AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
FOR THE 
ITarm., Grarden, and dionseliold- 
“AGKIOCLTURE IS THE MOST HEAETHFUE, MOST tJSEFCE, AND MOST NOBEE EMPEOYMENT OP MAN.”-Wa8ot»<itoi*: 
ORAIVGE JUDD & CO., 
PUBLISHERS AND PROPRIETORS. 
Office, 41 Paris Row, (Times Buildings.) 
ESTABLISHED IN 1842. 
Published also in German at $1.50 a Year. 
$1.50 PER ANWUM, IN ADVANCE. 
SINGLE NUMBER, 15 CENTS. 
4 Copies for $ 5; 10 for .$ 1.3; 20 or more, S1 each. 
VOLXUVIE XXIV—No. 13. 
NEW-YORK, DECEMBER, 1865. 
NEW SERIES—No. 227. 
Entered according to act of Congress in tlie year 1865, by 
Orange Judd, in ttie Cierk's Office of tlie District Court of 
tiic United States for the Southern District of New-Tork. 
CS-" Other Journals are invited to copy desirable articles 
freely, if each article be credited to American Agriculturist. 
Contents for December, 1865. 
Apple Sauce Always Ready......882 
Barn Door Fastening. Itiustrated..s69 
Dees—Apiary in December.362 
Boots and Shoes—Greasing. 382 
Boys and Girls’ Columns : The Last Day of the Year 
—Signaling in the Army—Lively Out-door Games— 
Holiday In-door Games—Problems and Puzzles— 
The Christmas Tree—Force of Habit—Paiting wilh 
an Old Friend—Premiums for Boys and Girls— 
' Puzzles for the Tongue.5 //lustrations..382-384 
Braising Meat.382 
Bread—Pictorial History. Illustrated. .376 
Carving—Instructions in. Illustrated. .381 
Chestnuts Improved by Cultivation. Illustrated. .ZII 
Codfish—How to Cook.382 
Coleus Verschafeltii.377 
Corn Bread—Good.381 
Corn Stalks—Cutting for Fodder. 371 
Education Good Enough for Farmers..374 
Farm Work in December.361 
Fish Markets of New York.370 
Flower Garden and Lawn in December.362 
Fountain at Cazenovia. Illustrated. .913 
Fruit Garden in December...362 
Garden—Kitchen in December.362 
Genesee Farmer United with this Journal.364 
Grape Vines—Method of Grafting.379 
Grapes—Cold Grapery in December...362 
Grapes—Knox’s Experience.378 
Grapes—Notes on Culture, etc. 379 
Green and Hot-Houses in December.362 
Hogs—Care of in Winter.370 
Jack Screws—Various Uses. Illustrated. .311 
Knox’s Fruit Farm and Grape Festival.378 
Market Report and Commercial Notes. 363 
Movements of Plants. Illustrated. .380 
Mutton the Meat for the Million....369 
Orchard and Nursery in December. 362 
Park witli Five Acres of Land.374 
Potato Culture—Experiments. .375 
Premiums for 1866.363 
Premiums—Special of Prize Pigs, etc.363 
Publishers’Special Notice to Subscribers.368 
Pudding Sauce—Cheap and Good.382 
Pulley—Uses on the Farm. Illustrated. .373 
Rye—Sowing Late in the Season.371 
Sheep Racks and Foddering.3 Illustrations . .369 
Sheep—Selection for Breeding. 370 
Snow—Tools for Clearing Paths.4 Illustrations. .372 
Solanuin—Climbing. Illustrated.. 380 
Slable Forks—Wooden. Illustrated.. 369 
Strawberry—Notes on the “ Agriculturist.”.368 
Tapioca—How Prepared for Food. 'Illustrated..381 
Timber—Howto Fell. Illustrated .372 
Trailing Arbutus (£p/g<Ea repens) . Illustrated .377 
Tuberose—Cultivation.3 Illustrations. .37% 
Unseasonable Growth in Trees, etc.375 
Venus’s Fly Trap. Illustrated. .380 
Warmth in Houses. 382 
Water—Useful and Ornamental. Illustrated. .373 
Western Agriculture.374 
Wood—Holder for Splitting. Illustrated. .372 
iNnEX TO “basket,” or shorter articles. 
Animal Traps. 
Fence Posts, Cliarring. 
.367 
Basket, Tallc about. 
.304 
Fence Questions . 
Book, “ Great West”.. 
.307 
Fruit in Minnesota. 
.365 
Book, S. S. Lessons.., 
.367 
Gas Lime. 
Book, ZooloRV. 
.367 
Gift Repeated. 
.364 
Cabbages, Trouble with.367 
Glanders in Horses 
..364 
Catalogues Received... 
.365 
Golden Censer. 
Canker Worms. 
.366 
Hens, Sickiv. 
.366 
Cider, Keeping Sweet.. 
.307 
Horse.s, Slabbering. 
.366 
Clergymen, Hint to. 
364 
Inquiries, Sundry. 
.867 
Colts, Feeding. 
.366 
Lambs. Early. 
.366 
Cow, Alderney. 
.366 
Laurel Poisoning. 
Cows, Stripping. 
.366 
Leaky Roofs . 
.367 
Cranberries, Fine. 
.367 
Marl for Fruit Trees ... 
.367 
Death of, Prof Lindley..365 
Medicines, Quack. 
367 
Draining Hard Pan. 
.366 
Mulberry. Everbearing. 
.365 
Fair, Am. Institute. 
.366 
Musical Instruments... 
.365 
Feeding too Heavy. 
.366 
Paper, Price of. 
