488 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Decembek, 
Contents of this Number. 
Agricultural Society, National.492 
Agricultural, etc.. Societies, To Secretaries.495 
Among the Farmers, No. 47: Milk Souring—Living 
Organisms—Milk as Absorbent—Earn, Pure-bred, 
Value of.501 
Baskets, How to Make Splint.12 Illustrations. .497 
Beef, To Cut Up Side of. Illustrated ..505 
Bin, Grain Measuring . Illustrated ..501 
Boys’ and Girls’ Columns :—The Doctor's Talks: 
The Pendulum. Tricks with Coins. Puzzle Box. 
Kebus. Spiders, Spinnerets, and Cobwebs. Christ¬ 
mas is Coming.18 Illustrations.. 511-514 
Breeds. Breeding, and Pedigrees.2 Illustrations. .503 
Calendar for December.488 
Christmas, The Farmer's Visit. Illustrated. .487 
Churn Power, Home-made. Illustrated. .504 
Cisterns, How to Measure . Illustrated. .504 
Clematis, The Yellow. Illustrated. .507 
Cow, Cure for Self-Sucking. Illustrated. .504 
Cow-Peas, Southern.498 
Efforts to Keep Bad Milk Out of City... 500 
Fair List for December.520 
Feeding Stuffs.497 
Feet of Sheep, Care of.502 
Fencing, Important Subject, etc. Illustrated ..495 
Flower Garden and Lawn.490 
Food, Arbitrary Value of. 505 
Garden, Kitchen and Market.489 
Garden, The Fruit.489 
Gate, A Garden. Illustrated. .504 
Gauge, A Useful Slitting. Illustrated. .504 
Greenhouse and Window Plants for December.490 
Hay Knives, Uses and Patterns.3 Illustrations. .505 
Herefords in America.502 
Hints for December Farm Work.488 
Household : — Home Topics: Sunday Morning - 
Christmas Trees. Ferns in Boom Culture. Oint¬ 
ment, Glycerine. Decorations for Home and Else¬ 
where.6 Illustrations.. 509-511 
Humbugs, Sundry.493 
Ice-Houses, and Filling Them.9 Illustrations. .502 
Interest, Improvement in Sheep .506 
Jack-ass or Mule Rabbit. Illustrated. .499 
Land Clearing Slough. Illustrated. .501 
Leaves, Gathering the Fallen.498 
Markets for December.490 
Mildews. Common White..4 Illustrations.. 507 
Milk, Bad, Efforts to Keep out of City..500 
Milking, Periods of.501 
Mole Trap. Illustrated ..504 
Motor, A New Water. Illustrated. .503 
Notes from the Pines .508 
Orchard and Garden.489 
Orchard and Nursery.489 
Pump, Wooden, for Barn-Yards.3 Illustrations. .501 
Rabbit, The Jackass or Mule. Illustrated. .499 
Record, Cow.495 
Sheep Interest, Improvement in.506 
Skullcaps, Wild and Garden. Illustrated ..507 
Slips, Wooden, To Split.3 Illustrations. .501 
Trees, Young, Caring for. Illustrated. .508 
Visit. The Farmers Christmas.. Illustrated. .487 
Weighing Sheep and Calves.2 Illustrations. .500 
Whetstones, Fine-Grained, How Made.14 Ills ..505 
Wrench, Birch’s Key. Illustrated. .504 
INDEX TO “BASKET,” AND OTHER SHORT ARTICLES. 
