3-42 
AMERICAN ACRIGULTURIST. 
[October, 
T 
w© Momtlfis Free. 
AMERICAN 
AGRICULTURIST. 
All new subscribers to the. Agriculturist now received 
for one year, are at once entered in our books to the close 
of 1867. Thus, then, all new subscribers received in 
Octobei- for 'Volume 26, that is for all of 1867, will 
get the Agriculturist for November and December of this 
year without any extra charge. Note, that this offer is 
only for October, except for names from the Pacific Coast, 
and other points too distant to respond by the close of 
the month. N. B.—The above applies to all subscribers, 
whether singly or in clubs, or in premium lists, or 
from Agricultural Societies, etc. 
Contents for October, 1866. 
.Animals—What most profitable ?.....368 
Bees—Observations on Burying..358 
Blackberry—Wilson’s Early. . .Illustrated. .360 
Boys and Girls’ Columns—New Weights and Meas¬ 
ures—Vei'y Fine Writing—Checkers or Draughts— 
Lawsuit about a Comma—Sudden Cure of Cholera 
—Comical Picture—Some of my Mistakes—Odds 
and Ends—A Coat of Arms—Problems and Puzzles 
—The Pet Kitten—Another Owl Story—A Rich Man 
—Question for .Shoemakers.366-368 
Bulbs—Planting for Spring Flowers .361 
Cooking Hints, etc—Chess Pie—Apple Pudding— 
Cheap Tea Cake—Delicate Cake—Cream Cakes— 
Tomato Wine—Making Pickles—Sweet Pickles— 
Pickled Green Tomatoes — Tripe—Note to Cor¬ 
respondents— Particulars Wanted-Hints to Butter 
Makers—Preventing Rust on Steel....,...366 
Corn—Saving Seed .....357 
Cuttings, Making in Autumn.....364 
Drain Tile Manufacture..3 Illustrations. .366 
Elk or Wapiti....... ... Illustrated..S4l 
Fairs—Agricultural, List of..... 379 
Farm Work in October...348 
Fertilization by Insects.....3 Illustrations. ,S62 
Flower Garden and Lawn in October..344 
Fruit Garden in October.........343 
Garden—Kitchen in October... 343 
Gates—Rustic for Hedges. . .4 Illustrations..359 
Grapes and Culture—Notes on.......... .363 
Grapes—Cold Grapery in October......344 
Green and Hot-Houses in October...,...344 
Harris Brothers’ Lottery.....344 
Hedge Plant—Sweet Viburnum. Illustrated. .364 
House Plants—Care of.. 360 
Ice Houses—North and South. 6 Illustrations. .351 
Lilies—N ative and Foreign.... 361 
Lily—Long-flowered... Illustrated. .361 
Lime vs. Phosphate. 359 
Locust—Seventeen-Year.3 Illustrations . .359 
Market Reports.379 
Mattresses—Husk. .365 
Orchard and Nursery in October. 343 
Plowing—Fall. 357 
Premiums for 1867. 349-358 
Prizes—$1,250 Offered for Essays. 344 
Raccoon.... Illustrated.. 348 
Raspberries—New. 363 
Shirts—A Woman’s “Say”....,.. .365 
Skunk..... Illustrated. .34% 
Swine—Good Breed. 354 
Swine—Group of Chester...............Illustrated. .353 
Trees—Heeling-in..... .........363 
Tritomas—Care of.. 363 
Vegetables—Preserving in Winter.362 
Walks and Talks on the Farm, No. 34—Clover and 
Barley—Straw in Barn Yards—Feeding Cows— 
Peas for Slock—Diehl Wheat—Fermented Food for 
Swine — Keeping Animals Warm—Joe’s Potato 
Planter—Quality of .Milk.354-355 
INDEX TO “ BASKET,” OR SHORTER ARTICI.ES. 
