AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
FOR THE 
ITariri, GrarcLen, and. UJ ouselioId. 
« AGRICULTURE IS THE MOST HEALTHFUL, MOST USEFUL, ANI> MOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAN.”— Wabhimtok 
ORAKOE JUB®, A.M., 
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. 
VOLUME XX—No. 2. 
ESTABLISHED IN 1842. 
NEW-YORK, FEBRUARY, 1861. 
$1.00 PEE annum:, in advance. 
SINGLE NUMBER, 10 CENTS. 
NEW SERIES—No. 189. 
IgP 1 Office at 41 Park-Row, (Times Buildings). 
Op Contents, Terms, &e., on pages 64-60. 
Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1860, 
by Orange Judd, in the Clerk’s Office of the District 
Court of the United States for the Southern District of 
New-York. jUsPN. JB.—Every Journal is invited freely 
to copy any and all desirable articles, if each article or 
illustration copied, be duly accredited to the American 
Agriculturist. ORANGE JUDD, Proprietor. 
Slntericau Slgviculiurtft in ©ctman. 
The AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST is published in 
both the English and German Languages. Both Editions 
are of the same size, and contain, as nearly as possible, 
the same Articles and Illustrations. The German Edition 
Is furnished at the same rates as the English, singly or in 
clubs. A club may be part English, and part German. 
February. 
' Be then the swain advised to shield his flocks 
From Winter’s deadening frosts, and whelming snows ; 
Let the loud tempest rattle on the roof, 
While they, secure within, warm cribs enjoy. 
And swell their fleeces, equal to the worth 
Of clothed Apulian, by soft warmth improved 
Or let them inward heat or vigor find 
By food of cole or turnip, hardy plants. 
Besides, the lock of one continued growth 
Imbibes a clearer and more equal dye.” 
Dyer’s “ Fleece.” 
One of the most delightful duties of the hus¬ 
bandman at this season, is the care of his do¬ 
mestic animals. All Summer they have gone 
%rth at will, cropping their food in green 
pastures, In a measure independent of man. 
The sheep, after yielding their annual fleeces, 
and receiving their marks, are driven to the 
most distant pastures, often upon the mountain 
and hill sides, where the owner rarely sees 
them. The young cattle and swine, in many 
parts of the land, run at large, and it is only 
when the Winter snows begin to robe the earth, 
that they seek the protection of man. Now they 
need the stores of food and the shelter, which 
the farmer has provided for them. As they 
minister to his wants, yielding milk, butter, 
cheese, and flesh for his table, down for his bed, 
and warm clothing for his person, it is meet 
that he should study their wants, and minister 
to then - comfort. This is the design of the kind 
Providence that has peopled the earth with liv¬ 
ing creatures, and made them mutually helpful 
and dependent. There is substantial truth in 
the lines of Pope: 
“ The bounding steed you pompously bestride, 
Shares with his lord the pleasure and the pride. 
Is thine alone the seed that strews the plain ? 
The birds of heaven shall vindicate their grain. 
Thine the full harvest of the golden year ? 
Part pays, and justly, the deserving steer. 
The hog that plows not, nor obeys thy call, 
Lives on the labors of this lord of all. 
Know, nature’s children all divide her care . 
The fur that warms a monarch, warmed a bear 
While man exclaims, “ See all things for my use !” 
“ See man for mine,” replies the pampered goose ; 
And just as short of reason he must fall, 
Who thinks all made for one, not one for all. 
The gladdest hour of the day in the farm¬ 
yard is that of the early morning, when the 
farmer comes forth to feed his flocks. His work 
is well nigh done, in these short days, before the 
sun makes his appearance above the eastern 
hills. The fresh fallen snow, it may be, lies 
upon the ground. Old chanticleer and his ha¬ 
rem of beauties, after long crowing and cack¬ 
ling to get then - courage up, come dropping 
down into the snow. They do not relish the 
earth’s new carpet. It bodes no good to them; 
for grub, and grass, on which they have feasted 
in the long Summer days, are buried from sight. 
