82 
AMERICAN AdRiCUE^tjfilST. 
[March ( 
Contents for March, 1870. 
Apples, Milo, Lord Sufflekl, Somerset,.3 Illustrations . . 102 
Asphalt Walks. 1®* 
Bee Notes for March.91 
Birds, The Flamingoes. Illustrated .. 93 
Boys and Girls Columns—Street Toys—Letter from a 
Little Girl—Don't forget the Birds—Rambles in China, 
Street Scenes—Rebuses—Problems—Answers to Pro¬ 
blems and Puzzles.5 Illustrations.. 107-108 
Bone Ashes for Fruit Trees. 101 
California Pitcher Plant. Illustrated. .101 
Castor Bean Culture.90 
Cattle, The Ayrault Fat Oxen. Illustrated. .81 
Cutting up the Fore Quarters of Beef.. .5 Illustrations. .9G 
Economical Fences.9 Illustrations. .99 
Farm Work for March.82 
Fish and Muck Compost.99 
Flower Garden and Lawn in March.93 
Fruit for the North-west.101 
Fruit Garden in March.S3 
Green-IIouse and Window Plants.83 
Hauling out Manure.99 
Hay or Straw Baskets for Plants.99 
Horse Papers for Farmers, No. 3.92 
Household Department—Library Steps—Nice Dishes 
that all Farmer’s Folks can have—A Home Letter on 
Woman’s Work, by Faith Rochester—Cause of Sour 
Bread—Yeast—Household Talks, by Aunt Hattie— 
Repairing a Rocking-Chair—Wearing Brooms—Cake— 
Washing Recipes. Illustrated. ..105-106 
Houses, Convenient of Medium Size.. .7 Illustrations.. 88 
How to lay out a Flower Garden.2 Illustrations.. 102 
Kitchen Garden in March.83 
Market Reports.85 
Maple Sugar Making.4 Illustrations. .97-98 
Ogden Farm Papers, No. 3, Steaming Food, Preparing 
For Soiling.91 
Onions, Seeds and Sets.91 
Orehard and Nursery in March.83 
Peanut Culture.91 
Plowing and Harrowing.99 
Premiums.<.84 
Quadrupeds—The American Panther. Illustrated. .93 
Rhubarb as a Market Crop.103 
Snails, Worms and Caterpillars.104 
Spreading Manure.99 
Spring Greens, The Marsh Marigold.104 
thrashing Machine of New Mexico. Illustrated.. 100 
Walks and Talks on the Farm, No. 75—Trying New 
Tilings — Spring Wheat — Improving Land — 
Plowing under Clover—Will Keeping Sheep Pav ?— 
Drawing out Manure — Composting — Are Hogs 
Pigs?.94-95 
Warm House Walls.4 Illustrations. .96 
INDEX TO “BASKET” OR SHORTER ARTICLES. 
Alton Nutmeg Melon... .S9 
Ashes, Questions on.. . 90 
Ayrault Fat Cattle.85 
Barley on Mucky Land. . 90 
Beekeepers’ Convention.87 
Bitter Butter.80 
Black Bass. . 90 
Black-leg in Cattle.86 
Bots in Horses.87 
Breaking Bones. 00 
Brewers’ Grains for FowlsSti 
Brush Chopping Machine 90 
Butter Essays.80 
Cabbage Insects.87 
California Vines.86 
Carriage Tops.90 
Circulars Wanted.86 
Cost of Keeping Sheep.. .90 
Ditches on Hill-sides.90 
Dominique vs. Dorking. ,S9 
Egg-eating Dogs.89 
Egg Hatching.SO 
Egg Keeping. 86 
Eumelan Grape. 87 
Farm Prospects in Cal.... 91 
Field Peas.89 
Field Rollers.87 
Flower Seeds Gratis.87 
Forest Tree Cuttings_.87 
Fumigating Trees.S7 
Gas Lime.90 
Golden Dwarf Peacli.S7 
Gypsum in Tenn.87 
Hail.89 
Hen-house Manure.90 
Hen-lice on Cattle.90 
Hen-plucked Roosters... .86 
Laying out a Vineyard ...89 
Lime and Salt Mixture.. .90 
Lime Kilns.87 
Little Pigs. .. 90 
Manuring Corn.87 
Seed Peas.89 
Sheep-killing Dogs. 89 
Spaying Cows.89 
Stables, Out-buildings,etc.87 
Stamps upon Notes. 90 
Stock in Montana.85 
Stone Fences.89 
Sundry Humbugs.86 
Swelled Cattle’s Jaws_89 
Timber in Southern Ind.87 
Trouble with Seed Drill..87 
Unanswered Letters.86 
Value of Raw and Cooked 
Food. 90 
Verbenas and Roses. 86 
