78 
AMERICAN AGRICULTtJRIST, 
[March, 
Contents for March, 1869. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Apples—The Stark. lUustrated.. 99 
A Very Complete Country House_9 Illustrations.. S4-S5 
Bee Items — Loss of Bees — Artificial Queans—Bee 
Plants.2 Illustrations.. S6 
Birds—Houses for.G Illustrations.. 100 
Boys’ and Girls’ Columns—The Improvement Circle— 
The World not Finished—A Pleasing Home Game— 
Whiskey vs. Brains—Unseen Dangers—A Costly Ta¬ 
ble—Curious Dreams—A Picture Story—Answers to 
Problems and Puzzles.10 Illustrations. .103-104 
Cattle—Ayrshire Bull, Aleck Christie. Illustrated.. 89 
Cattle—Cheap Shelter for. 93 
Currants—Treatment of..9G 
Draining—Improvements in Tiles 10 Illustrations.. 95 
Fairs—Award of Prizes. 95 
Farm Work in March. 78 
Flowers—Bleeding Heart. Illustrated.. 9G 
Flowers—Japan Astilbe. Illustrated.. 96 
Flowers—Missouri Evening Primrose ...Illustrated.. 9G 
Flowers—Noble Fumitory. Illustrated.. 96 
Flowers—Perennial Flax. Illustrated.. 96 
Fodder Cutting at Ogden Farm. 92 
Fruit Garden in March. 79 
Grafting Stone Fruits. 99 
Green-house and Window Plants. 79 
Hedges—Planting on the Prairies. 99 
Horses—Blanketing Them. 90 
Horses—Management of Colts. 94 
Hot-beds—Management of.. 99 
Kitchen Garden in March. 79 
Horses—Steaming Food for. 94 
Household Department—A Family Festival—A Living 
Ornament—Ivy—Household Talks by Aunt Hattie— 
Roasting Meat—Roast Beef-—Roast Veal—Fillet of 
Veal—Lamb—Meat for Children—Veal Pie—Minced 
Veal or Hash—Raised Dumplings—Apple Dump¬ 
lings—The Bread Question—The Table—Order and 
Ornament—Boxes for Boots and Shoes—Indefinite¬ 
ness in Recipes—Tin and Britannia Ware—Rye 
Drop Cakes.2 Illustrations .. 101-102 
In the Flower Garden. 96 
Liquid Manure—Distribution of.4 Illustrations.. 92 
Market—Going to. Illustrated.. 96 
Market Reports . 81 
Ogden Farm—Past, Present, and Future. 94 
Orchard and Nursery in March. 79 
Poultry—Leghorn Fowls. Illustrated.. S9 
Premiums . SO 
Salt as an Article of Diet for Stock_2 Illustrations .. 93 
Skiff—A Farmer’s. .5 Illustrations.. 93-94 
Shad Fishing. Illustrated. . 77 
Swine—Pig Disposition. . 90 
Timber Culture—The Larch. 97 
Tim Bunker on Getting the Best. 88 
Trees—Digging Holes for. 99 
Trees—Low and High-headed. 97 
Vegetables—Packing and Shipping. 96 
Walks and Talks on the Farm, No. 63—Farm Labor— 
Wheat with Grass—Improving a Farm—Clover Seed 
—Straw and Clover Hay.90-91 
Wheat—Bad Success with. S8 
INDEX TO “BASKET” OR SHORTER ARTICLES. 
