518 
A ME R \C) A«U AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
Contents of this Number. 
[Articles marked with a star (*) are illustrated; the fig¬ 
ure with the star indicates the number of illustrations.! 
Accounts, Keeping Farm.530 
Animals, Domestic, Proper Housing of.536 
Bag Holder, A Home-made. .. .*..532 
Bee Notes for December.524 
Beef, Hoisting.*..531 
Beets and Mangels, Pitting.535 
Boys and Girls’ Colujins : — Christmas Eve at the 
Old Homestead; Coming Home for Christmas; The 
Doctor's Talks ; Games for a Holiday Party; Some 
Wonderful Christmas Pies.6*..542-544 
Breed, What is a... ..548 
Brussels Sprouts.*..539 
Bulbs, What to do With.521 
Bulls, How to Bring Under Subjection.535 
Cabbage and Celery, Keeping .535 
Cauliflowers. 530 
Celeriac— Turnip-rooted Celery. *..538 
Cholera. Chicken.. ... ■. .525 
Church, The Country.. . .— .. *. .529 
Cions and Cuttings.521 
Climbers in the Window. 523 
Cold, Shut Out the... .. 519 
Corn Salad—Lamb's Lettuce .* ■ • 538 
Cows, English Prize, Pure Blood..3*..525 
Crops, Differences in. .519 
Crops, What to Raise.528 
Boor for a Pig Peu......* • • 535 
Draining, Two Errors in.531 
Drugs, Administering to Dogs and Pigs.533 
Egg-Carrier, A Safety. .3*..533 
Fence Rows, Cleaning Up.2*. .519 
Fire-Wood. 534 
Forage or Fodder Crops ... . 536 
Fountain, How to Make a Cheap.2*. .528 
Frost; An Interesting Exception.....532 
Gate, AHalf Wire.*..530 
Health, Farmers and their.531 
House Costing $500 to $800.6*..526 
Household: A Christmas Cross of Mosses; The Ex¬ 
ternal Use of Oil; “Just for Looks”; Box for 
Holding Scouring Materials; A Convenient Scrap- 
Box Ottoman ; Hints for Christmas Gifts; Stock¬ 
ing Heels and Legs; How a Scraper was Made.... 
6*..540-541 
Humbugs, Sundry.521-522 
Ice, The Loading of. .... . .*..532 
Indian Fig, or Prickly Pear.*..539 
Investment, A Good. .. .524 
Gaw for Farmers. — What Goes with the Farm.533 
Live Stock, Winter Care of.*..519 
Meadows, Better Care of. 552 
Mould and Lice on Fruit Trees.520 
Nesting Boxes, A Few..3*. .534 
Orchards Damaged by Animals. 520 
Pears, How a Farmer May Have in Plenty.538 
Plants in Cold Frames.520 
Plants, Freezing and Frozen.539 
Plants, Starting in House.552 
Plows and Plowing.519 
Pests Lifted by Frosts... -. 3*.. 531 
Posts, To Prevent from Splitting..4* 530 
Potatoes, Experiments with.523 
Poultry, Breeds and Crosses in. 528 
Poultry, Care of, in Winter.523 
Poultry, Winter Rations for. 534 
Primrose, The Chinese .536 
Prune, Shall We, in Winter.521 
Ration for Maintenance of Animals.524 
Roses, Beautiful Christmas.538 
Rubber Garments.532 
Sand as a Safeguard against Melon-bugs.528 
Scab, The Apple. 537 
Scraper, A Land.3*. .535 
Snow Plow, Provide a.525 
“Spanish Lilies,” What are?.*..537 
“ Spavin Cure,”.533 
Spring, Getting Ready for.520 
Stool, A “ Two-Siory ” Milking.*. .531 
Sugar, Making Sorghum ... . 530 
Sunflowers, Single and Double.*..537 
Tightener, A Wire.*..530 
Vineyard, Notes on Our.536 
Winter. 517 
Wires in the Window.520 
Woods, American. 523 
Woods, Work in the.532 
Worms, Caterpillars, and Snails.*..539 
See Page 554 for Complete List of 
Valuable Premiums for Subscriptions 
to AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW YORK, DECEMBER, 1882. 
The American Agriculturist for 1883. 
During 1883 the American Agriculturist will be far 
superior in every respect to any previous year of 
its long existence. The very radical improvements 
made in the October and' November numbers af¬ 
ford the readers some idea as to what the paper is 
to be in the future. New Cover, New Type, New 
Paper, New Artists, and Additional Editorial Writ¬ 
ers are making the American Agriculturist a marvel 
in journalism. How so much original matter can 
be furnished for so small a subscription price may 
well excite the curiosity of other publishers. We 
shall continue, however, to keep the price of the 
paper at the old rate of 81.50 per year, post-paid. 
How to Secure Clubs, Presents and 
Premiums. 
With a specimen copy of the paper in hand, sys¬ 
tematically visit the farmers around you, and if 
they are not already familiar with them, point out 
the excellent features of the American Agriculturist , 
the illustrations, short timely articles, etc. They 
will readily see that it is not only the cheapest 
journal in the world, but admirably suited to their 
wants and needs. You will experience little diffi¬ 
culty in persuading the first neighbor you call upon 
to subscribe. Then,with this name to ilie 
list, others will readily follow, until you will very 
soon have, enough names to form a good sized 
Club, or to secure any Premium from the great 
variety offered in the 44^page list. This latter will 
be mailed you free if you have not one already. 
