AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
3 
from breaking down under the weight of snows. 
By drawing in the branches with a strong twine 
passed around the outer circumference from the 
bottom to the top, a less surface will be exposed 
to catch the snows. The juniper and yew es¬ 
pecially require such screening and their future 
growth is improved by it. Shake off any snow 
‘.hat has lodged on the branches. 
Prepare stakes and labels for Spring use. 
Where new plots are to be laid out in the 
Spring, the operations will be greatly facilitated 
oy drawing a plan upon paper, marking off tbe 
avenues, walks, beds and locating trees and 
shrubbery. You will thus be prepared to work 
without interruption at a more busy period besides 
laving a guide by which to procure trees and 
dants. 
At the South, and in all places where the ground 
Is not frozen, transplanting may safely be done. 
If immediate effect is desired a few large trees 
;an be moved during the Winter, by digging 
up each specimen with a large ball of frozen 
earth adhering to the roots and drawing to its 
place with a team. We would not advise moving 
many such trees for reasons given on page 19. 
Hedges and box edging may also be planted in 
mild latitudes. Examine the flower pits and 
frames and admit air every mild day, but keep 
closely covered during heavy frosts. If covered 
with snow, leave it on for a Winter protection. 
GREEN HOUSE & CONSERVATORY. 
Keep everything neat about the rooms, wash¬ 
ing the floors occasionally, and picking off all de¬ 
caying leaves from growing plants. Scrape the 
moss from the surface and sides of pots, and suf¬ 
fer no weeds to grow in them. 
Many plants in these collections are half-hardy, 
and require only a moderate amount of heat, say 
not exceeding 50°. or 55°. Frost must be entire¬ 
ly excluded, nor should the mercury fall lower 
than 35°. During cold weather fire heat will be 
necessary. 
Air should be admitted every mild day, opening 
tbe upper shutters for a short time about mid¬ 
day. Keep closed during damp and foggy weather. 
Bulbs—Place in a cool shady part of the room. 
A few may be taken to the Hot House for early 
blooming. Water freely, changing that in glasses 
whenever it becomes turbid. 
Camellias—These are now swelling their buds 
and in early houses bursting into bloom. Water 
as often as the earth becomes dry, and syringe 
the foliage without wetting-.the flowers. Wash 
the leaves of plants preyed upon by red spider, 
with soap and water, rinsing off with clear water. 
Head back ill shaped ones, and sow seeds orplant 
cuttings. 
Insects—Fumigate with tobacco if unfortunate¬ 
ly insects have got a foot-hold among the plants. 
Syncing the wails and crevices will often dis¬ 
lodge tnem. 
Oleanders, Oranges and Lemons—Keep in a 
cool part of the room and water lightly at present. 
Wash the trunks with soap suds to destroy scale, 
and render them bright and healthy. Those be¬ 
ginning to grow, may be brought nearer the heat 
and light, and watered more freely. 
Water—Only a moderate amount is required 
at this season. Plants that are growing luxuriant¬ 
ly need much more than those resting. One or 
two waterings for the month will be sufficient for 
herbaceous and deciduous plants, while succulents 
may be le" without any for the present. 
HOT HOUSES. 
Much care will be requisite during the present 
month to guard against the extremes of heat and 
cold, the ravages of insects, and to keep the earth 
in pots in a proper state of moisture or dryness. 
Cleanliness is also essential, both for appearance 
and a healthy condition of the plants, many of 
which are now in bloom and therefore the more 
sensitive. The floors should be kept neat, all de¬ 
cayed foliage daily removed, and the plants often 
washed to free from dust. 
Air—It is quite important to supply fresh air to 
take the place of that rendered impure by the 
heat of the furnace, and growth of plants. To 
avoid a draft of cool air, admit it through the up¬ 
per ventilators during mild days. 
Azalias—Many of these are now beginning to 
bloom and need frequent waterings. Syringe 
freely. 
Bulbs—Bring a few each week from the Green 
House to keep up a fine show of bloom. Those 
in glasses should have the water changed every 
week at least. 
Cactuses—These require little water and should 
stand in a dry part of the house. 
Calceolarias—Shift those requiring it into larger 
pots, and keep at a distance from the furnace, 
turning the pots often to secure an upright growth. 
Carnations in bloom, require staking, and should 
be watered often. Shift those which are pot- 
bound. 
Cinerarias will need especial watching as they 
are favorites of the green fly. Tobacco fumes are 
the best antidote. Repotting will be necessary 
in many instances. 
Fuchsias—Prune them in to a good head, and 
repot in fresh soil. 
Grapes—Dampen the floors and walls of the 
forcing houses, and syringe the foliage often until 
blooming begins. The out-door borders for the 
roots require a thick covering of fermenting ma¬ 
nure. 
