AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
FOR THE 
ITarm, Grarcleii, and. Honseliold. 
‘•AGRIOUI-TIIRE 18 THE MOST IIEAETIIFDL, MOST USEFUL, AN» MOST NOBLE EMPLOYMENT OF MAN.” —WaSBIROVOH* 
ORAIVGE .fUI>I>, A.M., 
PtTBLISHEK AND PROPB.IETOK. 
Office, 41 Park Row, (Times Buildings.) 
ESTABLISHED IH 1842. 
Publiskecl both in Rnglish and German. 
f SI.50 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCB 
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\ For Contents, Terms, etc,, see page 33. 
VOLUME XXIV—No. 1. NEW-YORK, JANUARY. 1865. NEW SEKIES—No. 216. 
Entered according to act of Congress in tlie year 1804, by 
Orange Judd, in the Clerk's Office of tlie District Court of 
the United States for tlie Soutliern District of New-York. 
tW~ Other Journals are invited to copy desirable articles 
freely, i/'eacli article be credited to Amefican Agriculturist. 
Notes and Suggestions for January. 
A new year has come—may it be a happy one 
to all our readers, and may all the good plans 
made for the future be carried out. Our vig¬ 
nette is suggestive of the farmer’s most valu¬ 
able winter crop—the crop of ideas. Books are 
multiplying, and so are readers. Cultivators of 
the soil are every year realizing the advantages 
of gathering from books the views of scientific 
men, and a knowledge of the practices of other 
farmers, that they may, by comparing them with 
their own, improve their theories and their sys¬ 
tems of farming. In this most interesting period 
of our country’s history, no farmer can afford 
to neglect agricultural reading. The exigencies 
of the time make new crops profitable; they 
introduce new notions, open new markets, and 
give us new views upon agricultural as well 
as upon political and humanitarian subjects. 
Farm Accounts .— No farmer is true to his own 
interests who does not keep just as accurate 
accounts of his business, as the best “ business 
man.” It is not so easy to keep accounts, as where 
every thing has a definite money value, but it 
may and should be done; and after a little prac¬ 
tice we may soon get in the way of placing a 
just value on the labor of men and animals, our 
own time, etc. One of the most important 
things is a correct inventory of every tiling that 
has value—of investments and stock in trade; 
of debts and dues; of live stock and imple¬ 
ments; of manures in the ground and in the 
compost heap, etc., etc. Were a farmer only to 
take a good inventory once a year, and keep no 
other accounts, it would be an invaluable aid 
to him in regulating his future management. 
Agricultural Reading .— I.ook over our book list. 
Encourage the formation of an agricultural li¬ 
brary in your neighborhood, where many books 
and periodicals may be kept for consultation. 
Building. —Keep every thing neat and tid)’’, 
within and about the buildings; tools, chains, 
etc., left out may be covered up in the snow, 
and easily lost. Repairing and painting imple¬ 
ments are always in order if the weather favors. 
Cellars. —Open the windows and give change 
of air on warm, dry days; remove any decaying 
vegetables. Protect against frost and vermin. 
Cattle. —Oxen ought to be shod, and kept 
sharp, whether the ground is slippery or not. 
Feed in accordance with the labor demanded of 
them, hut on no account let them fall off in 
flesh. Oxen low in flesh are more liable to 
meet with accidents than others, and if a poor 
lousy steer breaks a leg, nobody wants the beef, 
and it is not fit to eat; not so with one in good 
condition. Young cattle ought not to be pamp¬ 
ered, but well fed, and kept in growing order. 
Cows. —Milk to within about six weeks of 
calving; young cows certainly to that time,if pos¬ 
sible, to encourage a habit of holding out well. 
In icy weather be very careful of cows with calf. 
Farmers' Cluhs. —Hold frequent meetings.— 
Discuss the farming of your own neighbor¬ 
hood, and how it may be improved. Find out 
who has got the best seeds of various kinds, and 
secure the advantage for the club. Make ob¬ 
servations on tlio care of stock, and see whose 
are wintered the best, and most conveniently. 