Pom. Society, Ohio.365,Squashes, Mixing.367 
P. O. Money Orders.307 Stanctiions vs. Chains.. .366 
Potatoes, Exhibition... 365 Steel Plows, Care of_367 
Poultry, Marketing.365 Strawberries, Late.365 
Protecting Plants .365, Tile Machines.366 
Quinces, Fine.367 Tan Bark, etc.366 
Receipts not Given.364 Turnips for Horses.365 
Rev. Edward Wilson... .367,Veterinary College.363 
Rust, Removing.367, Vineland.365 
Selling Produce.366, Violet, Ever-blooming. ..367 
Songs of Seven .365 Volumes Bound.364 
Southern Region.366: Wine Making.365 
Squaslies, Large.367 Woolens, High Price. ...367 
Notes and Suggestions for the Month. 
This is the month of cold when it is most 
piercing, of winds when they are harsiiest, of 
hunger when it is most distressing—of firesides 
when most cheerfui, of snug warm liouses when 
most agreeable, and of good fare when it is most 
satisfactory. If the cattle of any well-to-do 
fitrmer are sliivering under tlie lea of tlie corn- 
stack, if his sheep are slirinkiiig away from tlie 
gale ill the fence corners, and if tlie young stock 
are gnawing frozen sods or cornstalks for a liv¬ 
ing, we would lie glad to have their lowings and 
bleatings so constantly in his ears that he could 
take no comfort of his own pleasant things till 
lie liad made his stock as comfortable as pos- 
silile. Tlie President invites us to solemnize tlie 
seventh day of this moiitli in tlianksgiving to 
God for all ids mercies and blessings, both 
private and national. Let ns do so heartily and 
practically. Man shows his thankfulness to the 
All-giver for His bounties, by thonghtful care for 
the comfort of His creatures. What are thanks¬ 
givings of tlie lips but solemn mockeries, if un¬ 
accompanied by deeds of kindness! The les¬ 
sons of the happy Christmas time, and of tlie 
closing year liave their application in tiie farm¬ 
house and ill the stock-yard, as well as in the 
cliurch and in tlie class room. 
Accounts .—Devote sufficient time to a tliorougli 
going over of all accounts,and begin tlie new year 
with a clear statement of j'our debts and dues. 
Animals.—In our latitude, tlie present is a 
trying month for animals of all kinds. In many 
places they are passing from grass to fodder. 
Every animal, from the work liorses down to 
late chickens, should receive special attention. 
What every aiiiinal needs at this season of the 
year is, eiiougli to eat and protection from 
storms. When cold weather first comes oii,young 
animals in particular often suffer much more 
tlian after their systems liave become used to it. 
Ashes. —Leaclied or uuleached, wood, or coal 
(if free from slate and clinker,) are excellent for 
top-dressing lawns, meadows and pastures; and 
the more there are scattered around fruit trees 
of all kinds, the better will be the fruit. Instead 
of collecting tliem in heaps, scatter wliere they 
are needed, as soon as convenient quantities ac¬ 
cumulate. Ashes heaped up against young trees 
will often destroy the bark and kill them. 
Barns. —If not already attended to, delay not 
to put every building in order for winter. Loose ! 
shingles and boards sliould be nailed ; tlie large 
cracks between ridge boards need closing nji witli 
long nails; and the siding sliould sometimes 
be taken off, jointed and replaced, to exclude 
snow and keep rain from rotting tlie timbers. 
Wlierever tlie ground descends towards tlie 
foundation walls, a few loads of eartli should 
be hauled in, to turn the surface water off be¬ 
fore the ground freezes, as the expansion of tlie 
eartli will often crowd walls inwards, after 
freezing a few times. If the ground descends 
from the wall, the water will be carried away 
and the expansion will he less forcible against 
tlie wall. Make a little mortar and stop all 
crevices, not only in the walls, hut between the 
sills and foundation, to exclude cold air from 
the apartments of animals. 
Bai'n-yai'ds .—Before the gi'onnd freezes, scrape 
all the fine manure into heaps and haul it to 
meadows, or pastures for a top-dressing. It will 
act as a mulch to the grass roots. Clean out 
all surface ditches near the yards, and cut shal¬ 
low channels where they are needed to prevent 
surface water from flowing into any part of the 
yard. Remove all stones and sticks liable to 
be covered with manure and hjnder pitching. 
Beans. —Dry and shell all that are unripe be¬ 
fore freezing, as they will make good feed for 
sheep; freezing before they are ripe, spoils them. 
Beeves. —Bullocks or .dry cows should be con¬ 
fined a large proportion of the time iu close 
yards, or spacious stalls, well littered. Feed 
with hay, coi'ii meal and some pumpkins, or 
roots. Better feed bountifully and fatten rapid¬ 
ly, than to give a small allowance and fatten 
slowly. Bear in mind that it is estimated to 
cost to maintain the animal heat of a bullock 
during one cold night in the open air, not less 
than one pound of the best meat. 
Calves and Colts .—Do not fail to provide 
comfortable winter quarters for these young 
animals, lest they lose flesh, run down, get off 
their feed, and become what is called spring poor. 
Cows. —Beef is scarce and the price high, and 
for this'reason we consider it had policy to sell 
good cows for beef, as many people did last 
season, because the}’ commanded a high price. 
Better hold on to good cows for breeding. 
Corn. —Spread all soft ears on a floor in an 
airy place, where it will shortly be dry enough 
to grind for feed. Save best ears for seed. 
Brains. —Clear tlie outlets of nnder-drains bj’ 
shoveling out all sediment that will obstruct the 
flow of water from the drains during winter, 
and protect them against being entered by mice. 
Eaves Troughs. —Before freezing weather, re¬ 
move leaves and all other -secliment wliicli 
settle in the eaves troughs. When cistern water 
is not used for drink, for culinary purposes, or 
for stock, it is a good plan to paint the troughs 
over with gas or coal tar, applied hot after 
boiling it an hour; it is a good preservative. 
