AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
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AGRICULTURE IS THE MOST HEALTHFUL, THE MOST USEFUL, AND THE MOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAN,- Washington. 
ORANGE JUDD, A. HI., 
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR. 
$1.00 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE. 
SINGLE NUMBERS 10.CENTS. 
VOL. XV.—No. 15.] 
NEW-YORK, DECEMBER, 1856. 
[NEW SERIES—No. 119. 
E3PTlie Office of tlie American Agricul¬ 
turist is on the 2d floor at 191 Water-st. 
near Fulton). 
IE#-All Business and other letters should 
be addressed to ORANGE JUDD, 
IVo. 191 Water-st., 
New-York City. 
Personal Letters, or those for the Editor only should be 
marked Private. 
WORK FOR THE MONTH. 
“ Though now no more the musing ear 
Delights to listen to the breeze 
That lingers o’er the green-wood shade, 
I love thee, Winter, well. 
Not undelightful now to roam 
The wild heath sparkling on the sight; 
Not undelightful now to face 
The forest’s ample round; 
And see the spangled branches shpe, 
And mark the moss of many a hue 
That varies the old tree’s brown bark, 
Or o’er the gray stone spreads.” 
Stern December has come with his storms 
and snows, to wrap his winding sheet around 
the dead year. The pleasant days are al¬ 
most gone, and the sickly smile of the In¬ 
dian summer has faded from the heavens. 
There is a wintry chill in the air, and every 
cloudy day threatens sleet and snow, if they 
have not already fallen. There is little now 
without to charm the eye or ear, and we in¬ 
dulge in retrospects and pleasant memories by 
the fireside. The harvests are all gathered 
and stored, and the Puritan festivalof Thanks¬ 
giving, stealing away from New-England, 
has been celebrated in nearly all the States 
of the Union. The blessings of Providence 
have crowned the year with abundant har¬ 
vests. There has been no long general 
drouth, and no important crop has been cut 
off. The Indian corn, though not as heavy 
as in some years, is still abundant, and the 
potato crop though visited with the rot in 
some limited localities will meet all the de¬ 
mands of the market. The grass has been 
abundant, and butter and cheese have been 
manufactnred as extensively as in former 
years. The fruit crop, particularly apples 
and peaches, has been a short one in most 
parts of the country. But with this excep¬ 
tion, almost every product of the farm has 
been good, and there never was gx-eater oc¬ 
casion for gratitude to God at the close of a 
year. 
No class certainly are more highly favored 
than our rural population. None are brought 
so visibly into contact with the divine hand, 
and made to feel at every step their depend¬ 
ence upon Almighty power. Their work is 
pursued for the most part under the open 
heavens, and they are obliged to watch the 
aspects of the weather for favorable oppor¬ 
tunities to sow, to plant, and to gather in 
their harvests. And when the seed is com¬ 
mitted to the earth, all the conditions of its 
germination and growth are beyond the con¬ 
trol of the husbandman. A few degrees less 
of heat, and no seed sends forth its blade. 
A little more or less of moisture, and the 
fruitfulness of the fields is materialy di- 
mished or ruined. Heavy winds beat down 
his ci*ops, and the precious grains are de¬ 
stroyed. Heavy rains swell the streams and 
rivers, and the bottom lands are swept of 
their growing crops. Often a single rain 
makes adiffei-ence of a million of dollars in 
the value of the harvest of a single State. 
Thus the tiller of the soil is made to feel his 
dependence upon Him “ who hath gathered 
the winds in his fists and hath bound the 
waters in a garment.” 
The year has been one of prosperity not only 
in the products of the field, but in the new 
implements which human skill has provided 
to help the labors of the farm. All the oc¬ 
cupations of the farmer are beginning to pre¬ 
sent new aspects ; strange machines are 
crowding into the barn, or into buildings 
built expressly for their storage, saving 
millions of thews and sinews by an increased 
activity of the mind. The mowing machine 
has made its fii-st appearance upon thou¬ 
sands of farms this season, and by its clean 
work and saving of labor has prepared the 
way for still greater triumphs another year. 
The scythe and its swath are doomed and 
will soon be found only in the collections of 
the antiquarian. The threshing machines 
and fanning mills have nearly achieved their 
triumphs, and flails are stowed away among 
the lumber of the barn. Implements for the 
care of hoed crops are continually improving 
and winning their way to public favor. Til¬ 
lage will soon be mainly prosecuted by 
horses power. Improved horse hoes and 
cultivators, are now before the public that 
promise to do everything that human skill 
can do with the common hoe. Potatoes are 
now harvested by a digger, drawn by horse 
power,that will do the work of a dozen men, 
and do it better. These improvements are 
telling upon the farming interest and are ad¬ 
ding largely to the wealth of those tillers of 
the soil, who “ take the papers,” and keep 
up with the spirit of the times. 
In no calling is intelligent enterprise and 
capital more surely rewarded than in ours. 
We see on every side signs of progress. 
Urged on in our work not only by a desire to 
discharge a duty but by the unnumbered 
charms which it presents, the year has 
passed rapidly and pleasantly away. Our 
visits to the houses of our readers on agri¬ 
cultural occasions, and our associations with 
them through these columns have been 
pleasant and profitable ; and we trust these 
relations will long be continued with mutual 
advantage. 
SETTLING ACCOUNTS. 
The close of the year should find every 
account squared up, and the farmer should 
be able to tell how he stands with the world, 
and how much he is worth. This is the 
only satisfactory way of prosecuting any bu¬ 
siness,—the only way by which system can 
be introduced into our farming operations. 
A multitude of unnecessary articles are pur¬ 
chased upon credit, for want of some such 
settlement of accounts as every December 
should bring with it. Every man ought to 
know, once year at least, what his pecunia¬ 
ry ability is, and ought not to purchase any¬ 
thing that he has no means to pay for. 
Accounts of long standing often lead to 
unkind feelings between neighbors, and to 
expensive litigation. If they only run a year 
the items can be remembered by both par- 
parties, and a satisfactory settlement be 
made. To avoid these disputes and feuds, 
make annual settlements, and if you find a 
man that you cannot bring into the measure, 
give up business dealings with him. It is 
far better to give up trade with him than to 
run the risk of permanent alienation by un¬ 
settled accounts. 
FEEDING STOCK. 
This should now receive constant atten¬ 
tion. Dry, warm stables are matters of 
prime importance for horses and neat cattle. 
If the barn is not already tight, it should be 
made so before extreme cold weather sets 
in. A few dolars laid out upon boards and 
shingles in stopping crevices, will be much 
better economy than in buying extra food. 
Comfortable stabling will make a difference 
of five dollars in the expense of wintering a 
cow. A tight barn saves one-fourth of the 
fodder. You can reckon the money it will 
save you, by the value of the fodder now 
stored for winter provisions. 
Gentle treatment is also a very important 
matter in the care of animals. The more 
quiet they are kept the better for their 
flesh and fat. Stables somewhat darkened 
are also more favorable to their quiet and 
fattening. Sheep have produced double the 
weight of mutton from the same weight of 
vegetable food, when fed under shelter, and 
