83 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Makch, 
Contents for March, 1866. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Agricultural Education. 98 
Agriculturist—40 Pages Again. 84 
Ague Plant—New Discovery.106 
Arrowroot—Description and Uses. Illustrated. .105 
Uarn-Door Fastenings. 2 Illustrations.. 98 
Barn Plans—1st Prize.3 Illustrations.. 98 
Bees—Apiary in iMarch. 81 
Bees—Italianizing and Swarming. 91 
Book—Toild's Manual Vol. 2 . 81 
Beok—Youman's Household Science.106 
Books—Delay in Sending. 85 
Books for Farmers and Others. 85 
Boys and Girls’ Columns—Tlie Sweet-Brier and her 
Neighbors—A Small Loss—A Great Misfortune— 
Amusing Toy—Prize Puzzles—Checkers or Draughts 
—Problems and Puzzles—Wonderful Playthings— 
“Tick! Tick !”—Expansion by Heat—Brains the 
Best Tools.7 Illustrations. .107-105 
Bridle and Reins—Hartman’s Safety. Illustrated.. 88 
Buildings—Barn and Piggery.5 Illustrations. .00-07 
Camels on the Pacific Coast. Illustrated.. 99 
Cattle Plague—Slate Action Needed. 93 
Clematis Languinosa. Illustrated.. lOi 
Clematis—Some of the Finer Sorts.104 
Coal Tar on Fence Posts. 94 
Coffee—How to Retain Aroma.105 
Cold Frames—Use and Management. 90 
Cooking Hints—Plain Pies—Molasses Gingerbread— 
Pressed Chicken—Welton Veal. 106 
Corn—Japanese Striped. Illustrated. .101 
Cotton Planting by Northern Men. 91 
Dogs—Terriers.. Illustrated.. 81 
Downing, A. J.—Engraved Portrait. 84 
Farm Work in March . 82 
Farmer’s Experience in Various Matters. 97 
Fence Posts—Experiments in Preserving. 94 
Fences—Board, of Various Kinds_4 Illustratioyis.. 92 
Fertilization—Process of.103 
I'lower Garden and Lawn in March. 84 
Fruit Garden in JIarch. S 3 
Garden—Kitchen in JIarch..... 83 
Grape Rot—Dr. Schroeder’s New Preventive.101 
Grapes—Cold Grapery in March. 84 
Grapes—Notes on Culture, etc.3 Illustrations. .100. 
Green and Hot-Houses in Alarch.84 
Haymaking Implements—Secure Now . 84 
Hepatica or Liver Leaf.. Illustrated. .103 
Home Attractions. Illustrated.. 105 
Horses—Safety Bridle for Vicioiis. Illustrated.. 88 
Horticultural Department in Alarch. 63 
Household Items for “ Men Folks ”...105 
Humbugs—Many Exposed. 86 
Land—Owning too Much. 99 
Market Reports. 85 
Oil Swindles. gg 
Orchard and Nursery in March. S 3 
“ Papa is Coming”. Illustrated. .105 
Pear-Rosticzer. Illustrated.. 103 
Pears—Select for General Culture.103 
Piggery—Plans for . . 2 Illustrations.. 97 
Plowing without Dead Furrows. i Illustrations.. 95 
Potatoes—Comparative Yield. 98 
Potatoes—Composition and Cooking...lOG 
Premiums for 1860 . g 5 
Salsify—Cultivation, etc. Illustrated. .102 
Salt Marshes—Reclaiming.3 Illustrations.. 92 
Seed Raising—Profitable . 90 
Sheep—Group of Cotswolds. Illustrated.. 93 
Sheep—Value of Long-Wooled. 93 
Shelter for Stock—Effects of. 99 
Something that Will Pay. gO 
Spavin—Curable and Incurable. 2 Illustrations.. 94 
Swindling Shop—A Look into. 86 
Tea and Coffee—Suggestions. 105 
Tide Gates for Reclaiming Marshes..3 Illustrations.. 92 
Walks and Talks on tile Farm, No. 27.89-90 
Wet Ground—Plowing too Early. 95 
Wlieat—Ho\j' to Clean Seed. 91 
INDEX TO “ BASKET,” OU SHORTEK ARTICI.ES. 