Agriciil'mrlst, Valuable. .34.6 
Apitles, Picking...345 
Barley, Beardless.347 
Barometers .34.6 
Blackijerry Queries.346 
Blackberries, Propa’ting.347 
Book. Gardening.346 
Cabbage Queries .346 
Cauliflower, Cooking... .346 
Cauliflower. Large..346 
Cheese Factory, New.. .347 
Corn. Drying. 347 
Death, Prof. Porter.346 
Documents Received. ...345 
Egg Fruit, Cooking.346 
Fair, New England.346 
Fair, N. Y. Stale.346 
Fence Posts-Setting_347 
Grape Box. New.346 
Horse Racing.347 
Humbug, Ink.346 
Humbugs, Sundry..34.6 
Ink. Home-made.346-7 
Manure for Potatoes. ..347 
Manure from Breweries .347 
Manure, Green Clover. .347 
Manure, Oyster Shells...347 
Meats, Curing, .347 
Mowers, Premiums.... .346 
Orchards, Manuring._346 
Pew Hat Rack.346 
Politics. 345 
Poultry, Disea.sed .347 
Poultry, Marking.347 
Prompt Settlement,._340 
Questions not Answered.347 
Rats, Expelling.347 
Reapers, Premiums.346 
Roof, Leaky Tin.347 
Roofing, Plastic Slate...847 
Roots in Cisterns .347 
Sod Fence and Ditch... .347 
Stopping Papers.345 
Sussex Co., N. J.347 
Sweet Potato Vines.347 
Tomato Seed....346 
Tomato, Tilden.346 
Wagon, Dumping.347 
Water, Witching for_347 
Weight of People..347 
NEW-YORK, OCTOBER, 1866. 
It is a great thing to be before-hand with one’s 
work, so as to feel free to take a run away from the 
farm for a few days to attend a Fair or State Conven¬ 
tion, or to give up a few days to politics. If we 
could only make those plodders and day-after-the- 
fair folks among our readers, work up and get 
ahead with their work, so as to stay so the rest of 
their lives, we might even advocate turning poli¬ 
tician for a few days or weeks, now and then. 
There are a great many who will have the time to 
go to fairs, and see the neat stock and tools, get 
new notions, and seeds, etc.—it does them good 
the whole year. The October fairs make a long 
list, and we hope all our readers will be able to go 
to some of them. We go to press too early to be 
able to report about any of the September Riirs, 
except those of the New England Society, and of 
the N. T. State Ag’l Society. Seep. 346. Thesefairs 
are, day by day at this time, developing the fact that 
the fruits of the' earth are ours in most bountiful 
store this year. The few frosts in August did little 
damage, and we confidently anticipate that the corn 
crop will make good its early promise. Potatoes 
are rotting in some sections, but not very badly. 
Sorghum promises very well, and there is a great 
breadth planted. If severe frosts hold oflf until 
after our readers receive this paper, the critical 
period will have passed 6vith almost every thing. 
At this season farmers are more likely to appre¬ 
ciate the benefits of association than at most 
others, and 6ve call attention to the formation of 
Farmer's Chibs .—These are useful not merely for 
the purpose of holding discussions upon matters of 
agricultural theory and practice, as too many are apt 
to think who “pooA” at a “ debating society,” but 
an especial use of the farmer’s club is to learn about 
the markets, and to contrive methods of selling the 
produce of its members iu the most advantageous 
way. The lone farmer gets “ posted” about prices, 
and then runs his produce or stock off to meet the 
demand of some particular market, but says noth¬ 
ing about it until it is disposed of, and not then 
unless he has sold well. He keeps his information 
to himself, lest his neighbor should laugh at him, or 
in order to have the sorry gratification of seeing his 
neighbor, who has laughed at his mistakes the year 
before, fall into a tr.ap which he has avoided. In 
the club all may work for one another’s interest, 
and so advance their own. On specialties, into 
which communities of farmers often run, clubs 
have the ability to improve the products and the 
style in which they are marketed, so that the district 
shall gain a reputation for some particular articles, 
which will bring buyers to the place, or enable 
producers to realize considerably higher prices than 
otherwise. All such things are the legitimate ob¬ 
jects of a farmer’s club, and besides the circulating 
library of agricultural hooks and periodicals, the 
stated meetings for discussion, and those for social 
enjoyment, ought not be omitted. We ought to 
have farmer’s clubs all over the country, just as 
much as district schools. Men do not stop learn¬ 
ing when they come to years of discretion, and 
there is no pleasanter school for gro6vn up farmer 
folks than the farmer’s club. The movers for 
such clubs often ask us for a constitution, and 
seem to be at a loss how to start Tvithout one. 
We have one in type, crowded out this mouth, 
which will answer a good purpose, and may be 
modified to suit tlie requirements of eveiy club. 