Water Filters.90 
What is a Ton of Manure ¥87 
White Grubs. 90 
Winter and Spring Barley87 
Winter Butter in Va.87 
Yellow-birds.89 
Maple Sugar Items.86 
Market Garden and Flori¬ 
culture.85 
Market Gardener.90 
Mixing.89 
Montebello Apple.87 
New Catalogues.85 
N. Y. State Ag’I Society .85 
Northern Ramie.86 
Norway Oats . 87 
Oil Barrels for Cider.90 
Oil for Wheels.00 
Olm Bros.87 
Ox-eye Daisy. 80 
Petroleum for Roofs.87 
Pigs Losing Tails.90 
Plum Trees..89 
Poisoned Dog. S7 
Potato Literature.86 
Roupy Fowls..86 
Salting Cabbages.89 
Back 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 thirteen volumes make 
up a very complete library. Each volume lias a full index 
for ready reference to any desired topic. We have on 
hand, and print from electrotype plates as wanted, all the 
numbers and volumes for thirteen years past, beginning 
with 1857—that is, Vol. lGto Vol. 2s, inclusive. Any of 
these volumes sent complete (in numbers) at $1.75 •noli, 
post-paid, (or $1.50 if taken at the office). The volumes, 
neatly bound, are supplied for $2 each, or $2.50 if to be 
sent by mail. Any singlo numbers of the past thirteen 
years will be supplied, post-paid, for 15 cents each. 
Calendar for March. 
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PHASES OF THE MOON 
MOON. jBOSTOX. 
N. YORK. 
wash’m. cha’stox 
CHICAGO. 
|d.|h. m. 
II. M. 
II. M. 
II. M. 
II. M. 
New Moon 2’ 3 5G m. 
3 44 m. 
3 32 m. 
3 20 m. 
2 50 m. 
1st Quart.. 110i 8 27 m. 
8 15 m. 
8 3 111. 
7 51 m. 
7 21 m. 
Full. 17; 9 8 111. 
8 5G ev. 
8 44 111. 
8 32 m. 
8 2 m. 
3d Quart... 23| 11 54 ev. 
11 42 ev. 
11 30 ev. 
11 18 ev. 
10 48 ev. 
NewMoonlSl 1 9 14 ev. 
9 2 ev. 
8 50 ev. 
8 33 ev. 
8 8 ev. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW YORK, MARCH, 1870. 
We believe there never was a season which some¬ 
body did not regard as very remarkable, if not al¬ 
together without precedent. No one, however, on 
the seaboard, claims this winter as one of unusual 
severity. With us, it has been almost like summer 
for weeks together. W T e have seen a good deal of 
plowing done in hotli January and February, and 
the ground, up to the time of writing, has been 
bare of snow, except for a day or two at a time, 
since before Christmas. This comes, notwithstand¬ 
ing all the “signs'.” There hardly ever was such 
a crop of nuts—this betokened a severe winter; 
the corn husks were thick and abundant—this also 
indicated a long season of cold. Wild geese went 
south early; a good many bears, and other wild 
animals, were killed further south than usual, and 
there were a score of other “signs” of a hard 
winter. If it comes, it will he after we go to press. 
And now, almost everybody prophesies a cold 
March, and late spring. The fact is, nobody can 
tell, and he has been wise who has improved the 
winter to make his fences, clear off the stones, 
clean up fence rows, dig drains, and lay the tiles, 
so that whenever spring comes, lie can go on with 
his work without interruption. March is, how¬ 
ever, often best adapted for this kind of work, and 
we have yet to see the farm in America whereon 
there is not enough of it to do. Bright, sunny 
days, and a drying surface, arc a temptation to be¬ 
gin plowing too early. Wait until the ground is 
settled, and the water is out of it, on all except 
sandy orgravelly soils which do not pack when wet. 