Apple,Another,‘Surprise’493 Lime, How to Use.493 
Apple, A Twin.521 
Apples. American.521 
Beef, Boiled Corn.521 
Beef. Good Pressed.521 
Bicycles and Bicycling...520 
Boots, Rubber.520 
By Return Mail.495 
Cattle, Blanketed.521 
Cattle, Mad Itch in.494 
Celluloid Again.520 
Census, The Coming.... 520 
Chrysanthemum Culture.493 
Club, Ladies’ Garden. .. 521 
Clubs.519 
Country, For the whole..492 
Cow, Prize, Jersey.493 
Dairymen in Clover.521 
Elevators,Grain in Havre521 
Engravings, 800 Original495 
Fair. Intem’l Dairy.520 Sheep Dip, Carbolic.494 
F ir, the Am. Institute. .522 ^heep, West or South for.493 
Feed for50Sheep.404 Shows, Poultry.520 
Fig Tree, An Ancient_493'" 
Figures, Interesting.492 
Forests and Rainfall.522 
Gardens, etc., of Cal_495 
Gentian, A Climbing ... .493 
Giapes. California. .. ..522 
Hens, Setting.495 
Lumber from Straw.522 
Magazine, Carriage. .. 520 
Mail, “Return”.495 
Manure, Spreading in 
Winter.519 
Milk. Bloody.519 
Milk, Holding Back_ 519 
Notes, Not for. 520 
North Carolina for Immi¬ 
grants .520 
Nursery, Starting a.521 
Nuts and Seeds.522 
Pay? Does It.492 
Phenyl, Soluble.495 
Potatoes in England.493 
Poultry Disease.519 
Presents. Holiday.520 
Request, An Earnest... .492 
Seeds, Garden & Farm..521 
Sheep Dip, Carbolic. 
Shows, Tiie Poultry.522 
Society, A County.520 
Society, Am. Porno.521 
Society, Illinois Hort... .521 
Swindle, That Denver 
Land. 522 
Tannery Material.493 
Horses, Am. in Europe.. ,520jTerms to Foreign Conn- 
Horses. Bonner’s Sale...522 tries.519 
Horse-Racing at Fairs.. .493 Vineyards, French.521 
Humbugs.492 Wagons. Easy Running. .494 
Ice Houses.520, Wheat Experiments.404 
Index, Run over.492 Wheats, New.495 
Leaves in Ice Pond.493, Wheelbarrow.2 III. .495 
Letter, Ready written.. .492, Wood, About Allantus.. .520 
Calendar for December, 1879. 
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PHASES OF THE MOON. 
MOON. 
BOSTON. 
N. YORK. 
wash’n.icha’ston 
CHICAGO. 
In. 
3d Quart. 6 
New M’n 13 
1st Quart 20 
Full M’n 128 
H. M. 
2 59 ev. 
6 20 mo. 
6 31 mo. 
11 31 mo. 
II. M. 
2 47 ev. 
6 8 mo. 
6 19 mo. 
11 19 mo. 
H. M. 
2 35 ev. 
5 56 mo 
6 7 mo 
11 7 mo 
H. M. 
2 23 ev. 
5 45 mo. 
5 55 mo. 
10 55 mo. 
II. M. 
1 53 ev. 
5 15 mo. 
5 25 mo. 
10 25 mo. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW YORK, DECEMBER, 1879. 
Hints for the Work of the Month. 
[The Hints and Suggestions in these columns are 
never copied from previous years, but are freshly pre¬ 
pared for every month , from the latest experience and 
observations, by practical men in each department .] 
The Close of the Tear is usually an interesting 
period to the fanner, but the end of the present 
one is especially so. For some years past, there has 
not been much to encourage farmers in their work, 
except perhaps, the general feeling, that “ bad 
times” could not last forever, and at length a change 
must come. After many seasons of patient wait¬ 
ing, the looked for change has arrived, and as we 
go through our barns, and granaries, and consult 
our accounts, we may find that our work this pres¬ 
ent year, has repaid us for many past poor ones.— 
There are exceptions here, as in all other business. 
Until recently, dairying was discouraging indeed, 
but with the advance in prices to more than double 
the rates current only three months ago, cheerful¬ 
ness has succeeded to despondency. 
The Promise for the next Tear is also encouraging; 
a greatly increased breadth of wheat has been sown, 
and the weather has been favorable for its growth. 
Indeed, in some cases, the wheat and rye are too 
vigorous, and if warm weather occurs with rains 
this month, the growth may be too luxuriant. 
Pasturing Fall drain— If the fall grain is in dan¬ 
ger of jointing, it should be pastured without de¬ 
lay. It is often a great help to the wheat or rye, 
to turn sheep or calves upon it. These eat down 
luxuriant growth, and tread the soil firmly about 
the roots. If no other stock are available for this 
puipose, cows may be let into winter grain fields. 
Top-Dressing. —If manure is needed for winter 
grain, now is the time to apply it. It may be used 
fresh and coarse, without losing much in value. 