Furthermore, we will send you an extra copy of the 
paper if you desire it, for canvassing. Thousands of 
men and women, boys and girls, have in past years 
secured large clubs, and most valuable premiums 
by simply canvassing among neighbors and friends 
during evenings and rainy days. 
BEBIGJIV 7*0 W. 
Preserve the Index. 
Our readers will notice the Index sheet, with its 
beautifully illustrated first page, accompanying 
this number, and they will of course preserve it, as 
it will be useful in referring to any article which 
has appeared in the volume closing with this issue. 
Contributions from leading members of the Char¬ 
coal Club of this City form a striking pictorial fea¬ 
ture of this number of the American Agriculturist. 
A careful examination of their pleasing and in¬ 
structive engravings will reveal that strength, orig¬ 
inality, and skill, which explains the rapid growth 
into popularity of this Society of Artists. 
See page 562 for full description of the magnifi¬ 
cent Plate Picture, “In the Meadow,” given to 
every subscriber to the American Agriculturist. 
The eminent Artist Church alludes to this plate 
picture in the highest terms, in a private letter to a 
friend, a portion of which we are permitted to 
reproduce elsewhere. 
Whatever the order in which they are printed, 
all the articles in the American Agriculturist are 
fresh and seasonable, as for example, Mr. Joseph 
Harris’ paper in the last pages of this number. 
See page 564 for blank form to use in sending 
subscriptions, new ones as well as renewals. You 
need not mutilate the paper, but can make a new 
form of your own, with the one printed as a model. 
Suggestions for the Season. 
The dose ol'the H ear. 
December is the first month of winter and the 
last of the year. It is a most fitting time for taking an 
“account of stock.” Storekeepers and business men 
know the importance of this work. The goods 
are overhauled and an exact list of all the articles, 
with their value, is made out; and from this, with, 
the expenditures, the balance for the year is ob¬ 
tained. The farmer should do the same thing with 
his farm property, that he may also know how 
much he has made or lost during the year. The 
task is not a great one, as the sheep, horses, imple¬ 
ments, grain, etc., can be catalogued rapidly, and 
when it is done there is a feeling of satisfaction 
that more than pays for the trouble. It may be 
somewhat difficult to estimate accurately some of 
the items, as for example the amount of labor ex¬ 
pended upon a crop still upon the ground. A system 
of farm accounts kept from week to week will aid. 
greatly in all such cases. 
Farm Management. 
No fixed rules can be laid down for the manage¬ 
ment of farms. The soil of one township may be 
best fitted for growing some kind of grain, while 
the adjoining ones can be most profitably devoted 
to live stock. No two farms situated side by side 
are exactly alike. The distance from market, the: 
demand for special products, and, not the least, 
the individual taste of the farmer, have all much, 
weight in determining the system of farm manage¬ 
ment that it is best to adopt. Those who have 
given the most thought to this subject, are the 
slowest to advise a,ny general system to be applied 
to every farm. It is like a garment that is intend¬ 
ed to fit all persons, and suits none. Evey year of 
progress made in agricultural knowledge teaches 
more forcibly than previous ones, the truth that 
the farmer must rely largely upon his own intel¬ 
ligence and judgment in working out the best sys¬ 
tem for his own farm. Even in so seemingly a 
trifling a matter as the pruning of a grapevine,, the 
wisest vineyardist can only give general rules, and 
each grape grower must adapt them to the peculiar¬ 
ities of each. vine. 
-■■■ » » - 
Secure tlie Ice Crop. 
When there is good solid ice six inches thick the 
work of filling the ice house should not be delayed. 
There are so many risks to run in waiting for 
thicker ice,, that it is much better to gather the 
crop at the very first opportunity. If snow comes 
while the ice is being formed, it should be removed 
while it is fresh; this may be done with a snow-push 
or a short and a heavy stable broom; and on a large 
scale with a snow plow and scraper. Icemen who 
harvest many thousand tons, have a complete out¬ 
fit of labor-saving tools for their work. The 
farmer, with only a small house, holding 25 to 30 
tons, needs a common cross-cut saw with one han¬ 
dle removed. A splitting bar may be made of a 
large chisel with a long handle. A pike for hand¬ 
ling the ice cakes while they are in the water, is 
very convenient, and can be made by any black¬ 
smith at a trifling expense. Ice-tongs are not es¬ 
sential ; but are so handy and cheap, that it usually 
pays to be provided with them. The ice to be cut 
is first lined by using a hatchet or axe along a 
straight-edge board ; after sawing, the strips are 
cut into squares by first making a deep groove, and 
afterwards using the splitting chisel. Ice is heavy 
and difficult to handle, and advantage should be 
taken of the ease with which it slides over smooth 
surfaces. Loading the sled or wagon from, the 
pond or river, is usually the hardest labor of the 
ice harvest. This can be made comparatively easy 
in many places, by drawing the ice blocks up an 
inclined shute made of planks with narrow edges 
oi boards. A number of blocks of ice being 
placed in a line at the submerged end of the shute, 
a spike is forced into the rear one, and with the 
team attached to the spike, the whole row is slid; 
up into the box of the sled or wagon. 