Heat—The furnaces and hot water pipes should 
only be intrusted to skillful hands, and the ther¬ 
mometer often consulted. A temperature of 55°. 
to 65°. is the most desirable—it should never vary 
over 5°. either way. Lower the upper sashes to 
reduce the heat, and put the shutters on early at 
night during cold windy weather. 
Insects—Prevention is better than cure. A 
moist atmosphere, frequent washing and syring¬ 
ing of the foliage, hand picking, &c., are the best 
preventives. For a cure, use tobacco fumes for 
thrips and green-fly, soap and water for scale, and 
a sponge or syringe and clear water for red spider. 
Petunias and Verbenas—Plant cuttings and 
make layers for a new stock. 
Seeds—Sow annual and other seeds for early 
Spring planting in the open grounds. 
Water—The watering pot and syringe should be 
frequently used this month, although the inexpe¬ 
rienced are more liable to injure the plants by ex¬ 
cess .than by too little water. Thrifty growing 
plants require much more moisture than those 
which are in a state of rest. An examination of 
the earth in the pots, affords the best clue to their 
wants. Water only when the soil becomes par¬ 
tially dry. The water should always be soft and 
taken from a tank or cistern in the house itself. 
THE APIARY. 
BT M. GUINBY. 
This is usually the severest month for Bees. 
Those in the open air should be watched, if a long 
period of severe weather occur, to see that the 
holes for ventilation do not get choked with bees, 
frost, or ice. Where the mice have been shut out 
from the hives as directed last month, they will 
be likely to still lurk around the vicinity, and now 
is a good time to trap them ; it may save much 
trouble another year. If you have neglected to 
shut them out, then it is doubly necessary to be 
vigilant in trapping them—they will heed no 
complaints that you may make next Summer of 
“bad luck.” Make things safe relative to mice 
and ventilation as directed ; then, in case a deep 
snow completely buries the hives for weeks, no 
harm will be done. When so covered, a space 
around the hive is soon melted ; hut unless these 
depredators—mice—are excluded, they are quite 
sure to do the more mischief for having it covered 
up. Bees in the hive, will need but httle care— 
it is well to make an observation occasionally to 
see that all is right. 
-«-«-—.->-»- 
The Times. 
COGITATIONS OF AN OLD FARMER. 
Hard times ! So, everybody says ; and so say 
we—for the “ times ” do bother us, as everybody 
else is bothered. Possibly we may not be so 
badly damaged as some others, but we know 
enough about the hard scratching which they in¬ 
flict upon us to wish thev were otherwise. We 
have had “ good ” times too, and quite a run of 
them for several years, until a few months ago. 
So the same “ everybody ” told us time and again. 
Yes, they were good times. We had free-trade, 
and free-credit abroad ; and we used it freely too, 
with a vengeance. We have built a long array ot 
free rail roads, free to the select coteries of spec¬ 
ulators who got them up for their own especial 
benefit, mind you, on bonds which were gobbled 
up by the usurers with decided freedom. The 
roads gave free passes to the legislators, and 
judges of the country, as well as to various edi¬ 
tors, for which, the little share that we had in the 
riding we shall never cease to thank them. We 
imported millions of free goods that we did not 
need, but which we have made out to wear, and 
eat, and drink, and dispose of in one way and 
another; and the beauty of it is, those which are 
not paid for, or used up—and they are many—the 
owners are free to send back to where they came 
from, as many of them probably will, or let the 
goods lie a long while in the bonded warehouses, 
awaiting better times for sale and consumption. 
The truth is, for the last eight or ten years we 
have built extravagantly, dressed nonsensically, 
lived lavishly, speculated wildly, trusted every¬ 
body about us, as we got trusted abroad, and “ laid 
loose ” around, generally. Our farmers got great 
prices for their produce to feed the fools and ty¬ 
rants who were doing up their own fighting in 
Eu'ope; and they got such prices so long that 
th<- y supposed they were always to have them. 
O <r towns were so prosperous, and people in them 
got rich so rapidly that a vast many others, old 
and young, who were doing well enough on their 
farms and thought they could do a great deal bet¬ 
ter in town, left them to know little peace or qui¬ 
etude afterwards. Our women and girls quit 
spinning stocking yam at home, and took to 
spinning street-yarn, and wearing crinoline abroad. 
Instead of thumping the clothes in the pounding 
barrel in the kitchen, they took to thumping the 
piano, and the melodean in the parlor ; while the 
boys, and “ Young America,” took to ‘ fast 
horses,” “long nines,” “ cock-tails,” and a gener¬ 
al “ cut up,” all round the board, and so went the 
world. 
These be homely truths, bluntly spoken, we ad¬ 
mit. But are they not tme 1 We opine them to 
be so, for we have seen just uch times before— 
bating the railroad speculating—twenty-years ago 
—and which we have the best reasons to remem¬ 
ber so long as we live. 
Our lives are a mixed commodity of good ana 
