4 
AMERICAN agriculturist. 
[JASrtfARir, 
snugly stowed away, and that irregular looking 
patch is where the parsley has been covered with 
evergreen, and now by lifting the cover, a picking 
of bright green leaves may be had at any time. 
Then the cellar contains a store of most of these 
things—besides many others—all covered with light 
sandy loam, from which they may be taken fresh and 
in perfection. If there is any farmer who cannot 
thus chucKle over his garden products, ave would 
rather not board with him. Let him immediately 
appropriate half an acre of the best land nearest to 
the house, for a garden, and resolve to read our 
notes every month and to follow their teachings. We 
do not write this for professional or market gar¬ 
deners, but for those with whom gardening is not a 
business, though the former class will often obtain 
useful hints from these columns. Having fi.ved on 
a place for the garden, and considered how it shall 
be fenced, for chickens must be kept out r t times, 
then decide what to grow and where to grow it, 
and be on the look out for seeds and plants, as well 
as a supply of good 
Manure .—Begin a compost heap which shall re¬ 
ceive all the odds and ends of fertilizing m.aterial, 
liquid or solid. Read on page 14 how our Rhode 
Island friend manages his privy, and sec if there is 
not $50 going to w.aste in yours, and a nuisance ac¬ 
cumulating there besides. Have an eye open as 
you go by slaughter houses, tanneries, distilleries, 
breweries, and all sorts of mannfactefies, and see 
if there is not some fertilizing material which may 
be had for the carting or a little more. A stock of 
' Foies and Brush will be needed for peas, beanr 
and other climbers, which are readily got in winter. 
If such 'materials arc scarce, it will pay to take 
care of them. Dijr the lower cuds in gas tar, and 
house when not in use, and they will last several 
years. Those who have cabbage and other plants in 
Cold-Frames should give them all the air the 
weather will allow, and protect during Citreme 
cold by the use of straw mats, shutters, etc. 
Ilot-a. aI, Frames, a7id Sash will need repairing. 
Cover the inside and the lower edge, and a few 
inches up the outside of the frames, with g.as tar 
and they will last much longer. Those who have 
no hot-beds must wait awhile until we can find 
room to give directions for making them. Such 
work, as well as the repairing of 
Tools, may be advantageously done in the winter 
mouths. A new handle or a little blaeksmithing, 
and a touch of the grindstone oy file, will frequent¬ 
ly make an old hoe or rake as good as new. Don’t 
wait until the cultivator is wanted before the need¬ 
ed new teeth are put in, but repair it now and at 
the same time give the wood work a coating of 
paint or oil. The best of neighbors will some¬ 
times need to borrow, and it is best to have every 
implement marked in plain char.acters. 
I. Seeds need much more care than they usually get 
—c.arc especially in getting the best sorts and from 
reliable sources. Overhaul those on hand .and be 
ready to make purchases. Our advertising col- 
ums direct to reliable men. Seeds, the vitality 
of which is doubtful, may be tried in a box of earth 
in a warm room, noting the proportion which start. 
Flower Garden and Ijawn. 
If all the tender things have been covered, there 
will be but little out-door work. Let it be remem¬ 
bered that with many plants more injury is done 
by the alternate freezing and thawing of early 
spring than by the cold of winter. Tliere is usual¬ 
ly a, mild spell in January, during which tender 
plants, yet neglected, may be covered. After a 
heavy fall of snow, shake the snow out from ever¬ 
greens, and other trees and shrubs where it ac¬ 
cumulates in large masses, while it is still light; 
and if large drifts have formed around low blanch¬ 
ing evergreens, shovel it away, Isst the drift as it 
settles injure some of the branches. Nothinggives 
so cheerful awintcr aspect to aplace as evergreens, 
and winter is the time to decide where they may 
behest introduced. In a walk about the grounds 
on a mild day in winter, many improvements will 
suggest,.themselves. All plans may be matured 
now, and it often happens that the weather will 
allow of breaking ground for walks and roads. 
Ga’eesa samd Mot-S5©Msc§. 
The am.ateur florist must look closely after his 
fires, the temperature of the green-house sl^uld 
never get below 40*^, even where plants are merely 
to be kept alive through the winter, and it is use¬ 
less to expect much of a show of flowers below ail 
average of 00°. By proper care a succession of 
Tull 2 >s, Hyacinths and other bulbs can be had in 
bloom. Bring a few pots at a time from the place 
where they have been set to ropt, and give them 
light and warmth. As soon as the llovv cr fades, 
cut away the stalk, and allow the leaves to remain 
as long as they will. 
