Take Care 
of the Matches—Scrap Books for Children—Stove¬ 
pipes Made Portable. Home Topics: Time Wanted. 
A Spool “What-not.” Chicken Pie. A Home- 
Made Coal Sifter. A Handy Wood-box. . .8*. .110-111 
Houghton Farm—The Horse Stalls. .2* 91 
Humbugs, Sundry. 95 
Jessamine, The Slender .*..108 
Kerosene for Hen Lice. 91 
Larkspur, A New, The Cashmerean.*..107 
Manuring, Green. 90 
Map, etc., of Our New Location .121 
Notes from the Pines.4*. .109 
No “Secretary of Agriculture”. 93 
©at, A New, Hulless—“Pringle’s Excelsior”.*..90 
Orchard and Garden Work for March.4*. .89-90 
Orchard Grass, About..2*.. 105 
Ox-Yoke. How to Make .4*.. 92 
Pastures and Pasture Grasses.103 
Pigeon Boxes and Roosts.3*.. 96 
Plows and Pulverizers.*. .105-106 
Poultry Notes: Eggs in Winter, etc. 98 
Produce, Preparing, for Market.93 
ISaspberry, The Cuthbert.*. .106 
Roots for Stock.119 
Science Applied to Farming, No. 67.96-97 
Science, A Way to Promote Agricultural. 93 
Shingle Roof.119 
Smelt, The American.. . *.. 99 
Society, Pennsylvania Horticultural.123 
Society, The Massachusetts Horticultural .121 
Sorghum Culture, $25,000 for. . 94 
Sower, Seed, for Small Gardens.*..102 
Squash, A New —“ Perfect Gem”.*..106 
Statement, A Noteworthy. 123 
Suggestions of and for the Season.4*.. 88-89 
Tan Bark.119 
Terms in Breeding.102 
Tie for Bags, etc.*..101 
Tim Bunker on Selling Farm Produce.102 
Top Dressing, with Manure. 92 
Trough, A Chicken Feed .2*. .104 
Visit, The Peddler’s, to a Family in the Country*.. 87 
Weighing Device for Bulky Articles.*..101 
Wool, Different Qualities upon same Sheep.3*..104 
An Extraordinary Offer. 
All our Readers will be interested in the 
Extraordinary Offer presented on page 120— 
a most valuable treasure in any and every 
home to be had at, practically, little or no 
cost. We suggest an immediate and careful 
reading of all on that page (120). 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW YORK, MARCH, 1881. 
Suggestions of and for the Season. 
If one has not laid his plans for the year, 
let him now “ stop and think,” that he may 
lose no time afterward in finding out what to 
do, and how and when to do it. He who 
plans is the one who succeeds in every de¬ 
partment of human labor. Though the win¬ 
ter may still linger, there is much to 
be done to make ready for the busy days 
that will soon come. The engine must be 
loaded with fuel, the fire built, and the 
steam on before the train can move. Let 
every farmer have a good head of steam on, 
and be ready to go forward as soon as the 
spring work begins. Floods and freshets are 
likely to occur, and much damage may be 
done unless prevented. Outlets must be pro¬ 
vided for surface water, and so made that 
the water will not gather in dangerous 
streams. Clear the drains of any rubbish, 
leaves, etc., that there may be no interference 
with their full flowing. Bad roads in spring 
are one of the most serious inconveniences in 
many localities ; now is the time to plan and 
execute a reform in road-making. As soon 
as “settled weather” comes, see that the al¬ 
most impassable places are made good—the 
strength of a chain is measured by that of its 
weakest link. There is much to be done in 
getting the farm implements all in good trim 
for work. It may be that a corn-marker is 
needed, or other home-made implement, and 
do not leave such work until the day for 
planting. There are many forms of home¬ 
made markers. One which has done us good 
service is shown in figure 1. It is made by 
affixing short runners with sharp bevelled 
ends to a plank, to which a tongue is attached. 
Runners may be placed upon both surfaces of 
the planks, and at different distances, so that 
by reversing the marker wider or narrower 
rows may be made. ... The com crop may be 
much improved by selecting the best seed. 
This is a matter that should have been done 
last fall, and of which mention was made in 
the Notes in autumn. It may be possible to 
get superior seed from a neighbor who has 
given special attention to the matter of se¬ 
lecting seed. Seed-com brought from an¬ 
other locality has often proved an improve¬ 
ment over that long grown upon the same 
soil.... Top-dressing of fall grains with some 
quick-acting fertilizer has in many cases 
doubled the crop, and at a comparatively 
trifling expense. The added manure stim¬ 
ulates the growth of the young plants at just 
the time when most needed, and gives them 
strength to better take care of themselves. 
.... Oats may be sown as soon as the frost is 
out of the ground, and 
the soil is diy enough 
to work up mellow 
under the plow. It is 
best to sow with a drill, 
as a more even depth 
is secured, and all the 
seed is put in the soil. 
Clover may be drilled 
with the oats, or broad¬ 
cast a short time after 
.... There is fre¬ 
quently much damage 
done to pastures and 
meadows by putting 
stock upon them too 
early. All meadows should be rolled as 
soon as the frost is out of the ground to 
press down all the raised tufts, stones, etc., 
and secure a smooth surface for the mowing 
machine.... This is a critical time with live 
stock, especially if young animals are being 
added to the herds and flocks. It is often 
useful to give animals that have been win¬ 
tered on dry feed a dose of physic. A pint of 
raw Linseed Oil given two or 
three times will help the digestion 
of cows, horses, etc. It helps to 
loosen the skin, and aids in 
changing the coat. Too much 
care cannot be given to brushing 
the animals and keeping the sur¬ 
face of the body clean. Figure 2 
shows an improved “rubber,” 
designed to take the place of the 
curry comb. It is not so harsh 
as the comb, hence, when used 
upon animals with tender hide, 
is not painful. If used against 
the direction of the hair, it 
loosens and removes the dirt, and 
gives a healthy condition to the 
surface of the skin. Some horses 
make a good deal of trouble by a habit of 
throwing the feed from the trough or manger. 
This is not only an annoyance, but a waste of 
the food. To prevent this, small bars of wood 
or iron can be placed as shown in figure 3. 
These cross-bars prevent any sudden jerking 
of the feed from one end of the manger 
to the other, and scattering is effectually pre¬ 
vented. The bars may be made in the form of a 
frame, which can be raised should it be needed 
for keeping hay or other coarse feed from 
being thrown upon th<5 floor.Give sows 
that are to have pigs a warm bed and a run by 
themselves. A board or scantling nailed from 
the side of the pen as shown in figure 4 will 
give a place of escape for the young pigs, and 
prevent the sow lying upon them. A few 
minutes spent in putting in this fender may 
Fig. 1.—HOME-MADE CORN-MARKER. 
