1876.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
43 
Neglect of this precaution may cause a quittor or 
some other trouble, which will break out by-and- 
by, when the horse is needed for spring work. 
Sharp shod horses should not be permitted to play 
together in a yard, or with other animals. A kick 
from a playful horse may cause serious damage. 
Colts and yearlings should be tied iu their stalls 
and taught proper discipline. They should be 
handled gently, and fed well aud regularly. Give 
young stock of all kinds the best of food. 
Sheep .—When rough, shreddy wool appears in the 
fleeces, or the wool drojps off in locks, the sheep are 
not healthy, or the food has been too dry and heat¬ 
ing. Stop the corn-meal, and give some linseed 
oil-cake meal; a few potatoes will be useful if roots 
are not to be had. Give salt frequently and freely. 
Keep nursing ewes by themselves, and give scalded 
bran or oatmeal daily. Sugar beets, or potatoes, 
sliced and sprinkled with a quart of middlings or 
bran, for each ewe, will produce abundant and 
rich milk. Keep lambs where they will have plen¬ 
ty of sunshine. Pick off ticks by hand; this may 
be done very rapidly by using a pair of small, sharp 
pointed scissors ; part the wool, and when a tick 
is found clip it in two. 
Swine .—Sows may now be turned to the boar for 
pigs in June. Sows expected to pig soon, should 
have warm pens, with cut straw or chaff for bed¬ 
ding. Rails fixed around the bottou of the pens, 
six inches above the floor, and the same from 
the wall, will protect the young pigs from being- 
crushed. In the south pigs need no more shelter 
than a rough roof in a wood lot. There is no bet¬ 
ter place for pigs than a small piece of woods well 
fenced, where they may run and make their own 
beds of leaves or earth. Straw beds, and especially 
a bed of manure, will cause irritation of the skin, 
if not skin diseases, and encourage parasites. 
Sundry Matters .—The small things which need 
attention now, become numerous and pressing. 
The first thing that should be done, if it has not 
already been done, is to procure an account- 
book, and begin to keep accounts with the crops 
and stock. Another very important thing is to renew 
the subscription to the paper, whether it be the 
American Agriculturist or any other. The small 
amount of money required for this, can not be so 
well laid out in any other manner whatever. The 
wagons and carts need painting or repairing; the 
plows to be overhauled ; harrow teeth pointed; 
seed to be selected or procured; harness to be re¬ 
paired and cleaned ; the thrashing machine and 
horse-power to be cleaned aud oiled, and many 
other small but really important matters, will now 
need attention. These should be looked for with 
a sharp eye, “ and when found, make a note of,” or 
let them be attended to at once. 
Work in the Horticultural Departments. 
Advantage must be taken of all mild winter days 
to forward the spring work as fast as possible. 
There are always some little jobs which, unless 
done now, will be left undone in the hurry of spring 
work. Have everything around the house and out¬ 
buildings kept in a neat and orderly manner, and 
all rubbish removed whenever the ground is clear 
of snow'. Provide absorbents for the manure from 
the stables and hennery, and see that the manure 
is kept both from overheating and from freezing. 
Orchard aud Nursery. 
The full notes given under this head last month, 
will be in season now. 
Insects .—During the mild days of the present 
month, the canker worms may make their appear¬ 
ance. The females cannot fly, but must crawl up 
the trunks. Their ascent is best prevented by the 
use of strips of paper coated with tar or printers’ 
ink, and placed arouud the trunks ; the tar or ink 
must be renewed whenever it becomes dry, or the 
dead insects bridge it over. Tent caterpillars’ eggs 
are deposited in little rings near the ends of the 
twigs, and may be readily seen. A few hours or 
days oven, spent in gathering aud burning these 
eggs now, will save a great deal of labor in killing 
the caterpillars after they are hatched. 
Varieties .—In planting new orchards for profit, 
select such varieties as arc in demand, or if for 
family use, such as will give a good succession 
from early summer to late winter. Order trees for 
spring planting at once. If trees arrive in a frozen 
condition, put them in a cool place until thawed. 
Cions .—Cut at any time in mild weather, label 
and bury in sawdust in sand or earth. 
JFVaiit CniO'dcn. 
Grape- Vines .—Make use of mild days for pruning 
those vines which were left during the hurry of the 
fall work, and apply ashes or ground bones be- 
tw r eeu the rows. Save the wood for cuttings. 
Dwarf Trees .—The present month is a good time 
to prune such trees as need it, as the shape and 
general direction of the branches is readily seen 
now that the leaves are off. Where the branches 
touch, and the bark is injured by rubbing, one of 
the branches should be cut out, or the tw'o may be 
spread apart and tied so that they will not interfere. 
Labels, Grafting-wax, etc .—Have ready all articles 
needed for use in the spring. Strips of calico or 
thin muslin loosely rolled upon a stick and dipped 
in melted grafting-wax are the most convenient 
forms in which to use the wax. 
Currants and Gooseberries .—Prune any time before 
the buds swell. 
Kitchen Garden. 
But little can be done out of doors in the north¬ 
ern states at this season; see that everything is 
put in readiness for immediate use when wanted. 
Seeds .—All which have to be bought should be 
ordered now. Those saved on the place should be 
sifted or otherwise cleaned and made ready for use. 
All old and doubtful seeds, especially those of 
parsnip, carrot, onion, and such as cannot be relied 
upon after the first year, should be burned. Have 
every parcel labelled with the date on the bags. 
Never trust to memory with seeds ; when in doubt, 
get fresh ones. 
Novelties are offered every year; these generally 
come with the claims of the European dealers that 
they are superior to the old standard sorts, but 9 
out of 10 of them are seldom heard of after tire first 
season. Trials of these novelties on a small scale 
are interesting, and once in a while we find a good 
thing, but never depend upon novelties for a crop. 