Even straw spread over the wheat is of great ben¬ 
efit. Mulching is a protection against extremes of 
both heat and cold, and preserves the crop during 
sudden and severe changes of the weather. 
Surface Drains.—If not already made, ample 
drains should be provided to free the fields from 
surface water. Drains that have been plowed out, 
may need clearing in places with spade or hoe, that 
the water may pass off readily. Iu laying out open 
drains, the slopes should he so made, that the 
water will not flow off too rapidly, with a gentle 
inclination only; in this case much of the water 
will soak into the soil, and will not wash away 
either the soil, or any manure that is on the slopes. 
The Granary and Cribs. —A large quantity of 
grain is stored, awaiting higher prices. This may 
be wise or otherwise. One thing to be considered, 
is, the loss by shrinkage, and wastes in the granary 
a Lid crib. Wheat in the granary is subject to injury 
by the Weevil and the Grain Moth. This damage 
may be prevented to some extent, by shifting the 
grain, and running it through the fanning mill. 
Corn cribs are almost always infested by rats and 
mice. A vermin-proof crib may be made by cover¬ 
ing the posts and lower corners with tin or sheet 
iron, which may be painted for preservation. The 
loss by these causes will average 10 per cent, and 
often more, of the value of the grain, but it may be* 
in part, or wholly, avoided, by care and precaution. 
Fodder Stacks. —As a precaution against rain, and 
melting snow, the tops of fodder stacks may be 
covered with a few sheaves of long straw, tightly 
bound about the top of the stack, or to a stake 
thrust down into its center for a few feet. 
Ice Ponds. —Every house and dairy, however 6mall 
the latter may be, should have a supply of ice. If 
there is no pond, a small stream may be dammed 
and the water backed up, to make a pond. A con¬ 
siderable supply may be procured by making of 
boards a large box a foot deep, similar to a mortar 
bed, and claying the joints. If this is filled with 
water, in cold weather, an exposure of two or three 
days will be sufficient to make a cake of ice, which 
may be put up in this shape with little trouble. 
A Large Block of Ice has been made in the house 
itself, by making a frame of boards in the center, 
and gradually filling it up, so that the water freezes 
solidly each night. Additions in hight are made to 
the frame as required, and the sawdust is packed 
around it. In this way a solid block of ice, 10 feet 
each way, weighing over 30 tons, has been made 
during the winter by means of a hose from a pump. 
Such a block of ice wastes very little in the summer. 
Potatoes and Foots. —Pits and cellars should be ex¬ 
amined as to the condition of the contents. If boo 
warm, ample ventilation must be given at once. A 
freezing temperature will not injure roots or pota¬ 
toes if they are exposed to it but a short time. If 
they are found too warm in the cellar, the heaps 
should be turned over and well aired. The best 
temperature is one just above the freezing point. 
The Leisure of Winter. —While there is always 
something to do about a farm, the winter season 
offers considerable leisure for the farmer. For the 
best use of this time, nothing can be more profita¬ 
ble than to procure and use a small select library 
of books of an instructive kind. To read for 
amusement only, is not recommended, because 
information of a valuable kind can be procured in 
such a form as to be interesting and agreeable. 
Management of Manure. —The barn-yard is the 
field for winter work. Much may be done here by 
skillful management. Manure, so long as it is 
frozen, remains unchanged, and the preparation of 
the manure in the best manner for use iu the spring 
makes no progress. Make a central heap in the 
yard, and by means of a few planks and a wheel¬ 
barrow move the manure from the stable each day 
to this heap. If the heap is built up square, and 
made 4 feet high, it will keep warm in the coldest 
weather, and while warm it will ferment and rot. 
Turning Manure. —A large heap may be turned 
by beginning at each end and throwing off the ma¬ 
nure to a distance of about 3 feet; gradually move 
it from each end, until there are two heaps. After 
the manure has remained in this way for a few 
weeks, replace the two heaps, making one heap 
again, thus turning the manure very thoroughly 
twice. In turning, the manure should be shaken 
thoroughly apart, and all the lumps broken. Two 
loads of manure so treated do as much imme¬ 
diate good, as will three of coarse lumpy stuff. 
Swamp Muck. —Where there is a supply of swamp 
muck, as much of it as convenient may be usefully 
spread over the yards, pens, and stables, as an ah- 