The geese and ducks come forth from the sheds, 
and run their bills in the snow, with obstreper¬ 
ous quacking, in expression of their astonish¬ 
ment at the new element, which is neither land 
nor water. The old gander looks down with 
dignified contempt upon the article. He can 
neither walk nor swim in it. He can not drink 
it, and as for eating, it is very much like cold 
victuals. The old turkey gobbles out his dis¬ 
satisfaction, and though with his long legs he 
can walk better than his neighbors, he heats an 
early retreat under the shed to warm his toes. 
The snow is voted a bore by the whole feather¬ 
ed tribe, and the loud cry of the company, as 
they greet the mistress of the mansion, is, “ hot 
potatoes and corn.” They will doubtless get it, 
with a little of the butcher’s offal to promote 
the laying of eggs. 
There is no mistaking the bleating of the 
sheep, as they hear the opening of the 
yard gate in the morning. They are ac¬ 
customed to these morning visits of the shep¬ 
herd, and salute him as they rise from their 
strawy couches, and crowd around him. He re¬ 
ceives a like salutation, as he opens the doors 
of the stalls, and looks in upon the oxen and 
cows. “ The ox knoweth his owner,” and there 
is a well defined communion between man and 
these creatures of his care. They can be made 
to understand his wishes, and, in some measure, 
to appreciate his kindness. The gulls of Holy- 
head, on the 'soast of Wales, crowd around the 
keeper of the lighthouse, as tame as doves, 
though they are elsewhere the wildest of sea 
birds. They are there fed and protected, and 
never hear the firing of guns. Every visitor, 
who passes through the parks of Philadelphia, 
notices the gray squirrels, that come down from 
the trees, and take nuts and fruits from the hands 
of children, as familiarly as household pets. 
These facts are indications of the capabilities of 
animals for domestication. Their training 
doubtless can be carried to much greater per¬ 
fection, than is commonly supposed to be pos¬ 
sible. The power of kindness over them is very 
great, and it is essential to their perfect subju¬ 
gation, and to their highest usefulness to man. 
Even the horse that can he ridden and driven, 
becomes almost another creature under the dis¬ 
cipline of Rarey. He adapts himself so perfectly 
to the motions of his rider, obeying the slightest 
indication of his will, communicated by rein or 
spin-, by look or tones of the voice, that he 
seems almost gifted with human intelligence. 
We sometimes meet with a teamster who has 
carried the training of oxen to a like perfection. 
He may carry a whip, but it is never used to 
lacerate the skin. There is no bluster or loud 
hallooing, and yet he will get from his yoke 
of cattle the full exertion of their strength. They 
seem to understand the English of every move¬ 
ment of his whip, though it does not touch 
them. There are milkers that would as soon 
think of striking their mothers with a stool, as 
the cows whose udders they draw. They go 
about the yard with a quiet step, and as they take 
their seat upon the milking stool, the cows do 
not even stop chewing the cud. The right leg 
is put hack for the convenience of the milker at 
the slightest touch. They express in their 
dumb way their satisfaction at his presence. 
There are shepherds who know every sheep in 
the flock by some peculiarity of expression, 
though they all look alike to a stranger. “ The 
sheep know his voice and follow him.” 
Now all this is admirable, and shows what 
may be done in the way of training. How 
much better is this, than the scenes so often 
witnessed in the farm yard, and in the field, 
horses beaten till their eyes are knocked out, or 
otherwise maimed, oxen pounded with sled 
stakes over the head until blood runs from the 
nostrils, and cows mauled with a stool, until 
they are taught to lack at the slightest move¬ 
ment of the milker. This cruelty operates very 
much against the thrift of the animals. Wheth¬ 
er the aim be to make flesh or milk, the more 
quiet the animal can he kept the better. They 
are affected very much as men are, by what may 
be termed moral causes. Their digestion and 
rumination are disturbed by any undue excite¬ 
ment. This affects the assimilation of the food, 
and the formation of flesh or of milk. 
The influence of the abuse of animals whether 
by neglect or by punishment, is even worse for 
man than it i3 for the brute. It cultivates the 