Fencing Stuff. —Haul in that cut in the fall, and 
work it out. Poor fences make bad neighbors. 
Frost .—Defend water pipes and pumps from 
frost. Horse dung packed round them in barrels 
or boxes is very good, if not allowed to reach 
the water. To clear a pipe from ice, see Basket. 
Grain. —Grind all fed out, except for sheep. 
Sliell corn only as fast as wanted for use or sale. 
Give rats attention, and phosphorus paste. 
Harness and Carriage Tops. —Keep clean, and 
after they have been wet, oil them thoroughly. 
Horses. —Be very watchful of breeding mares 
in icy weatlier. Keep horses used on the road 
well calked. See page 10 on breaking horses. 
Ice. —The earlier ice is secured, the better. If 
well put in, in the coldest weather, it is a good 
job, out of the way. Use clear, good ice only. 
Manure. —Use all diligence to increase the 
manure and compost heaps. Gather the dung 
in the yard, and compost it with muck. Ab¬ 
sorbents in the stables should take up all the 
urine, and keep the air pure and wholesome. 
Markets. —Hold no produce after a good price 
is offered. Grain shrinks, heats, or is destroyed 
by vermin very often, and beeves and sheep, 
after they are fit for market, are seldom kept 
with profit more than a few weeks at most. 
Poultry. —Feed scraps of meat or pounded 
bones frequently. Give warm light quarters, 
and dry ashes to dust themselves with, fresh 
water (but warm), daily, and keep the water 
and feed vessels scrupulously clean. Thus avoid 
disease among poultiy; and get plenty of eggs. 
Roads and Paths .— If every one does his full 
share (and a little more), towards breaking 
roads, and making paths about the neighbor¬ 
hood, general comfort will be enhanced. See 
basket item about clearing ice from steps, etc. 
Roots .— Feed with care, so as to have some 
always on hand for animals with young, and for 
a change of diet if an animal gets off its feed. 
Seeds .— Look out in advance for good fresh 
seeds of all kinds. Try all that are the least 
doubtful, in pots or boxes of earth, carefully at¬ 
tended, and neither too wet nor too dry. Never 
keep seeds in air-tight or very close vessels. 
Sheep should not be confined in close 
stables; but, except during storms, should have 
the range of a large stock yard, or lot. Feed in 
well-constructed racks, and feeding troughs. 
Turnips and beets, fed freely, are very fattening 
and more economical generally than corn. 
Whatever grain is fed, should be given regu¬ 
larly ; even a very small quantity is well, if it 
can be fed so that each sheep shall get its share. 
Salt ought to be kept constantly where the 
sheep can get at it. If, however, it has not been, 
they must be gradually accustomed to it. The 
notion that sheep do not need water in winter, 
is a mistake. It is much better for them to 
have access to water which does not freeze. 
Swine. —The quantity of manure whicli a few 
hogs will make, if plenty of muck and litter be 
thrown from time to time into tlieir pen, and 
the whole be kept under cover, is very great. 
Hogs, except for breeding, are of no value to 
Eastern farmers, with few exceptions, if they be 
not employed to work over manure. Feed some 
raw roots, potatoes, turnips,etc.,to breeding sows. 
Timber Land. —Clean the wood lots of crooked, 
broken or hollow trees, and secure firewood in 
this way, and do it at the present season. 
Tools. —Get in your orders for mowers, and all 
heavy implements early, so as to be well and 
promptly served; and delay no needed repairs. 
Work in tlie Orchard and ]¥ursery 
No doubt that many new subscribers will tills 
month read the calendar for the first time, and 
we ask them if they have all the fruit they need 
for their own use, or all they can market in a 
few years from the present. If they have not, 
let them at once resolve to plant trees the com- 
in spring, and begin now to make prepara¬ 
tions by deciding upon varieties and sending 
ing their orders to some reliable nurseryman. 
Get the experience of the neighborhood as sug¬ 
gested on page 14, or bring up this subject in 
your farmers’ club, if you have one, and take 
votes of those present on the different varieties. 
Cut cions in mild weather and keep in sand in a 