Camellias are apt to drop their buds unless the 
atmosphere is kept moist. Where several buds 
crowd together in a cluster, remove all but 
two and .allow them room to develop. Those in 
the dwelling house should be kept as cool as pos¬ 
sible without freezing, and the foliage occasionalk 
washed to remove .the dust. A sprinkling over the 
bath tub, then a slight rubbing' with the thumb 
and finger of each leaf to loosen the dirt, and then 
another drenching to wash it off, greatly benefit 
camellias and other smooth leaved plants. 
Ivy, so much used now for parlor decoration, is 
kept bright and green by this treatment. A bath 
tub is a great adjunct to the window conservatory, 
as pots may be removed to it and sprinkled freely, 
to their great good. Water used on jdants should 
be brought to the temperature of the apartment. 
Cactuses maj'be kept at rest and nearly dry, while 
Boses, that are showing flower, may have a stim¬ 
ulus of weak manure water. 
Verbenas and Fetunias may be pushed .along, that 
their growth may furnish a stock of cuttings. 
Violets, Candytuft and such things in cold frames 
need to be freely aired, whenever it can be done 
without risk, and securely covered on cold nights. 
Pelargoniums need to be put near the glass, where 
they will have plenty of light. Tie out the branch¬ 
es to make good shaped specimens, and avoid 
growing the long-legged drawn up things we so 
often see. Better a few well grown and well formed 
plants of any thing, than a lot of sh.apeless rubbish. 
Apias’y in ©ccemtoer. ■ 
Prepared by M, Quinby—By request. 
Bees in the open air winter better in tall hives 
than in low flat ones. The honey is gtored in the 
upper ends ; the bees commence at the bottom, and 
ascend as their stores are eonsumed. The warmth 
from the bees keeps the honey immediately above 
them free from frost, and they have but little dif¬ 
ficulty in reaching it .at all times. But such tall 
hives cannot accommodate a sufficient number of 
surplus honey boxes ; hence the necessity of com¬ 
promise between the tall and flat hives. The dis¬ 
covery has just been made that the long, movable 
comb hive, such as described in Bee-keeping Ex¬ 
plained, and American Agricxdturist can be convert¬ 
ed into the tall one at pleasure. Put it on its side 
in summer, when the room for the boxes is need¬ 
ed ; the bees store tha honey for winter in the 
back end. The bottom board and top are fastened, 
to the body of the hive temporarih', when it is rais¬ 
ed on one end, and ch.anged at once into the tall 
hive. An opening being made at the bottom for 
air, and for a passage w.ay for the btes during win¬ 
ter, completes it. In spring it is turned down, 
and it is the shallow hive again. Any reader of the 
American Agriculturist having such hives in use, 
may venture to make change without fear of in¬ 
fringing any patented rights. 
Air passages should never be .allowed to get chok¬ 
ed with dead bees and ice. When mild weather 
occurs to melt the frost, raise the hive and sweep 
out clean. Should severe weather last three or 
four weeks steadily, common hives should be 
brought to a warm, dark room for a day to thaw 
out the frost, and allow the bees to get at their 
stores. The tall hives will only need care to keep 
the air passages open, to have them winter safely. 
Our Excellent Premiums, 
STIliL CGWTI]¥UE1>. 
We invite special attention to the list of fiist-rate pre¬ 
miums offered in the accompanying table. They are de¬ 
signed for subscribers for this volume (SSth), and the 
offer will he open for several montlis yet. So there is 
abundant time to fill out lists alre.ady eommenced, and 
to start new lists of names. We are eonstanlly receiving 
premium clubs from persons who say they found it quite 
easy to get up a cl -b wlien they took hold of the matter 
in earnest. Not a few have obtained $25 to $100 ar¬ 
ticles by three or four days’ work, and some by only a few 
evenings. It is only necessary to sliow a copy of the 
paper, and explain its leading features, its large amount 
of c indensed information, its fine and valuable engrav¬ 
ings, etc., to convince almost any man that it will pay 
him to take the paper a year. 