Advertisements, Good_87 
Ag’l Society, N. Y. State.87 
Am. Pomoiogical Society.87 
Apple—Snow.87 
Basket Items Deferred.. .87 
Broom Corn Seed.87 
Catalogues Received.87 
Cattle Breeders’ Ass’n_87 
Cattle Pest.87 
Laurel Poi.soning. 88 
Letters, Wiiere from.87 
Peach Culture. New.67 
Pear, Clapp's Favorite.. .87 
Planting, Pall.87 
Raspberry, Doolittle's... .,87 
Seed Orders ..87 
Sheep Adopting Lambs ..88 
Slieep for Illinois. 88 
Strawberry Plants, Prem.87 
Strawberrie.', Sex of..87 
87 [Subscriptions Commenc’gS7 
87 [Trellis, Movable.87 
87lWillow, Flowering .87 
Evergreens, Forest.8! 
Fruit Models. 
F'ruit Query. 
Glass, Substitutes. 
Grape Cuttings. 
Club Adclitioiis. — To Clubs of subscribers at club 
prices, additions can be made at any time at tlie same 
prices. If the additions begin at the same time as the others. 
NEW-YORK, MARCH, 1866. 
The first month of the spring is the last of the 
winter in many places, and of all the months in the 
year, not only is March the mostyariable, hut none 
has such different characters in various localities. 
At the South the woods are full of blossom. The 
yellow jessamine hangs in festoons from the trees, 
or wreathes the hedge-rows and blackened stumps 
in the cleared grounds, with golden chaplets, while 
(he purple flowers in the wild land reflect the 
color of the peach blossoms about the plantations, 
where gardening is the order of the day. Horses 
and cattle there are luxuriating in the cane brakes, 
the young shoots of which form so palatable feed 
before the grasses are sufflcientl}’ forward—this, 
while the frozen North is still held in icy fetters, 
Maine woodsmen arc felling their timber upon 3 or 
4 feet of snow, or just beginning the sugar season ; 
but all around our larger towns and cities, as soon 
as the snow leaves the ground bare and we have a 
few days of sunshine, the market gardeners show 
great activity. The sun is reflected from the bright 
sashes of thousands of frames, and the patches of 
green spinach and parsnips, and the blue salsify 
brighten up under the spring-tide influences, and 
soon yield their crops of roots or leaves to the 
ever-hungry market. 
Hints aboaat Work. 
Following the natural order of things, farmers 
generally plan to have the increase of their flocks 
and herds take place chiefly in the spring time, and 
the careful herdsman gives especial attention to 
animals heavy with young. 
Brood Mares that will foal this spring, if worked, 
should be driven with caution, never overheated, 
nor put to their speed, nor given drink when hot, 
nor lack water when thirsty. Light work will not 
hurt them, even before the plow and harrow. If 
not worked, give them good room. See hints in 
January and February. It is equally important that 
3rdch Cows, soon to calve, should not be too 
much conflnedin stables. Exposure to the weather 
when it is not wet, in dry yards and lawns yvhere 
they can take some exercise, but not where they 
Avill be subject to the annoyance of quarrelsome 
cattle, will be of essential benefit to them. If their 
stables are kept scrupulously clean and sweet, and 
they have good feed of h.ay and some roots, they 
will pass this critical period successfully. Cows 
very near their time, may be recognized by their 
distended udder, and such should be placed every 
night in well littered box stalls. Should the bag 
become hard, tender, and feverish before calving, it 
is sometimes necessary to draw the milk, and rub 
and wash the bag with warm suds, and perhaps with 
diluted tincture of arnica. Use the same treatment 
after calving if necessary. It is often desirable to 
milk young cows for some weeks or months after 
calving, three times a day (once in about 8 hours), 
so that the tendency to milk secretion shall be in¬ 
creased in every way; for the same reason give suc¬ 
culent food, mashes of oil-cake and bran, and plenty 
to drink. Steaming the fodder is also Avell. ; 
Calves .—When calves are to be brought up by 
hand, which is the ecouomic.al wa}', we are decided¬ 
ly of the opinion that it is the most humane practice 
to remove the young animal from the dam at once; 
the more the cow has to do xvith it, the harder will 
be the parting. WTicn provision has been made for 
having enough roots for new milch cows to take 
the place of grass, it is very desirable to have the 
calves dropped early. As veal, they are much more 
valuable, and if they are to be raised, they are able 
to t.ake care of themselves in the pasture much 
earlier, and require little care when other farm 
labors are pressing. 
