AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
FOR THE 
H 1 arm, Grar-clen, and. Household. 
** AGRICULTURE 18 THE MOST HEALTHFUL, MOST USEFUL, AND MOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAN.MVukmw 
orange jvdd, A.M., ) ESTABTISHED IN 1842 ( U.oo per annum, inadvance. 
editor AND PROPRIETOR. >• * -J SINGLE NUMBER, 10 CENTS, 
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VOLUME XXIII—No. 3. NEW-YORK, MARCH, 1864. NEW SERIES-No. 20C. 
Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1S63, by 
OrtANOK Jl'DD, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of 
the United States for the Southern District of New-York. 
S2f- Oilier Journals are invited to copy desirable articles 
freely, if each article be credited to American Agriculturist. 
American Agriculturist in German. 
Each number of this Journal is published in both 
tlie 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 m 
clubs. A club may be part English, and part German. 
Notes and Suggestions for the Month. 
Aries stands as a warrior, waiting for the word 
“forward m.vucil” For the Farmer, however, 
a backward March is decidedly preferable,— 
backward so far as vegetation is concerned, but 
forward in respect to dryness of soil and abil¬ 
ity to plow and sow. There is little danger of 
American farmers making a retrograde move¬ 
ment in their important profession. Progress is 
the order of the day. The march of events 
indicates that we are to receive great acces¬ 
sions of European laborers the present sea¬ 
son, most of whom will find their new homes 
upon the farm. The land is feroad, the soil is 
deep, and its fertility inexhaustible under good 
management. Our necessities will secure them 
a welcome, even though selfish men disregard 
the broad principle at the foundation of our gov¬ 
ernment, which makes this free country an 
asylum for the oppressed of all lands, and a field 
for every sort of productive or useful labor. It 
is for us to shape this mass of material by which 
prosperity in the immediate future (not less than 
posterity more remotely,) is to be so greatly in¬ 
fluenced. The slow, diligent, plodding Euro¬ 
pean gradually takes the American idea; his 
children grow up Americans. Let us then im¬ 
part true notions of that progress and energy, 
which in our agriculture as in general business 
and mechanic arts have made us the most pros¬ 
perous and progressive nation of the world. 
The genius of our institutions is to Americanize 
foreigners, while at the same time we learn 
from them all that we can which is new to us, 
or capable of new applications. It would he 
well if we could engraft some of their ideas of 
weedless, thorough culture, of fenceless farming, 
and other desirable ways of farm management. 
The constellation of the zodiac through 
which the sun passes this mouth, is that of the 
Ram—not very well marked among the stars, 
hut very appropriate to the season in which the 
good care of the flock is so essential to the suc¬ 
cess of the shepherd. There are probably more 
lambs dropped in April than in March, and it 
is desirable in this climate that this should he 
so, in flocks of fine wool sheep. Mutton lambs 
ought to come earlier, for they attain a much 
better size, and are sooner ready for tlie butcher. 
Breeding ewes should at once have good shel¬ 
ter, either in closed sheds or barn room, littered 
just enough to keep the fleeces clean, not filled 
with bulky, strawy litter, and provided with 
very free ventilation even on cold nights. 
As yet the interest in sheep breeding, which is 
so general among American fanners, appears to 
be of a healthy character. Prices paid for sheep 
have in some cases been extravagant, and the 
opportunities for fraudulent dealing, in selling 
to persons having limited knowledge of sheep, 
have perhaps been taken advantage of. Still 
when we reduce prices paid for sheep and wool 
to the gold standard, we shall find that at pres¬ 
ent they are not after all high enough to war¬ 
rant any inordinate excitement, and that arics — 
now in the ascendant—really occupies a no 
more prominent position in our agriculture, 
than the importance of the sheep to the prosper¬ 
ity and comfort of the country demands. 
Work for tlie Farm, Barn, and Stock Yard. 