The month is likely to be one of great changes 
in temperature; high winds will prevail, more or 
less, and the farmer’s first thoughts should he to 
protect his stoek and stores from exposure. The 
frost may derange foundations, loose weather¬ 
boards may be found, rain finding its way through 
the roof may make musty hay. All these things 
need a little closer looking to than was necessary 
during the winter. At the same time, the roads 
will probably he very bad, and the provident 
fanner will get all real necessities, including food 
and feed, lumber, nails for repairs, etc., beforehand. 
Hints About Work. 
Clearing up Fence Jlotos is good work for early 
spring. There are no leaves and grass to conceal 
big stones, against ■which, in summer, one is apt to 
strike the bush-scythe, hook, and axe, and a man 
can see much better what lie is about. When the 
brush is cut, and the soil is loosened by the out- 
coming frost, the ground may be plowed much 
more easily than in summer. 
Setting Fences. —Before the land is in condition to 
plow, and while yet it is mellow and loose, re-set 
old fences that have been blown or shoved out of 
place. The cheapest and best wooden fence a farm¬ 
er can put up is one of %-ineh oak strips, nailed 
to posts, set 6 feet apart, capped and battened. 
The use of the Fuller is too little known among 
some pretty good farmers. In the spring, as soon 
as the ground is face from frost, and firm enough 
not to poach up under the feet of horses or oxen, 
all land in grass and grain should be rolled. There 
are mole hills, and clods, torn up by the tread of 
animals, and small stones, and tussocks of grass, 
wheel tracks, and a multitude of things that cause 
irregularities of surface, which a good roller puts 
out of the way in once going over. Besides, plants 
heaved by the freezing and thawing of winter, are 
packed firmly in the soil. 
Pick off the Stones from plowed land, grain fields, 
and newly seeded grass land, lay them in piles, so 
that they can be loaded into carts, and drawn off 
early in the morning, when the ground is stiff. 
Large stones should bo lifted, and have sticks laid 
uuder them, when the ground is soft, that they, too, 
may be moved when it is frozen. 
Grass and Grain Fields may be dressed with a 
few hundred pounds of bone-dust, plaster, and 
ashes, or all three mixed in about equal parts. In¬ 
stead of this, any fine, well-rotted compost or 
manure may be applied, brushed in, and the field 
rolled. Liquid manure is particularly recommend¬ 
ed as a profitable application in the spring. 
Seeding with Clover is usually done in March, if 
possible. The best reason we can suggest for 
this is, that if a light snow covers the ground, 
the cast can he easily seen. The stand is as good 
if the seed is sown any time before the May rains. 
Plowing. —Plow no water-soaked land. Many a 
field of heavy soil is damaged for the whole season 
by being plowed before the water is out of it, and 
the labor of subsequent tillage is greatly increased. 
Weeds. —March is one of the best times to kill. 1 
certain biennial weeds. They start as early as the 
grass, and they are easily killed with a hoe. Go. 
through the meadows and lanes, along the fences, 
and over the grain fields, with as strong a force of 
men and boys—women and girls, too, if possible— 
armed with liocs, and cut or pull all such weeds- 
as thistles, mulleins, wild teazles, daisies, wild pars¬ 
nips and carrots, and many other plants^ now 
easily seen, but which will soon be concealed in 
the grass. Let docks alone ; if cut, they will make 
half a dozen shoots, which will break off when one 
tries to pull them ; allowed to grow until they are 
nearly ready to blossom, they may lie pulled easily 
in wet weather, aud destroyed, root and top. 
Spring Grains cannot he sowed too soon after 
the ground is fit to plow. Prepare the seed by 
winnowing out the light stuff, and use only the 
plumpest grains. Soak in strong pickle, to kill smut. 
The ground should be in good heart, and mellow. 
Peas and Oats will be found a profitable crop for 
many purposes. It is excellent for soiling, capital 
for hogs, and the combined yield of grain is greater 
than cither oats or peas alone would reach. 
Peas are sowed carl} - ; and though they need land 
in good heart and tilth, they do not need but are 
damaged by fresh manure. 
Ibtalocs may be planted ns soon as the land is 
warm; hut north of Philadelphia, it is not advisa¬ 
ble to plant many in March. If cut to single eyes, 
many sets are likely to be lost in cold, wet weather 
—larger pieces arc best for early planting. 
Manure maybe hauled while snow lasts, or while 
the frozen ground permits easy wheeling on plow¬ 
ed land. Work over that which is liable to heat, 
and mix with litter not needed as bedding. 
Swine. —Give breeding sows, soon to farrow. 
