42 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
Contents for February, 1871. 
Accounts—Keeping.. 59 
American Magpie. .... ...Illustrated.. 53 
Antelope—Hunting on the Plains. Illustrated.. CO 
Black List of Florists and Nurserymen. 63 
Boys and Girls’ Columns.—Visit to Mt. Vesuvius, by 
“ Carleton”—Aunt Sue’s Puzzle-box—Feeding the 
Sparrows—A Cheap Elephant.3 Illustrations. .6G-0S 
Brush in Pastures—To Subdue. 58 
Butter-making in Winter. 59 
Cottage without a Cesspool.5 Illustrations.. 52 
Cotton-Seed Meal. 57 
Cranberry Bogs—Depth of Covering. 63 
Dyking Swamp Land. 56 
Farm Adornments—Vines on House-wails—Trees— 
Stone and Cedar Bridge—Working to a Plan—Trans¬ 
planting from Wet Land... 62 
Farm Work for February. 42 
Flower Garden and Lawn for February. 43 
Fruit Garden for February... . 43 
Garden Work for February.... . 43 
Grape Culture, by Keystone. 63 
Green-house and Window Plants for February. 43 
Home Doctoring, by Faith Rochester.. 66 
Husking Corn—How Much in a Day ?.59 
Japan Globe Flower.2 Illustrations.. 64 
Lamp—German Student’s.2 Illustrations.. 65 
Maple Sugar Making, by W. J. Chamberlain. .2 Must.. 49 
Mice—Injury to Fruit Trees Probable.. 47 
Money—Cheap, Wanted at the West.47 
Ogden Farm Papers, No. 1-1—A Portable Grist Mill- 
Engineer—Overstocking—Making vs. Buying Ma¬ 
nure-Manure vs. “Processes”—Coloring Butter— 
Feeding Roots—Mangels vs. Corn—Transplanting 
Roots.50-51 
Orchard and Nursery Work for February. 43 
Patching and Darning Exhibition—Awards of Prizes 
—Editors’ Report, and Report by a Visitor. 48 
Peat for Fuel. . 57 
Pigs Losing their Tails. 57 
Plants'and Flowers—Propagation and Growth for Mar¬ 
ket, by Peter Henderson. 6 Illustrations.. 61 
Poultry-Yard Appliances—Nest-Box—Feeding Hopper 
-Water-Fountain—Folding Coop.5 Illustrations. .56-57 
Poultry—White and Partridge Cochins.. .Illustrated.. 41 
Protection to Half-hardy Shrubs. 64 
Rocks—Burying vs. Transporting, by Connecticut ... .58 
Soiling Cattle.... 58 
Vegetable Slicer and Grater. Illustrated.. 65 
Walks and Talks on the Farm, No. 86—Manure 
Making—Meat Production Makes Manure—High 
Farming—Large Crops or Small Profits—Letter from 
J. J. Thomas—Cattle, Sheep, and Swine, as Grain 
Consumers, compared—Essex Grades. 54-55 
Wife for a Young Farmer. 65 
INDEX TO “BASKET,” Oil SMALLER ARTICLES. 
Am. Journal of Science.. 
Advertising Med’m Good 
Agriculturist, Bound Vol¬ 
umes. . 
Agriculturist , Postage 
upon. 
Ashes Mixed with Bones 
Bones Mixed with Ashes 
Clubs, how Increased ... 
Cotton-Seed Meal. 
Corn-Stalks, Burning. . 
Counterfeit Money Oper¬ 
ators ... 
Ditching — Is it Farm 
Work?... 
Double Thief. 
Eggs—Preservation of... 
Fowls, Treatment of 
Roupy. 
Grape-Vines, Eumelan.. 
Harrows, Shares’ vs. 
Nishwitz. 
Hired Men, Time of.... 
House and Barn Designs 
Humbug and Bad Adver¬ 
tisements . 
Humbugs, Sundry. 
Hungarian Grass. 
Jersey Grade Heifer. 
Lilies. Japan. 
Lotteries, etc. 
Mice, Tartar-Emetic for.. 
Milk in Winter. 
No Mistake. 
Plaster in Manure Heaps., 
Pigs, Scours in Sucking... 
