34 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
grown corn. The stalks were cut early, dried 
in small stocks, and then stored under dry cover¬ 
ing. They were cut very tine, wet, and a little 
ground stuff sprinkled over*. Less than half a ton 
of hay was used during the winter—a small bite 
daily. The animals kept in excellent flesh and the 
cow yielded a good flow of milk. Even in the dry 
state, corn stalks contain considerable saccharine 
matter which is a directly nourishing food. 
Draining is always important. One half of all 
the farms in the country would be doubled in real 
value for cultivation, if freed from water, which 
shuts out air, keeps the soil cold, and by its expan¬ 
sion and contraction in freezing and thawing, tears 
and breaks the roots of winter crops. A single deep 
under-drain run through a field apparently dry, will 
show marked good effects upon the crops growing 
within twenty feet on either side. Draining may be 
attended to this month where the ground is not 
frozen, and often where only a few inches of the sur¬ 
face is hardened. Try one drain this Winter, if no 
more: it will speak in stronger language than we 
can write. ^ 
Grass Land, whether meadow or pasture, is in¬ 
jured by treading of cattle, especially when partly 
frozen, or in the soft state following thawing out. 
See “Basket” item on this subject, onanotheppage. 
Hogs .—The hints given last month are important, 
and no additions are needed this month. 
Horses .—See notes last month, and under “ani¬ 
mals” above. Good shoeing is important. There 
are plenty of blacksmiths, but very few skillful 
horse-shoers. There should be schools of instruction 
on horse-shoeing. An acquaintance of ours, bought 
a good family horse very cheaply because she ap¬ 
peared to be tender-footed, and was slightly 
troubled with the “heaves.” He took her to another 
blacksmith who had skill enough to change the 
form of the shoe on the lame foot; and instead of 
using long dry hay, he cut and wet all her food. For 
a year past she has neither limped nor wheezed, and 
being just the horse wanted among a family of 
children, she is worth $50, perhaps $100, more 
than when purchased. It don’t pay to employ a 
poor horse-shoer, because he works cheaply,and 
because his shop happens to be hard by. 
Hired Help .—Now is the time to be looking after 
the summer laborers. To secure a good man, bet¬ 
ter take him a month earlier. It costs no more to 
board and care for a good hand, than a poor one. 
The cheapest man we ever employed cost us $20 a 
month, he boarding at home on Sundays, while 
plenty of other men were to be had for $10 or $12 
a month. A man that is “handy,” that will set 
himself to work and keep himself and others at it, 
that will handle tools carefully and yet effectively, 
that will not injure the morals of your boys bypro- 
fane or lewd talk, is cheaper at $25 a month, than 
one of the contrary sort who will stay for his “board, 
lodging and washing.” 
Manure — Bones .—The collecting should go on 
vigorously this month. Stop that dark stream 
running from the yard ; there is a good ear or two 
of corn in every pint of it. Bead again the hints 
last month. Bones required for spring manure 
should be put to dissolving now. Take one or 
more wooden hooped tight casks—old meat barrels 
or molasses hogsheads will do, if tight—and set un¬ 
der cover, or shelter with a board. Put ill say 8 
gallons of water, then pour in, a little at a time 
to avoid great heat, 234 to 3 gallons of Sulphuric 
acid (oil of vitriol) which can be bought by the 
carboy, for 1J4 to 3 or 4 cents per pound, accord¬ 
ing to the distance from the manufactory. Then 
put in and punch down with a stick all the bones 
the fluid will cover, or even more. If the bones 
are closely packed, the fluid will rise to the top 
of the cask. Leave them to soak 5 to 8 weeks, 
stirring them well, and punching them down every 
throe or four days, and adding fresh bones as there 
is room. After a few weeks the undissolved pieces 
may be taken out, aud the fluid be mixed with a 
large quantity of muck or soil to dry it off. This 
will be a strong fertilizer—better and cheaper than 
any thing to be bought in tjie market—if the 
bones aud acid can begot at moderate expense. Keep 
a bucket of water and some weak lye or dissolved 
soda or potash, or thick lime water, standing 
near the -cask, for instant use, should any of the 
strong acid chance to spatter upon the hands, feet 
or clothing.—Much valuable time will be saved in 
spring, if manure be hauled to distant fields now. If 
placed in small heaps, and covered with a few inch¬ 
es of muck or good surface soil, it will not be apt 
to fire-fang. The soil on it will shed off washing 
rains, and arrest escaping gases, and itself become 
quite a good fertilizer. 
Maple Suggr .—For full directions, see article in 
this number, also in Yol. XXI, February No., p. 42. 
Potatoes .—Those intended forseed should be kept 
cool in order to prevent their starting. Though 
those from which the sprouts have been rubbed 
will throw out others and grow, (see page 53,) yet 
there is no doubt that the first crop of sprouts will 
give the most vigorous plants. In some places the 
potatoes have rotted. If troubled in this way, pro¬ 
cure seed from localities free from disease. Many 
farmers only plant one sort and that a late one. A 
few bushels of an early kind always meet with a 
ready sale, to say nothing of the luxury of having 
them upon the table in July. The seed can be 
looked after at this season. 
Plowing may be done on light soils where the 
ground is open. A large Maryland farmer who vis¬ 
ited us on January 15th, stated that his plows had 
hardly stopped up to that date. He turns over sod 
land, even when heavy soil and quite wet, and sur¬ 
face plows it in Spring when dry and warm. The 
sod keeps it open below, and plowing and harrow¬ 
ing in Spring pulverizes the surface for a seed bed. 
He says long experience has proved this plan to 
be advantageous. 