Hints about Work, 
Perhaps there is no more important thing for a 
farmer to think of at this time, after he has harvest¬ 
ed his crops for the most part, and begins to see 
his way clean through his fall work, than his 
Buildings .—A little labor upon them no6V rvill 
tell. A board here and a nail there, and a fe^v 
shingles newly set, will save man 5 ’dollars’_ worth of 
loss or expense later iu the season, 6vhen storms 
and winds do their work, and rain and snow pene¬ 
trate. Warm close stables, 6vith good ventilation, 
should he looked to. Make sheds to shelter ma¬ 
nure if it is thrown out of barn windows and doors. 
No matter how good your harn-j'ard, the manure is 
a great deal better kept under cover. Even the 
hog-yard ought to be thus covered, though there 
should be space for the sun to shine in, and make a 
warm place during a good part of the day. Paint¬ 
ing may be done iu October to excellent advantage. 
Take time after a rain Tvhen surfaces are clean and 
when there will be no dust flying. And in connec¬ 
tion 6vith putting the buildings in order for winter 
above ground, do not forget the 
Cellars .—Both house cellars and root cellars 
should be cleaned out, and well limed. If there 
is time, put in grouted cement bottoms, proof 
against rats, and mice, and rvater. Cement the 
Tvalls also, first chinking them up, that is, filling in 
between the stones with small ones. A good cel¬ 
lar is not only a comfort, but if frost proof and rat 
proof, a great economy. Make cellars frost proof 
by banking up outside against the rvalls, if they are 
exposed, and by double doors and windows. We 
have discussed the subject of 
Ice Houses on page 857, and have only to add here 
that it is worth all it costs to have a good supply of 
ice all the year round. The house vie describe is 
more substantial, and hence more expensive, than is 
absolutely necessary, hut vie cannot counsel our 
readers to do half-way 6vork, nor to make a poor 
thing. One 10 x 10 feet inside will pack 4 cubic 
yards of ice for each foot of elevation. 
Live Stock at this season require the careful atten¬ 
tion of the farmer, for it is now that the question 
of profits is really settled. The weather is not 
severe, yet bracing enough to give animals an ap¬ 
petite. There is an abundance to eat, and it is not 
difficult to get stock in good condition. The care¬ 
ful husbandman will husband those things 6vhich 
will keep best, and feed out those which are of a 
perishable nature. Soft corn, nubbins, grown grain, 
green pumpkins, and the fruits of the orchard, 
which are liable to decay, may be fed to cattle, or 
cooked for swine, and help to get them in first-rate 
order for tviuter, before the grass fails, and while 
it begins to afford not quite so good feed as is 
desirable. It is ruinous policy to neglect 
Calves and Colts at any time, but especially give 
them a good start and let them face the winter with 
a coat of fat on their ribs, and if they look better 
than your neighbor’s, you will bo very apt to keep 
them growing, by grooming them now and then, 
and providing at least warm sheds for them. 
Cows ought to he yarded at night at all seasons, 
but at no time is it more important than now. 
The nights are long, the cows need some extra feed, 
which is best given iu racks or in troughs, or in the 
proper stalls, and the verdure they crop, consists 
largely of old leaves which are full of inorganic 
or ash constituents, hence their dung is of more 
value than usual. Keep up thp flow of milk by 
feeding pumpkins (without the seeds), roots, soft 
corn, etc. Practice the same course of feeding for 
Beeves, for they lay on flesh very hist now, and 
will do as well on grass and the articles mentioned 
in liberal quantity, as on much richer food later in 
the winter. Leave only the finishing to be done 
by and by, and secure the foundation of fat in this 
month and next. With 
Hogs, the case is a little different. They should 
be putting on fat now for good, and have all they 
can eat of thoroughly cooked rich food. Keep 
them clean, giving them warm nests and plenty of 
litter. Most fiirmers lose half the hog manure—the 
most valuable of all made on the farm, except that 
of fowls. Hogs thrive so much better for being 
clean, that it pays to wash them. A wateiiug can, 
aquarius, or syringe 6vill make short work of it. 
Clean the troughs daily; have separate troughs for 
water and feed, and let there be a full supply of 
water at all times. A little salt in the food is good, 
perhaps essential. Let hogs have ashes and char¬ 
coal. They even like to root among coal ashes; 
and superphosphate and ashes, Mr. Harris says, 
they eat with avidity. Should any scour, give 
powdered chalk mixed in their feed. 