A Grand Bazaar.82 
Am. Pomological Soc’y.. .S2 
Anonymous Letters.81 
Apple, The Stark.82 
Architecture, New Work.83 
Barley.85 
Beans, on a large Scale.. .87 
Bommer’s Method .82 
Canada Postage Stamps..81 
Change of Address.81 
Cincinnati Hort. Soc’y_82 
Climax Potato.S3 
Clover.87 
Clover, Self-sown.87 
Compression of Soils.S7 
Corn, Oats. Wheat.SO 
Cows and Horses.87 
Currant Borer.82 
Death of Mr. Pardee.82 
Dep't of Agriculture and 
N. Y. Times.83 
Excelsior Potatoes.S2 
Florida Lands.86 
Grape Culturist.82 
Gray’s Botany .83 
Creasing Wagon Wheels.SO 
Green-houses, House-top .82 
Grinding Corn on theCob.87 
“How Crops Grow”.87 
Indian Farmer.87 
Irrigation in Winter.86 
Light vs. Heavy Soils.S7 
Manure for Wheat.86 
New Land for Settlers... .86 
N. Y. Fruit Growers’ Club.82 
N. Y. State Poultry Soo’y.83 
N. Y. Tribune.82 
Norway Oats.S3 
Palmer’s Leaven Manure.82 
Parsons on the Rose.83 
Potatoes Injured by Wire- 
worms...87 
Potato Rot.86 
Potatoes, To Raise.S7 
Practical F1 oricultlire.82 
Premium Fowls.81 
Price of Wool.S6 
Railroad, Regularity on.. .85 
Raising the Price of FarmsSG 
Renovating a Poor Field..86 
Salt Marsh Mud.83 
Sawdust and Ashes.85 
Sheep-killing Dogs.85 
Soft-shelled Eggs.S3 
Sundry Humbugs. . .82 
The Great White Ox.St 
The Horticulturist.82 
Top-dressing Wheat.86 
Veterinary Education.82 
Wax Candles.85 
Wheat and Clover...87 
Wheat, Best Spring.87 
ISack Volumes Supplied.— The back volumes 
of the Agriculturist are very valuable. They contain 
information upon every topic connected with rural life, 
out-door and in-door, and the last ten volumes make up 
a very complete library. Each volume lias a full index 
tor ready reference to any desired topic. We have on 
hand, and print from electrotype plates as wanted, all the 
pumbers and volumes for ten years past, beginning with 
1857—that is, Vol. 16 to Vol. 27. inclusive. Any of these 
volumes sent complete tin numbers) at 81.75 each, post¬ 
paid. (or $1.50 if taken at the office). The volumes, 
neatly hound, are supplied for $2 each, or $2.50 if to he 
sent by mail. Any single numbers of the past ten 
years will he supplied, post-paid, for 15 cents each. 
NEW-YORK, MARCH, 1869. 
Up to the time of writing, the winter has been 
unusually mild and pleasant along the Atlantic 
coast. There have been comparatively few snow 
storms reported, and the cold lias been by no 
means so great as that of last year. The anticipa¬ 
tions of an early spring were blasted then, and the 
fickleness of the season may give us early bland 
airs, freedom from frost in the soil, and good 
weather to puslt forward spring work this year; 
but, in the natural order of things, this can hardly 
he expected. A warm winter is often followed by 
a rough, harsh, cold, wet spring. Winter may 
linger, and we may thus have full time to get ready 
to make the very most of the good weather when 
it comes.- Make full memorandums at once of 
those kinds of work which ought to be done- 
work for rainy weather, work for freezing weather, 
work for fair weather when the soil is too wet to 
plow, and proper field work. Know beforehand 
how much labor can be profitably employed at each 
job, and calculate, if possible, to leave yourself 
free for extra work, not included beforehand in 
your calculations, or to take hold and finish up any 
job that drags, and requires more time than 
planned for. We have often compared well- 
considered plans to axle grease on t lie farm wagon. 
Thousands of farmers are thinking anxiously 
about the seed they shall sow and plant. A more 
worthy subject for serious thought and investiga¬ 
tion can hardly have their attention. The papers 
are full of advertisements and notices of new arti¬ 
cles, from Norway oats to the most thoroughly es¬ 
tablished varieties of spring wheat. The effort to 
g'et something new that has merit enough to base 
great stories upon, and lead to sanguine expecta¬ 
tions, leads to the introduction of many worthless 
things. Dealers generally care less for what is 
really good, than to know and to have what will sell. 
If seeds are scarce and high, as is onion seed this 
year, the temptation is very great 1o mix it with 
old seed. In England, it is very common to use 
the seeds of charlock, or some other cruciferous 
plants which have been heated, and the vitality de¬ 
stroyed, to mix with turnip seed. It is precisely 
on the principle of watering milk, and over-issuc- 
ing railway stock. If possible, get samples, and 
see liow many of the seeds will germinate, as di¬ 
rected for clover seed, on page 95. W r e are far from 
condemning the novelties, whatever price they 
hear; hut this we are free to say, the price bears no 
direct ratio to their value. The fact that $2 a quart 
is charged for oats, or $50 apiece for potatoes, 
shows that there has been a good deal of interest 
excited by advertising, or otherwise, and that cither 
the owners mean to put a nearly prohibitory price 
upon the articles, or believe they will make more 
this year and next by selling now at high rates. 
It often pays to buy at rather high prices, in order 
to raise one’s own seed for another year, but it surely 
does not pay unless the article is of established ex¬ 
cellence, and one knows lie gets it genuine. Do 
not buy simply because very improbable and won¬ 
derful stories are told in print, or anywhere, about 
oats, Egyptian wheat, or any similar tiling. The 
best way is, for several neighbors to club together, 
and thus get and examine samples. Do not expect 
to raise heavier grain than the seed you sow. 