Buildings .—In this windy month secure every¬ 
thing so far as possible against damage by the 
gales. The great doors, whichever way they 
may swing, should he as sure to fasten, open, or 
shut, as window blinds. Paint is apt to get 
dusty or spotted and washed by the rain, if ap¬ 
plied in March. Whitewash cattle stables, etc. 
Cattle —Working oxen need to he in good 
flesh, or spring work will pull hard upon them. 
Cows coming in should be kept in wide stalls or 
loose boxes, well littered, fed some roots if pos¬ 
sible, and closely watched and perhaps assisted 
at calving. Ycrmin are apt to appear at this 
season, especially on young cattle. Use the 
card and brush freely, and apply unguentum 
mixed with 4 or 5 times its bulk of lard, behind 
the horns and down the spine—a sure cure. 
Cellars —Remove hanking up, ventilate, clean 
out cabbage leaves and other rubbish, and 
whitewash well.—Foul cellars induce disease. 
Clover —Sow on winter grain, on light snow 
or upon frost-cracked ground, on a still morn¬ 
ing. The thawing earth will cover it finely. 
Drains. —Surface-drain any land not free of 
water standing upon and in the soil. Clear the 
dead furrows in wheat fields—a shovelful of 
earth not removed may dam up water that 
may spoil wheat plants enough to yield a bushel. 
Examine the outlets of underdrains and the 
ground drained, for indications of obstruction. 
Farm Hands .—Make early provision for help, 
if good hands can be obtained. See articles in 
Feb. Agriculturist and in present number on im¬ 
migration. Pay good wages, and you can insist 
on faithful service. Permanent help is best. 
Fences —When the frost is out of the ground 
and the soil still open and soft, reset posts and 
fences that have been lifted, and attend to all 
repairs, relaying stones in walls etc. Replace 
bars with gates, and thus save much time. 
Grain Fields .—Roll winter grain, when dry 
enough, especially on soil much heaved by frost. 
Carefully remove silt and rubbish washed on 
during the winter, and draw off standing water. 
Hogs .—Keep store hogs at work in the man¬ 
ure heap, and in working over the litter col¬ 
lected in cleaning up the yards and about the 
buildings. Breeding sows should have regular 
feeds of roots of some sort, even a very few 
raw potatoes will have an excellent effect. 
Sows are rarely cross, and never eat tlieir young, 
it they are in good health, and at this season 
nothing promotes their health more, than raw 
roots, sods of grass roots, or other moist food. 
Horses .—Bad roads and cold winds are very 
trying to horses. Give them good rubbing 
down after labor, and blanket carefully, if ex¬ 
posed to currents of air. Feed in proportion to 
labor. Strong muscles come from the grain bin. 
Maple Sugar .—See hints on page 43, last No. 
Manure .—Muck may be hauled, so long as 
the ground is hard. Most farmers have a choice 
of two evils, and must decide whether to haul 
out manure on the frozen ground and subject it 
to some waste, or wait till it can he immediately 
plowed under, at which time other labors will 
press and the hauling will be much harder. 
Pastures may he improved by cutting the brush, 
and removing stones loosened by the frost. Tlie 
cattle and sheep will keep the young growth ot 
hushes browsed down, if they are cut over once. 
Plowing .—We can seldom do much plowing in 
March, north of latitude 40. It is best to be 
ready for it—and on under-drained ground, and 
that of a porous character it is often feasible. 
See article on spring plowing on another page. 
Potatoes .—Rub off the growing sprouts. Select 
early varieties for seed, and plant on very 
early ground, if the season be favorable. 
Poultry .—Give liens a chance to pick at the 
first grass, chick-weed etc., that starts. It will 
encourage them greatly. Let not the high price 
of eggs hinder setting plenty for early chickens. 
Seeds .—Try those on hand to sec if all are 
sure to grow. Secure new and valuable kinds. 
Good plants will never grow from poor seed. 