We have no special or traveling agents, but any one 
dispos'd to do so can act as voluntary agent, and receive 
the premium as an acknowledgment of his efforts, 
and if it be an article.lie does not w.ant, he can usually 
sell it fi r-nearly or quite the regular price, and thus re 
ceive a good compensation. 
Men and Women, of various occupations, 
Farmers, Gardeners, Fost-masters, Mer- 
cluants, Mechanics, Clergymen, Teacliers, 
Soldiers, Boys, Girls, etc., can engage in the 
work, and secure good pay for it, in the premium ar¬ 
ticles, which are all good and desirable. 
Ba 
Tabloof Premiums and Terms, 
For Volume 25. ga 
Open to all—No Competition. 
Names of-Fi-emium Articles. 
1—Goon Books —terms beloio* . 
3—Garden Seeds for a Family (40 kinds)...$5 00 
3—Flower Seeds for a Family (100 kinds)., $5 00 
4r-Nursery Stock (any Kinds desired).$20 00 
5— Iona Grape "Vines (13 of No. 1).$ 1 S 00 
6— Concord Grape 'Vines (100 of No. 1) ..,$12 00 
7— Strawberry Plants (100 of good Kinds) $5 00 
8— .Japan Lilies (13 Bulbs). $0 00 
0—Downing’s Landscape Gardening.$G 50 
10— American Cyclopedia.$80 90 
11— Witc.lieli's New General Atlas.$10 00 
13—Worcester’s Great Illustrat’d Dictionary$12 00 
13— Any hack Volume 1 .g $175 
14— Any Two back Volnhies do 
1.7—Any Tliree do 
1ft—.Any Four do 
17— Any Five do 
18— Any Six do 
19— .Any Seven do 
30—Any Eiglit do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do • 
do 
31-Vols. XVI to XXIV , . . 
33—Stump Speech—Steel Plate Colored_$10 00 
33— The County Election do do . $10 00 
34— Halt in tlie Woods do do . $10 00 
3.»—Morton’s best No. 5 Gold Pen, Silver Case$f 50 
8ft—Case of Drawins Instruments.. $3 00 
37—Lady’s Ilosewood Writing Desk.$12 00 
■3S—Gentleman’s do do do.$14 00 
39—Best Family Clothes-Wringer. $10 00 
.30—Doty’s 'Wasliing Macliine....$12 00 
31—Tea Set (Best Silver Plated).$30 00 
33—Sewing Macliine, (Wlieeler & Wilson)..$55 00 
33—Sewing Machine (Wilcox & Gibbs) . $53 00 
34:—Sewing .Machine for Tailor Work.$00 00 
35— Melodeon (Best Four Octave). $67 00 
36— Melodeon (Best Five Octave) .$112 00 
37— Piano, 7-Octave (Steinway & Sons)_$600 00 
,38—Barometer (Woodruff’s Mercurial).$12 00 
39— Barometer (Woodrntf’s Mercurial).$18 00 
40— The Aquarius, or Water Tlirower.$11 00 
41 — Buckeye .Mowing Macliine No. 2.$125 00 
43—Allen’s Patent Cylinder Plow.$'10 50 
■wa 
Si 
o:» 
100 
92 
65 
33 
as 
40 
S88 
60 
65 
20 
26 
S2 
83 
44 
50 
57 
64 
72 
60 
60 
60 
82 
45 
65 
70 
,53 
65 
210 
270 
270 • 
290 
800 
450 
1500 
70 
95 
65 
480 
100 
[7^.Vo charge is enade for packing or boxing any of the 
articles in this Premium List, The Premiums, 1,2, 3,7, 8, 
and 13 to 26, are delivered to any part of the United 
States and Territories, free of all charges. The other 
articles cost the recipient only the freight after leaving 
the manufactory of each, Every article offered is 
new and of the very best inanujacture. 
* Premium \.— Oood Books.—Any person sending 25 
or more subscribers, may select Books from tlieList on pago 
5, to tlie amount of 10 cents for each subscriber sent at 
$1: or to the amount of 30 cents for each name sent 
at the (ten) club price of .$1.20 each: or to tlie amount of GO 
cents for cacli name at $1 50. Tills offer extends only to clubs 
of 25 or more names, Tlie Books will be sent by mail or 
express, prepaid by us. —Tiiis is a good opportunit.y for the 
farmers of a neighborhood to unite their efforts and get up 
au Agricultural Library for general use. 