BHsits About Worii. 
Breeding Animals must he well fed. A quart or 
two of oil meal daily, or an equivalent of rye brail, 
or coarse coni meal and wheat bran mixed, is good. 
If roots are plenty, cut up and feed four to eight 
quarts a day with the meal; if not, save them un¬ 
til just before calving, and after that, tube used un¬ 
til grass comes, or the rye for soiling is fit to cut. 
Cows .—Prepare roomy, loose boxes for cows to 
calve in, and litter them well. The cows may be 
kept tied until the time actually comes, when it is 
best lo give them (lie freedom of the box. 
Marcs should he treated in very much the same 
way; a few carrots are an excellent addition to 
their diet, and roots and oil cake may he fed freely 
if care he taken that they do not induce too great 
laxness of the bowels ; constipation is to he always 
guarded against in animals approaching parturition. 
Sows should be especially guarded against it; and 
this is easily effected by feeding raw roots, mashed, 
and sprinkled with bran, to give them a relish, and 
to add to their nutritious value. The sow must 
have her quiet, warm nest, with plenty of straw, 
and be let alone. A big, blundering brute will not 
unfrequently overlie her young, and kill many in 
this way. To prevent this in a measure, it has been 
advised to arrange slanting rails at the back of the 
pen, so that the sow can not crowd herself against 
the rear partition, and that the young may have 
a place of safety at all times. This is especially de¬ 
sirable if sows are cross, and inclined to eat their 
young ones. Such an unnatural appetite is usual¬ 
ly accompanied by constipation and feverishness, 
which are relieved in most cases by the diet advised. 
Sheep .—As the weather grows warmer, look out 
for ticks, scab, and lice. We have great faith in 
carbolic soap, and this may be applied without fear 
of injury to the animals. The wool should he 
parted, and the solution squirted in from a bottle 
with a quill in the cork, or poured from an oil can 
with a small nozzle. If ewes yean early, have a 
care that the lambs do not get chilled; visit the 
pens frequently. Chilled lambs, apparently past 
succor, may often be revived by bringing to 
the fire, giving warm baths, followed by friction 
with dry cloths, and a little mild milk punch. 
Horses are often injured by their exertions to 
draw heavy wagons out of miry spots in the road. 
Spavins are frequently caused in this way. After 
such exertion, the horses’ legs ought to be hand 
rubbed for an hour a day, for several days. This is 
a gentle friction by the hand up and down the legs. 
Coarse horses seldom require it, but high-bred 
ones are much benefited by the operation. 
The Workshops .—Every farmer should at least 
have a good work-bench, tolerably supplied with 
carpenters’ tools, and to these many may profitably 
add soldering irons, awls, and needles for mending 
harness, a rivet set and rivets;, paint pots and 
brushes, and a variety of other tools. There is a 
great deal of work for rainy and cold days that may 
be done—like mending and painting farm imple¬ 
ments, making bee-hives and honey-boxes, liens’ 
nests, chicken coops, etc. 
Surface Irrigation .—-As the snows melt, the trick¬ 
ling streams carry fertility wherever they go. If 
they can be conducted from the roads upon the 
meadows, a marked increase will be noticed in 
The Grass Crops, which lmvy also be considerably 
increased by top-dressing with plaster, ashes, su¬ 
perphosphate of lime, Peruvian guano, and other 
soluble manures. It rarely pays to apply stable 
manure or composts at this season. 
liquid Manure on grass and grain fields, and on 
rye and wheat sown for soiling, is more advanta¬ 
geous in spring than at any other time. It. should 
be applied as soon as the frost is out ol the ground. 
Clover .—See short article on page 95. 
Field Work .—Animals must be gradually accus¬ 
tomed to hard labor, or their necks and shoulders 
may gall badly. Where galls or tender spots oc¬ 
cur, they should be washed with castile soap and 
cold water, and covered over night with compress¬ 
es of wet cloths. As more labor is demanded, in¬ 
crease the feed. Never plow when the ground 
packs hard from the moisture it contains. Some 
sandy soils never pack thus, and never bake into 
clods, but loamy and peaty soils do, and a field is 
often greatly injured if plowed a day or two too 
soon, or if worked in any way while wet. 
Fences .—Before the ground settles after the com¬ 
ing out of tlie frost, and while it is yet too wet to 
plow, embrace the opportunity to reset old fences, 
and put up new ones. Try the posts, and strength¬ 
en weak ones by stakes driven along side ; replace 
rotten rails with strong ones. 
Poultry .—The present is a critical season with all 
kinds of poultry. If well fed and watched, a great 
