1875.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
3 
when they had the best hay. But the stalks should 
he cured green, and well saved. One bundle of 
stalks, cut less than half an inch long, will go as 
far as four bundles thrown whole to the cows. 
Water .—The consumption of dry fodder makes 
an ample supply of water necessary for the stock. 
Green fodder contains about 80 per cent (or four 
pounds out of five), of water. Dry fodder contains 
about 16 per cent (or one pound only, out of six of 
fodder) of water. If a cow consumes 20 lbs. of 
dry, solid matter, a day, in the shape of green fod¬ 
der, she takes with it 80 lbs., or nearly 10 gallons 
of water; if this 20 lbs. is in the shape of hay or 
cornstalks, she takes with it only 4 pounds, or half 
a gallon of water, and the remainder must be sup¬ 
plied. Many poor animals cruelly suffer from w-ant 
of water in the winter season, as neglect in water¬ 
ing is common enough. 
Lambs .—Early lambs pay proportionately better 
than any other farm stock. All that is needed to 
have them in perfection, is tact and care. A lamb 
twelve hours’ old,and on its legs, is able to take care 
of itself, if kept with the ewe in a small warm pen. 
A good plan is to have pens not more than four 
feet square, in a quiet stable, in which to pu,t the 
ewes a day or two before they yean. In such quiet 
places there is little risk of losing lambs, by their 
being disowned or neglected. Of course they need 
looking after until they are a few days old, when 
the ewe and lamb may be turned out, and another 
ewe take the pen. 
Ice-Gathering .—Cut the blocks of equal size and 
regular shape ; 16 or 18 inches by 12 is a convenient 
size ; cut equal, so that they can be packed close¬ 
ly. At least one foot in thickness of dry sawdust, 
cut straw, or chaff should be packed closely around 
the heap, and two feet over the top of it. The ice¬ 
house needs double walls, eight inches apart, filled 
between with the same sort of material, and a tight 
roof to shed rain ; the eaves may be open, as ample 
ventilation tends to preserve the ice. The bottom 
of the ice-house must be drained perfectly, and 
be protected entirely from the access of any cur¬ 
rent of air. It will not do to raise it above the 
ground. It is best to have it sunk at least one foot 
beneath the surface, but all the waste water from the 
ice must soak or be carried away. The ice-house 
should be placed upon a rise of ground, and never 
in a hollow. A house of rough planks or slabs, 
drained below, ventilated above, and packed at the 
sides, will keep the ice as well as the most costly one. 
Sundry Matters .—Look to the horses in time, and 
keep them rough shod, or use the Goodenough 
shoe, which has no caulks, and is the safest shoe we 
know of for winter or summer use. See that cel¬ 
lars, cisterns, and root pits are safe from frost.... 
Procure seeds for the spring, before the busy time 
of the seedsmen arrives, when there may be delay 
or disappointment. Select seeds from the granary 
while there is opportunity to choose the heaviest 
and largest grain. Keep all seeds in a dry, cool 
place... .Watch the outlets of the drains, that they 
do not become closed up; if there is a swamp 
on the farm, now is the time to dig ditches through 
it, drain it, and get out a supply of muck for use 
next winter....Lay up a stock of fuel for the 
whole year, in a weather-proof shed, cut and pre¬ 
pared for use.... Although a man’s work lies 
chiefly out of doors, let him not neglect to give 
every possible aid to those who keep the house, 
and relieve them from work which may expose 
them to the inclemencies of the weather. 
---- - - 
Work in the Horticultural Departments. 
With the new year we meet with many new 
readers, and a word to them may be timely. These 
hints about work are not intended for professional 
nurserymen, gardeners, and florists, for such will 
find very little in them of use. But the large class 
of cultivators, who are neither, can always find 
here some seasonableand useful hints. If one is 
engaged in fruit-growing, market gardening, or in 
raising flowering plants as a business, we assume 
that he has the proper books. It is simply the fact, 
that a fruit-grower can not afford to be without the 
writings of Barry, Fuller, Quinn, and others, or the 
market-gardener or flower-grower without the 
works of Henderson, Quinn, Brill, and others, 
whose names will be found in our Book List. While 
these works are absolutely indispensable to those 
who make these branches of horticulture a busi¬ 
ness, they are also of the greatest use to the ama¬ 
teur. These notes are not repeated year after year, 
notwithstanding they must of necessity treat of the 
same topics. In the spring we plant, and in the 
later months we harvest, and so far as this goes, 
there must be a similarity. But each month the 
hints are freshly and carefully written, and embody 
a great deal of our own garden experience. It is 
no news to our older readers, but we may say to 
our newly acquired friends, that a large garden is 
kept up almost entirely as an adjunct to the paper, 
in which are yearly tested new fruits, vegetables, 
and flowers, and our commendation of particular 
varieties is almost always the result of actual ex¬ 
perience. Our garden is a purely experimental 
one. We have never sold a plant or seed, and have 
no commercial interest in any plant whatever. 
These notes are written for the latitude of New 
York, and are usually about a month in advance of 
the season for that locality. Those living further 
north will have no difficulty, but it may be the case 
that we come too late for those in warmer places. 
It is impossible to provide at once for the needs of 
those in Nova Scotia and those in Florida. There 
are, however, two periods in garden operations that 
are safe guides everywhere. “As soon as the 
ground can be worked,” for all early operations, 
and “ com-planting time,” which means, when the 
ground is warm, and cold nights are over, for sow¬ 
ing or setting tender plants. We try to keep these 
points in view in giving our hints, and thus make 
them applicable to all localities. Every one, and 
especially a novice in gardening, should keep a re¬ 
cord of each day’s work. An accurate account of 
each planting and its results, whether favorable or 
otherwise, will be of great value as a guide to the 
operations of another year. In the winter months 
much preparatory thinking and planning can be 
done. Make all projected changes and improve¬ 
ments on paper drawn to a scale, and then consult 
the family, boys and girls included, and make 
them interested in all garden operations. If the 
orchard or fruit-garden is not mapped, do it while 
there is leisure. Mark the place of every tree, for 
labels will get illegible or mis-placed, and a record 
is the only sure way to keep the names. 