Post-Office Money Orders, 
Potatoes, Unloading. 
Pump for Deep Wells. 
Poultry Establishments. 
Large... 
Rabbits and Young Trees, 
Rats, Riddance to. 
Railroad, The Air-line_ 
Registered Letters. 
Seed Corn for Soiling. 
Special Premiums. 
Spring Coming. 
Steam-Engine', Little_ 
Stock for Indiana. 
Subsoil-Plow, The Best... 
Tomato. The Trophy. 
Tripe, To Cook. 
Windmills. 
SBsHdfTsjBo BBfM‘4’ in IYcav York. — We 
have been for some time receiving buffalo hams, mostly 
from old bulls, sent by-express from Kansas ; but just as 
we go to press we have had the pleasure ofi’secing a car¬ 
load of 128 hind-quarters of young cows, and 7 carcasses 
of buffalo veal, all plump and fat, full of kidney fat and 
in good order, though having been 13 days on the way, 
broutiit on by T. L. Rankin, of Lyndon, Osage Co., 
Kansas. They were shot near the Colorado line on the 
Kansas Pacific Railroad, and brought on in a patent car 
of Mr. Rankin. This meat is hardly well enough known 
in our market to bring a remunerative price, for this lot 
might have been sold west of the Alleghanies fora much 
higher price than it brings here. It ought to bring 
as much as the very best beef. It conies in the hides. 
Calendar for February. 
Boston. NEna- 
N. Y Cit ii, CL, 
Washington , 
land, N. 
York 
Philadelphia, 
Maryland, 
State. Mic.h.i- 
New Jersey, 
Virginia,Ken- 
gun. Wiscon- 
Penn.. 
Ohio. 
hicku. Jlissou- 
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sm , 
Iowa, and 
Indiana, and 
ri. 
and 
Cali- 
Oregon. 
Illinois. 
fornia. 
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. PHASES OF THE MOON. 
MOON. 
BOSTON. 
N. YORK. 
AVASIl’N. 
ciia’ston 
cnrcAGO. 
In. 
Full. 5 
3d Quart.. .12 
Ncav Moon 19 
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H. M. 
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7 59 ill. 
4 48 in. 
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY, 1871. 
It is hard to realize that so very soon after this 
number of the Agriculturist is intrusted to Uncle 
Sam’s mail bags, it will be read by thousands of 
families who may read it sitting with open doors 
and windows and watch the mellow soil turned 
by the plow, or enjoy the fragrance of blooming 
fruit trees and jasmines, while we shiver, with the 
thermometer below zero, perhaps, and face day by 
day the blasts of winter. Yet it is even so. The 
fields of the South are green with white clover and 
spring grasses, and spring work is beginning in 
earnest. The market gardens about Norfolk and 
Beaufort are busy enough, and their early crops 
perhaps already shipped to our hungry North. 
Clucking mothers lead forth their downy broods, 
which will make our choice broilers in May and 
June at a dollar to a dollar and a half apiece. In 
another direction mail trains and stages will be de¬ 
layed by drifted snow, and neighbors with their ox 
teams and snow shovels will be opening roads and 
helping the stage-sleigh with its load of half-frozen 
passengers through to their journey’s end. 
As the sun rises higher at noon, and waxes hot¬ 
ter, the sap will start in the sugar hush, and there 
will be pleasant scenes on many a hill-side, where 
the fires of the sugar-camps burn night and day. 
AVe still have comparative leisure for reviewing the 
past year’s work, and laying plans for the coming 
months, when so much hard labor will be demand¬ 
ed that the mind will not give itself readily to con¬ 
tinuous thought. AVhatever plans are made, on 
this very account, if for no other reason, should be 
put upon paper, so that when the time comes for 
their prompt execution, they shall not be forgot¬ 
ten. The season of field work, when it does come, 
will be likely to come all at once, and then you will 
feel as if every moment were gold. Therefore, use 
all leisure time to get ready for spring work. 
ISIaats siTbouit Work. 
If the snow is off the fields, the opportuni¬ 
ty is a good one to pick up stones. Cart them off 
from the mowing and grain fields in the mornings, 
while the ground is frozen. The grass fields may 
be gone over with a sharp hoe or weeding “spud,” 
and multitudes of weeds cut just below the surface. 