Sheep and Lambs .—It is on the whole seldom 
desirable to have sbeep yean very early. Yet early 
lambs of the mutton breeds meet with a quick 
market and high prices at green-peas time, and 
when such flocks have flrst-rate care, it is not un¬ 
common that the male lambs pay all the expenses 
of the flock, leaving the wool and the ewe lambs 
clear profit. Mutton sheep should have their daily 
feed of grains and roots increased. Ewes that will 
soon yean, ought to be separated from the flock, 
and given dry comfortable quarters, and an extra 
allowance of roots, peas or beans. 
Working Oxen and Steers that have not been 
much used this winter, must be gradually ac¬ 
customed to hard labor. There Avill be light work 
enough that may be distributed among them, to get 
their necks toughened and the muscles and wind 
strengthened before the hard labor of plowing and 
harrowing comes on. Oxen scarcely less than 
Horses, and indeed all animals shedding their 
coats, should be thoroughly and carefully curried 
and brushed; it greatly promotes health and good 
looks, and makes the feed go further. Work horses 
should be exercised daily by doing some work. 
There is wood to saw, straw to cut, clover seed to 
clean, or there may be other machine svork to do. 
Such work ought to be kept along for the good of 
the teams, and not dashed off at one grand “spurt,” 
crowding the teams and wearying them in their 
present condition, fitly demoninated “soft.” 
Painting may be done in dry sveather to excellent 
advantage, because there is little or no dust flying, 
the sun cracks are not gapping open as in summer; 
they will be covered more smoothly, and there 
is less liability of the heat of the sun blistering the 
half-dry paint; surfaces to be painted must be tho¬ 
roughly dry, however, or paint will be apt to peel. 
Repairing .—In the lull of other work, which a 
cold snap, or rain may occasion, the time may well 
be employed in making alterations or repairs in the 
barns and out-buildings, or in preparing to do so 
when the cattle are at pasture, and - the mows and 
bays are clear of fodder. 
Manure may be hauled with much less labor to 
both men and beasts, on runners than on wheels. 
So it will often pay well, though a little of the value 
of the manure may be lost, to haul out that 
destined for the most distant fields, where it is to 
be plowed in as soon as the frost is out. We do 
not believe in top-dressing with animal manures in 
the spring. Plaster, ashes and bone may be applied 
very well, but even these are better put on in the 
autumn. Leave the manure in compact heaps, 
spread it when the frost is coming out of the 
ground,but not where it is xvet, or springy, or liable 
to wash away. The present is a good time to prepare 
Compost Heaps for corn, etc.—Use muck, if you 
have it, xvith any good yard manure, mingling with 
it any manures you can find, as the waste of fac¬ 
tories, breweries, chandleries, etc. The lime and 
similar alkaline wastes should not be mixed with 
animal manures, or with others containing nitrogen, 
unless great quantities of muck or soil are used. 
Seed, Grain, etc .—See articles in the present and 
in the January number on this subject. The care¬ 
ful selection of seed for other crops is equaliy im¬ 
portant, and not less so the early preparation for 
raising a good supply of seed, which, after a little 
experience, may be made very profitable, for there 
is almost always a quick sale for reliable seeds of 
all kinds. 
Field TFor/i:.—There is work enough in the mea¬ 
dows and pastures at this season when the ground 
is loosened by the frost; stones may be raised, 
picked iijr and hauled ofi", or thrown in heaps ; 
fences righted up, and the posts reset or renewed. 
Furrows should be plowed to dr.a-u' off surface 
water, and water furrows in grain fields opened 
anew. Wherever 
The TFas/i of the Highways can be turned upon 
the meadows and pastures it should be secured, and 
when the current is not very strong, or may be 
easily sprc.ad, it is very vaiuable on any land. This 
is especially true of snow-water. 
Belays often happen which cannot be guarded 
.against, but these arc few compared with those 
which come from our own ignorance, indolence, or 
misjudgment. When the land is fit to plow, then 
is the time ; before that, there are a thousand and 
one things to be done, and which may just as weil 
bo done before, and a great deal better. 