Orchard, and Sisirscry. 
Trees .—If new orchards arc to be set in the 
spring, the trees should be ordered this winter, 
when there is abundant time to consider the matter 
and to secure a proper selection of trees. If there 
is a nursery near by, at which the desired 6tock ean 
be had, it is better to purchase there, rather than 
send to a distance for the trees. Our opinion of 
the peddlers and agents, has often been given. 
First-class nurserymen have a reputation which 
they desire to keep ; they are careful not to send 
out any trees not true to name. 
Hobbits and Mice .—Sec hints concerning these 
animals last month, and page 19, this month. 
So-aping and washing the trunks and larger 
limbs, will destroy many eggs of injurious insects. 
Use a wash of common soft soap, thinned to apply 
readily. The best implement for scraping off the 
loose bark, is a triangular plate of iron, having 3 
inch sides and the edges ground. This may be 
fastened by its center to a handle 2 to 3 feet long. 
Insects .—The eggs of the tent caterpillar may be 
readily seen on the ends of last year’s twigs, and 
removed now, thus saving much work in destroying 
their nest next spring. 
Fruit .—The very warm and dry autumn just 
passed, has been unfavorable to the keeping of 
winter fruit. Ordinarily the fruit matures, i. c., 
completes its growth and ripens its seeds upon the 
tree. When placed in the cellar or fruit room, it 
gradually changes, and sooner or later, according 
to the variety, mellows, or comes into eating con¬ 
dition. In many localities the fruit matured very 
early, and by the time it was gathered, it had 
already made considerable progress towards the 
second stage, a condition that has been favored by 
very mild weather siuce picking time, in which it 
has been impossible to keep the fruit properly cool. 
This sudden ripening has caused much fruit to.be 
thrown on the market earlier than usual ; there 
has been a glut, and prices have been low. One 
lot of Baldwins, and other good varieties, sent by 
a friend of ours, netted him, after deducting ex¬ 
penses, less than 50 cents per bbl. All tha t can be 
done, is to keep the fruit as cool as the weather 
will allow, without freezing, watch it closely, and 
sell or use as it comes into condition. 
HFruait iKsM-dkMrao 
With care in selecting varieties, one may enjoy a 
succession of fruit each in its season, from the 
earliest strawberries in June, until the apple, which 
lasts until fruit comes again. Varieties may be 
selected and ordered of the nurserymen now, and 
set out as soon as the spring opens. 
Grape Vines. —Prune during mild spells, and save 
the wood of such as it is desirable to propagate 
either for home use or for sale. The wood may 
be kept readily in sand in the cellar, until spring. 
Dwarf Trees may be broken by snow and ice, if 
not looked to after severe storms. If any branches 
are broken, pare the wound smooth, and then cov¬ 
er with grafting wax, paint, or shellac varnish. 
Kitclaesa 4»aE’«lem. 
Manure is the key-stone, the king-bolt, the 
beginning, middle, and end in a successful garden. 
It is the one thing of which a wide awake gardener 
never has enough. The home supply is usually 
supplemented by purchases, and those who buy 
should now make contracts with stable keepers, 
express drivers, and all who keep many horses for 
the year. The farmer’s garden depends upon home 
supplies. It is too often the case that the best 
manure goes to the fields, and the garden gets what 
is left. It will pay to give the best manure to the 
garden. Unless the heap is so large, that the heat 
of its fermentation will prevent freezing, the 
manure should be kept in the barn cellar, or other¬ 
wise under cover. Private gardeners may well fol¬ 
low in some things the example of those who grow 
vegetables for a living. Aside from all the stable 
manure they can make and buy, they supplement 
their stock by sweepings from paved streets, the 
waste of brewers, both spent hops and malt refuse, 
and keep an eye open for every fertilizing materi¬ 
al that will be cheaper than fine bone, dried blood, 
or guano, of which they all buy more or less. 
Muck , if frozen one winter, and then allowed to 
dry, makes an excellent absorbent in the stables, 
and if composted with lime, is useful on light lands, 
deficient in vegetable matter. So with 
Leaves, which is one of those things of which the 
gardener can never have too many, and in some 
localities they can yet be collected. Used as bed¬ 
ding, they make a valuable addition to the manure 
heap, and mixed with stable manure, for hot-beds, 
they are of great use. One-third leaves and two- 
thirds manure will hardly diminish the activity of 
the manure, and make it more lasting; reversing 
the proportions, makes a mild and enduring heat. 
Hot-bed and Frame Sashes are now made so cheap¬ 
ly by machinery, that it is often better to buy than 
to make them. Near New York we pay $1.40, all 
ready for the glass. In glazing, bed tho glass In 
putty only on the under-side. A good coat of paint 
finishes the job. Get old sashes in a state to use ; 
reset glass, paint, and, if shaky, put a brace across. 
Straw-Mats and Shutters are as necessary as sash¬ 
es, especially for hot-beds. Not only have we to 
generate heat by the manure, but to prevent its 
loss at night. Straw-mats can be readily made in 
bad weather, and will often be useful for other 
purposes. Shutters should be made of the lightest 
stuff, with battens or cleats, and of the size of the 
sash. In very cold weather a mat with a shutter 
over it will be found very useful. Plants in 
Cold Frames are more likely to suffer from heat 