Winter Grain , wliich does not look well, and has 
been thrown by the frost, will be benefited by a 
light, even dressing of fine, well-mixed muck com¬ 
post, or simply fine muck or soil. 
Grass and Clover Seeds.- —These may be sown to¬ 
ward the end of the month, if the frost is pretty 
well out of the ground. The sowing is easiest 
dojje on a light snow, when the seed may be seen, 
and an even cast secured. To this end, it is often 
well to sow in two directions across the field, and 
sometimes even three, as in sowing grass seed upon 
a lawn. Suitable weather for this frequently does 
not come until March. Avoid sowing where melt¬ 
ed snows will wash the soil away, or move the seed. 
Buildings. —Clear roofs from too heavy snow, 
stop leaks, keep eaves-trouglis free, paint where 
needed, fasteu loose boarcls, keep manure away 
from sills, oil rusty hinges, see that fastenings are 
in good order, and all repairs promptly made. Get 
out timber for sheds sufficient to shelter all stock. 
Study economy and convenience in plans. 
Ice. —Secure a full supply, if not already done. 
In good weather, an ice-house may be made and 
filled within a week. One will pay on a dairy farm, 
and be convenient everywhere. 
Manure. —Mix plenty of muck, especially with 
that from the horse stable, to prevent firefanging ; 
or, in absence of this, fork over the pile to prevent 
too great heat. All deposits now made in readiness 
for use in spring, will respond to drafts to be made 
for good crops next fall. Keep a heavy balance in 
your favor to draw upon. 
Wood-Ashes should not be emptied into wooden 
smoke-houses before they are sifted, to be sure no 
live coals are in them. A few smouldering sparks 
may he sufficient to fire the structure, destroy its 
contents, and cause great loss ; at least the lower 
part should be brick or stone. 
Crates , Bags , Barrels , Baskets , etc , used for mar¬ 
keting, or kept at home, should tie plainly marked 
with the owner’s name and residence. A branding- 
iron or marking-plate and brush will save many 
losses. Improve leisure by put ting all in repair. 
Bird-Houses. —Prepare neat houses for martins, 
bluebirds, and wrens, to be put up about the house, 
fruityard, and farm. The occupants will pay good 
rent by destroying insects. 
Farmers' Clubs. —-The meetings may be made in¬ 
teresting by committees appointed to investigate 
and report on subjects, such as new crops, new im¬ 
plements, the condition of farms in the vicinity, 
etc. ; by correspondence with other similar asso¬ 
ciations, and occasional joint meetings of the clubs 
of different townships. New facts and experience, 
worthy of general notice, should be put in terse 
language, and communicated to the Agriculturist. 
Advertisement^ are profitable reading. They usu¬ 
ally indicate what progress the world is making. 
To farmers they are invaluable. Notes on tools, 
seeds, stock, trees, plants, etc., should be made, 
and further information gained by sending for cir¬ 
culars of trustworthy parties. The Agriculturist 
aims to admit no other class. 
Horses. —A few carrots with their grain will aid 
digestion and appetite, and improve their coats. 
Exercise daily. Train colts so that no breaking will 
be needed, and that none of spirit or of harness re¬ 
sult. Keep working and carriage horses sharp shod, 
well groomed, and blanketed when standing out, 
or in cold stables after esercise. Ventilate stables, 
and abolish high feeding racks. 
Cows. —Dry off four to six weeks before calving. 
Give generous feed of hay and roots, but not much 
grain. Cut hay or straw, steamed, and- a little bran 
or meal added, is profitable. Keep the skin healthy 
by frequent carding and brushing. Those about to 
calve should be turned loose into separate, roomy 
stalls. AYatch their time, to give assistance, if 
needed, but do not interfere, unless absolutely nec¬ 
essary, and then use gentle means. Allow the calf 
to have the milk for four or five days. The effect 
of the first milk is medicinal and essential to the 
health of the young animal. After calving, let the 
cow alone ; she will He down awhile, and then get 
up and begin to eat. Then offer her a warm bran 
