1873 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
443 
Last Spring's Lambs should be kept separate 
from the older sheep. It would be well to give 
them at least one feed a day of hay. 
Swine. —Sows that are desired to breed next 
April should be coupled this month. A little extra 
feed will secure the object. Afterwards the sows 
6hould be fed sufficient to keep them in good, 
healthy condition, but not fat. Young sows that 
are growing should be fed more liberally than older 
ones. The latter, if they have a warm, dry pen to 
run in, with plenty of bedding, will require very 
httle food. We feed our own breeding sows prin¬ 
cipally on bran soaked in water or the slops from 
the house. A few mangels may he fed with great 
advantage to the health of the. sows. But if you 
have not an ample supply better delay feeding them 
out until towards spring. 
Fattening Hogs should be pushed forward rapidly. 
If they do not eat well they will not pay for the 
little they do eat. Better sell them as soon as their 
appetite begins to fail. 
Last Spring's Pigs which are to be fattened next 
summer or fall should be fed liberally. This is the 
great secret of producing choice pork at a cheap 
rate. A pig well wintered is half summered. 
Lf the Ground is not Frozen plowing is still in 
order wherever it will facilitate work in the spring. 
Wheat Fields should he examined to see if there 
are any parts liable to be injured by water either 
now or in the spring. The necessary ditches 
should be dug before the ground is frozen. 
Get the Implements all Under Cover. If any need 
repairs place them where it will be convenient to 
get at them during the winter. 
Manure may still be drawn out and spread on 
grass laud or on winter wheat. 
Clean up the Premises and make everything tidy 
for winter. 
Work in the Horticultural Departments. 
It is difficult to make suggestions about work 
this month, as these notes are necessarily written 
some weeks beforehand. A severe snow-storm or 
a freezing spell may take place before this number 
reaches our readers, or the weather may remain 
mild and the ground open, so that many garden 
operations can he carried on. Improve the stormy 
days when work out-of-doors is impossible in read¬ 
ing the best books upon gardening in its different 
branches. Very few horticultural books have been 
published that do not contain some useful hints. 
Orchard and Rnrscry. 
Something can be done this month in many sec¬ 
tions of the country to lighten the labors of the 
coming spring, and advantage must be taken of 
every favorable day that will allow out-door work 
to he well and profitably done. 
Cions .—Cut from the growth of the past season 
before the wood freezes. Label each variety and 
store in fresh sawdust in the cellar, and look to 
them occasionally during the winter to see that 
they do not dry out. 
Pruning , except upon large limbs, may be done 
now. Young orchards, if looked after every year, 
will seldom require any large limbs to be cut off'; 
besides, all the necessary pruning can be done at a 
time when other work is not pressing. 
Stocks for root grafting may be lifted whenever 
the ground is not frozen, and heeled-in in a dry 
place or in the cellar, ready for grafting during 
the winter. 
Manure .—Continue to cart out manure to the 
orchards whenever there is time to spare from 
other work. It is better for a team to work a 
little every day than to remain idle in the stable. 
Qfice and Rabbits .—To prevent their injuring the 
trees, keep ail rubbish away from the trunks, and 
whenever snow falls tramp it down firmly around 
the tree. Fresh blood smeared upon the trunks 
will prevent damage by rabbits, and paper, tarred 
or otherwise, or cloth wrapped around the base of 
the trunk will keep off mice. 
Heeled-in Trees .—See that they have drains to 
take away the surface water if necessary, and be 
sure that the roots are properly covered. 
Fruit stored in cellars will need looking after. 
Take advantage of the markets to sell fruit when 
the prices are good ; better sell at once than wait 
until spring and lose half the fruit, even if prices 
are somewhat lower now. 
Fences .—Look after fences and gates, and have 
all closed and strong enough to turn stray cattle. 
A stray animal will do more damage in a young 
orchard in an hour than can be repaired in years. 
Labels .—Prepare a good supply of these both for 
out-of-door use and to mark the trees shipped in 
the spring. Every tree sent out by a nurseryman 
should have a label firmly attached to it on which 
is plainly written the correct name of the variety. 
Seeds of stone fruit should be buried in the open 
ground at once if it has not already been done. 
In the spring most of them will have sprouted 
and be ready to plant in furrows in the nursery. 
I-'rsiit (harden. 
Manure can be drawn out at any time, and it is 
usually better to haul when the ground is frozen, 
as then the carts will not make deep ruts. 
Grape-vines , if not pruned last month, should be 
cut back at once when not frozen. If left until 
spring the vines are very likely to bleed. General 
directions for pruning were given last month. 
Strawberries .—When the ground freezes and indi¬ 
cations show that winter has set in, cover the 
ground and vines with straw or leaves. This is 
not to prevent the vines from freezing, but to 
obviate the effects of sudden changes, which 
do more harm than severe cold. 
Kitclieiu. (Harden. 