Hot-beds .—The time to start these will depend 
upon the locality. Next month will be early 
enough north of Virginia. Six weeks before it will Ire 
safe to set out the plants, is the proper time. Store 
the horse manure where it will not get too wet, and 
turn it occasionally. 
Cold Frames .—Remove the sashes entirely on 
mild days, and on cool days raise them at the back. 
Keep the plants in them as dormant as possible. 
Foot Cellars .—The past two months were very bad 
for preserving vegetables, as the weather was so 
warm that even with the doors and windows open, 
it has been scarcely possible to keep them from 
growing. When the doors are opeji, see that the 
roots are well covered to keep them from the light 
and from drying. 
Tools .—Paint and put in order for use. Give 
unpainted wood-work a coat of crude petroleum 
to fill pores, so that moisture cannot enter. 
Flower Wsai-ftlUtaa sieshI Lawn. 
Generally only preparatory work can be done. 
If stable manure is to be applied to the lawn, it 
should be s.o thoroughly fined that no weed seeds 
remain. It is better to use stable manure elsewhere, 
and apply bone, ashes, or other fertilizers here. It 
is easy to bring in weeds, but very difficult to get 
rid of them... .If any changes are to be made, new 
paths or beds, or transplanting of trees, have the 
work all planned out before-hand. Those who un¬ 
dertake ribbon planting or massing, should well 
consider the effect they wish to produce, and the 
materials for carrying it out. English examples of 
bedding are of no use here, as the plants service¬ 
able for them are often quite worthless for us. 
Gi'cenlioiise and Window Flanls. 
Plants in the greenhouse aud windows, should 
now be at their best. 
Ventilation needs attention, especially on warm, 
clear days ; changes are so sudden that this matter 
needs careful watching. Window plants need a 
supply of fresh air, but a current of cold air should 
not blow directly upon them. 
Fires in the greenhouse now need special care; 
be ready for sudden changes. 
Fumigation .—Give the greenhouse a thorough 
fumigation once or twice a week, aud syringe the 
plants overhead the next day. 
Bulbs .—Bring pots of hyacinths, narcissus, etc., 
from the cellar, to keep up a succession of flowers. 
Annuals .—Sow seeds of Mignonette, Sweet Alys- 
sum, Candytuft, and others, for early flowering. 
Camellias .—Keep cool and syringe the foliage 
often, but do not wet the flowers. 
Cuttings .—Preparation must be made for the 
needs of the garden by propagating Verbenas, Ge¬ 
raniums, and other bedding plants. If the temper¬ 
ature of the sand in the cutting bench or box is a 
few degrees higher than tiat of the air of the 
house, they will root rapidly. 
Horticultural Rotes for the Southern States. 
The notes in January were intended to apply to 
the work for both that month and the present. 
The Orchard may still have fertilizers applied ; 
the trees pruned; the rough bark of old trunks 
scraped, and insects’ eggs destroyed. If new trees 
are to be set, the. soil should be manured and 
plowed, and made ready to plant the trees as soon 
as received. 
Kitchen Garden .—Hardy vegetables generally may 
be sown, to follow those put in last month, and 
some of the more tender things, such as beans, may 
be risked ; if no frost comes there is a decided gain, 
and if they are cut down, be ready to replant at 
once ; the same may be said of squashes and mel¬ 
ons, and others of that family. The time experience 
has shown to be the proper one in which to plant 
corn, will be safe for plants or seeds of tender vege¬ 
tables. Sow sweet com. Hot-beds will need air¬ 
ing ; sow in them egg-plants and peppers, and 
tomatoes if not already' done. Where tomatoes are 
large enough, transplant to another bed under 
glass. Transplant cabbages, lettuce, and other 
plants wintered in frames or otherwise. 
Flower-Garden .—Success with roses depends 
largely on pruning ; see last month’s notes on these 
and other shrubs ; sow seeds of hardy annuals, and 
propagate bedding plants. The heat of the sun 
will now demand close attention to ventilating 
greenhouses. Plants to be set out should be put 
into frames to harden off. 
- i « !g l » Q -—— 
Commercial Matters—Market Prices, 
' \ 
The following condensed, comprehensive tables, care¬ 
fully prepared specially for the American Agriculturist, 
from onr daily record during the year, show at a glance 
the transactions for the month ending January 13, 1876, 
and for the corresponding month last year; also for the 
year ending Dec. 31, 1S75: 
1. 'rn a ns a err ions at the new York markets. 
Receipts. Flour. Wheat. Corn. Hue. Harley. Oats. 
25 d’s this in’tli332,000 135,000 1,017,000 39,000 231,000 .'93,000 
20 d’s last m’tli389,000 3,115,000 1,904,000 42,000 207,000 790.000 
Sales. Flour. Wheat. Corn. Hi/e. Harley. Oats. 
25 d’s this ni’11 1 393,000 2,S14,000 1,871,000 47,000 284,000 1,918,000 
26 d’s last m’Ui401,000 3,769,000 1,886,000 74,000 502,000 1,812,000 
3. Comparison ivilh same period at this time last year. 
Receipts. Flour. Wheat. Corn. Bye. Barley. Oats. 
25 days 1876..332,000 735,000 1,017.000 39,000 231,000 593,000 
23 days 1875..324,000 459,000 1,617,000 18,S00 57,000 407,000 
Sat.es. .Flour. Wheat. Com. Hue. Barley. Oats. 
25 days 1876 393,000 2,814,000 1,871,000 47.000 284,0'0 1,918,000 
| 23 days 1875..291,000 2,911,000 1,918,000 34,000 251,000 2,105,000 