Poultry .—The directions given in this depart¬ 
ment and elsewhere, last month, will be pretty cer¬ 
tain to produce an abundance of eggs now. Eggs 
designed for hatching early chickens should never 
be chilled. As soon as laid, put them iu a cool, dry 
place in the cellar, or elsewhere, so that they be 
not too warm or too cold. Handle carefully. New 
breeds are often introduced most cheaply by pro¬ 
curing eggs. We wonder why more persons do not 
provide and advertise eggs of the different improved 
breeds. Carefully packed in some soft elastic ma¬ 
terial, they can be safely sent by express or other 
conveyance. 
Sheep .—The demand, at good prices, will continue 
large for wool, for mutton sheep, for spring lambs, 
and for growing sheep. The flock should have the 
best care and attention now. For sundry hints, see 
page 42.—Numerous complaints of dog depreda¬ 
tions have been recently reported, even where the 
laws are good and strong. Stir up the public sen¬ 
timent in favor of enforcing these laws. Shoot or 
poison every dog larger than a rat terrier that looks 
at your premises. The sheep already killed by 
dogs the present winter, are worth more than all 
the dogs on this continent. In view of the immense 
damage they have done to the sheep raising inter¬ 
est of our country, we heartily wish every dog could 
be treated as the Dutchman’s dog was—had his 
“ tail cut off short, close up behind his ears.” 
Tobacco .—If this is to be cultivated, the field it is 
to occupy, should be prepared by high manuring 
and deep working. A good loam, in a situation not 
liable to early frosts, is to be selected. Good barn¬ 
yard manure at the rate of 25 to 50 loads to the acre 
should be plowed in deeply. As the planting 
will not take place until June, the work of prepar¬ 
ing the soil may be done at any convenient time— 
the manure is to be looked after now. Tobacco 
makes a heavy draft upon the soil, and if cultivated 
year after year upon the same laud, will inevitably 
ruin it. It should only be grown as part of a ro¬ 
tation. The culture will not be profitable in very 
windy localities, as the leaves are torn by high 
winds, and their value much diminished. The seeds 
are not sown until April, at which time seasona¬ 
ble directions will be given for the preparation of 
the bed. The kinds cultivated are the Connecticut 
Seed Leaf, aud the small leaved Cuba. The former 
is largely grown in the valley of the Connecticut, 
and elsewhere, and is especially valued for wrappers 
to cigars. The Cuba is used for filling cigars, 
making chewing tobacco, etc. 
Tools .—See “ Implements ” last month. Now is 
the time to get them all in order, and to procure 
all new ones that will be needed next Spring. The 
best are the cheapest, without regard to prices. A 
good steel hoe, rake, plow, or other implement, -will 
outlast several soft iron ones, and do their work 
better. As we have somewhere before illustrated, 
a man will cut as many cords of wood in a w r eek 
with a first rate ax, as two men can cut with poor 
axes, while the cost of the two tools will barely 
vary 50 cents—hiring a week’s extra work, to save 
50 cents in the cost of an ax is not the best econo¬ 
my. The illustration holds good for all other im¬ 
plements—out-door and in-door as well. 
Orchard and Nursery. 
The directions for this month might all be con- 
densedinto “get ready for Spring work,” as there 
are but few localities in which the season is far 
enough advanced to allow of much besides prepar¬ 
atory work. The hints and suggestions of last 
month apply mainly to this also. But a great deal 
of thinking and planning can be done now, to be 
executed at the proper time. Every little conve¬ 
nience prepared now, will save valuable time when 
the press of spring work is upon us. 
Cions should be cut while there is abundant time 
to make a careful selection. Except when making 
experiments, do not graft an unknown sort merely 
because a neighbor says it is good In grafting over 
an old orchard, select kinds which are known to 
succeed in your own neighborhood. Some of the 
finest fruits in one locality, do poorly in another 
place. Cut cions from trees which you know to be 
true to name, and label them so that there can be 
no confusion at grafting time. Select healthy, well 
ripened wood, cut when not frozen, and preserve in 
earth in the cellar. . . 
Cleanse the rough and moss covered trunks and 
limbs of old trees by scraping; wash with strong- 
soap suds or weak lye. 
Fruit stored in the cellar or fruit room, should be 
looked over, and decaying specimens removed. 
Carry that required for the table' to a warm room 
to ripen off a few days before it is needed. 
Grafting .—Those who go ' about to do grafting, 
generally begin very early, in order to make their 
season as long as possible. Grafts put in long be¬ 
fore the growing season commences, are exposed 
to drying winds, and are liable to accidents. Root 
grafting can be performed in the house, the grafts 
being kept in boxes of sand in the cellar until 
the time for planting out. 
Insects .—Destroy the eggs wherever they can be 
discovered. They are often found glued to the 
twigs. Crush those in the cocoon or chrysalis state. 
Manure .—A good top-dressing placed around the 
trunks, as far out as the roots extend, is of more 
benefit to the tree, than a quantity of manure piled 
around the trunk. Fruit trees should not be over 
manured. Make good use of ashes in orchard and 
nursery; pear trees are much benefited by them. 
Orders .—If you failed to procure nursery stock in 
the Fall, attend to it at once. Nurserymen gener¬ 
ally fill those orders first which are received first, 
and those who send late fare the worst. Look over 
the catalogues carefully, and have a full understand¬ 
ing as to the size and quality. Better pay a large 
price to a good, well-known, honest nurseryman, 
than to take as a gift, the trees of those who will 
fill your order any way—with some kind of trees, 
if they have not an abundance of what you want. 
Some of the nursery stock advertised at very low 
rates, is the most costly that can be bought. 
Pruning .—Winter pruning is generally abandoned 
by good orchardists. The wounds made now are 
exposed to the weather, and do not heal over as 
readily as when it is done in early summer. 