The season is sometimes mild enough to plow or 
spade this month, and much can be done to pre¬ 
pare the soil for early spriug planting. Land 
plowed in the fall is ready to work earlier in the 
spriug than when left untouched. There will pro¬ 
bably be more or less rubbish that has collected 
around the garden, and if snow has not yet fallen 
this can be cleared up so that no time will be 
lost in such work when the season opens. 
Manure is the prime necessity of the gardener, 
and as the making and composting can be carried 
on during the winter as well as at other seasons, 
no part should be allowed to go to waste. Plenty 
of earth should be stored under cover for mixing 
with stable and hog-pen manure, and a supply of 
dried earth ought to have been prepared for use in 
the privy. If there are in the neighborhood brew¬ 
eries, slaughter-houses, and other establishments 
from which fertilizing material can be procured for 
mixing with stable manure, a good supply ought 
to be secured. 
Hot-bed .—Paint and repair the sashes during the 
cold weather, and make straw mats at times when 
there is little to do outside. 
Seeds which have not yet been cared for must be 
looked after, cleaned, labeled, and stored in a dry, 
cool place out of the reach of mice. 
Tools .—Repair broken tools on stormy days, and 
give the wood-work a coating of crude petroleum 
to protect it from the weather. A marker is a very 
convenient implement to use in a garden, and so 
easily made that any one with a little skill in hand¬ 
ling tools can readily make one. 
Repair Shop .—On every place there ought to be 
a room fitted up with bench and tools for repairing 
and making such things as are necessary upon a 
farm or in a garden. The internal fitting up may 
be made as elaborate as the means of the owner 
will allow, or it may contain simply a work-bench 
with a few tools which are absolutely necessary. 
Cold Frames for wintering cabbages should be 
completely opened every mild day, and ventilated 
whenever the weather will allow ; on cold, frosty 
nights cover with straw mats or shutters. Look 
out for mice, as they often do much damage to the 
plants. Trap or use poison to destroy them. 
Celery stored in trenches will need additional 
covering as the cold increases; straw or leaves and 
boards will answer for covering small quantities. 
Spinach .—Apply a slight covering of 6traw or 
leaves ; it will start earlier in the spring if it has 
had a little protection during winter. 
Flower and Lawn. 
If the suggestions given last month have been 
regarded, httle remuins to be done except to give 
protection to half-hardy shrubs and trees. 
Reads may be staked out aud made ready to 
commence work upon as soon as the spring opens. 
Stones for road drainage can be drawn at any time 
during the winter if they have been dug out and 
small stones placed under them to prevent their 
freezing to the ground. A road in order to be 
properly made should have the soil removed to a 
depth of 2 to 2i feet and the opening filled in with 
stones, which should bo gradually smaller near 
the top, and the surface finished off with three 
inches of good gravel. This will make a road which 
will always be dry during the spring and heavy 
storms. Walks should be made in the 6ame way, 
except that the stones need not be as large as those 
U6ed for roads and drives. 
Plans .—Make careful plans of the house and its 
surroundings, so that if at any time a label should 
be lost the trees and principal shrubs maybe recog¬ 
nized by their position. 
Rustic Work of all kinds can be easily made if 
one has a little ingenuity in devising neat patterns. 
Nearly every farm possesses a swamp in which 
plenty of material may be gathered for such work. 
Cedar and the broad-leaved laurel are the two most 
common woods used, though grape-vine is often 
used, and we have found Andromeda lignslima a 
very useful wood for this purpose, especially where 
straight work is required. In some localities this 
last shrub grows in large quantities as underbrush 
in the swamps. 
Bulbs may yet be planted if the ground is still 
open. Give a protection of coarse manure or 
leaves, as the bulbs will flower much stronger for 
a little covering. 
CilrccEeSiosase ass«l Wimiow JPlaEits* 
The heat required for a greenhouse will depend 
a great deal upon the kind of plants grown. If 
stove plants, such as tropical ferns and the like, a 
high temperature will be needed ; but for ordinary 
plants a temperature of 45° to 50° at night and 
from 60° to 70° during the day will be sufficient to 
keep the plants in a healthy, growing, and bloom¬ 
ing condition. 
Ventilation .—Give air every mild day, always 
opening the ventilators on the opposite side from 
which the wind blows. 
Bulbs .—Bring from the cellar a few at a time for 
winter flowering. 
Cactuses will need rest, except the Epiphyllums 
and such as are winter bloomers. 
Pelargoniums or show geraniums should be placed 
as near the glass as possible, and kept in good 
shape by means of proper pruning and tying. 
Window Plants .—Keep the plants in a healthy 
condition by syringing often to remove dust. 
Plants should have a warm window where they 
will get plenty of sunlight and air. 
Liquid Manure .—Keep a supply on hand to water 
the plants once a week in order to accelerate their 
growth. Bulbs and roses in pots are especially 
benefited by copious waterings if the mixture is, 
not too strong. 
Camellias .—Keep in a cool house or room until 
the buds are well dove .oped and ready to break, 
when they may be taken into a warmer place and 
brought into flow:.. Do not wet the flowers. 
