42 
AMERICAN AGKRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
Contents for February, 1872. 
Amaranth, Willow-leaved... Illustrated.. 60 
Boys and Girls’ Columns—Those Map Prizes— Agricul¬ 
turist and Hearth and Home —Tricks of Parlor Magic 
—Aunt Sue’s Puzzle-Box—The Eagles and the Teal. 
3 Illustrations.. 67, 68 
Brick-Making.'.2 Illustrations. .55, 50 
Cattle, Prize Devon... Illustrated. .41 
Cherry-Tree, The Dyeliouse.... Illustrated. G3, 64 
Creamery—Cheap Deep Can.3 Illustrations. .57, 58 
Curb for Digging Wells through Quicksand. 111 ..59 
Department of Agriculture—Report for 1871.49 
Drains, Making Stone,.3 Illustrations. .57 
Egg Farm......3 Illustrations. .51, 52 
Farm Work in February...43, 43 
Farming, Can it Pay Such Taxes ?.59 
Fence-Wires, Tighteners for. Illustrated.. 56, 57 
Flower Garden and Lawn in February.44 
Fruit Garden in February.43 
Greenhouse and Window'Plants in February.44 
Greenhouses attached to Dwellings. Illustrated ..62 
Hop-Tree. Illustrated.. 64 
Horses’ Shoes, Calks on... 59 
Household Department—Home Topics—Support for 
Quilting Frame—About Suspenders—Letter from a 
Housekeeper—How We Live-at Our House. 
3 Illustrations. 65, 66 
Ice-Boat Regatta. Illustrated. .60 
Kitchen Garden in February..44 
Lambs, Feeding.. Illustrated ..56 
“Late Roses”. 62 
Level, Drain... Illustrated. .58 
Manure, Spreading in Winter... 59 ' 
Maple-Sugar Item... 49 
Market Reports. 44 
Mignonette, Parson’s White...!.62, 63 
Ogden Farm Papers, No. 25—Colonial Agriculture— 
Curing Corn Fodder.50, 51 
Orchard and Nursery in February. 43 
Pear, The Quinn. Illustrated.. 63 
Poppies, Horned. Illustrated.. 60 
Poultry, Sending to Exhibition.... .7 Illustrations. .49, 50 
Rabbits and Snares.3 Illustrations. .63 
Shelters, Wattle. Illustrated. .59 
Squillas or Mantis Crabs. Illustrated. .53 
Streams, Protecting Banks of.2 Illustrations. .57 
Sugar Beets for Cattle Feeding..•.. 58 
Varieties, How Improved.60 
Venus’s Flower-Basket. Illustrated ..53 
Walks and Talks on the Farm, No. 98—Taking Care 
of Manure—Winter Wheat—The “Dog Law”— 
Grain Mill—Essex Swine—Improvement of Stock- 
Raising White Mustard.54,55 
INDEX TO “BASKET,” OR SHORTER ARTICLES. 
AgaveVirginica. 48j Labels. ... . .45 
Animals, Stuffing.48-Lilac Bushes.46 
Apples and Pears on Wet | Lime-Spreaders.46 
Lands....48 
Apple Orchard.-.46 
Ashes, Coal.46 
Basket, a Barn. Ill .. .57 
Beans.45 
Bee Notes...48 
Black Leg.47 
Bob-Sleds.40 
Books Noticed..49 
Brahmas, Do they Mature 
Early.45 
Breeding from Young 
Sows.40 
Liquid Manure, Compost¬ 
ing with Leaves, etc... .48 
Milk, Large Crocks for 
Setting. 47 
Minn, audits Productions48 
Mistletoe. 40 
Newspaper Recommenda¬ 
tions. 45 
North Pacific Railroad.. .48 
Peach Grubs. .45 
Peach-Trees and Canker- 
Worms.. .40 
Peanuts. .48 
Butter, Mr. Sargent’s.45,Peas, How to Use Profit- 
Cabbages after Potatoes.. ,4fij ably.40 
Cabbage, Club-Root in—45 Pig, What to do with a 
Cancer—the Latest Cure. .45! Scabby.4S 
Cattle, Disease in.48 Plants, Frozen.03 
Charcoal Dust, Value of...4«JPlants Named...47 
Cions—Grafting.48 
Citron.48 
Clover into a Poor Soil, 
How to Get.47 
Clover Seed, Sowing on 
Wheat...48 
Copper-Strip Hay-Cutter. .40 
Cows, Drying Up.47 
Drain Land, Borrowing 
Money to.45 
Ducks, IIow to Raise.48 
East Tennessee as a Sheep 
Country. 47 
Fleas. 47 
Forest-Tree Seeds.40 
Fertilizer,Grafton Mineral 48 
Foul in the Foot.47 
Frost, Degrees of.48 
Golden Rod.45 
Grafting. is 
Grass, Bermuda.43 
Hedge, China-Trees for a..48 
Heifer, IIow to Fat a.,47 
Hen Lice.47 
Hens, Will they Lay Half 
the Year....48 
Hogs, Temperature for 
Scalding...4S 
Hoosier School-Master.. .45 
“House and Garden ”..,.40 
Incubation, Period of....48 
“Insects Sent”.46 
Knot, Halter. 111..5$ 
Post-Hole Digger .40 
Poultry Books.48 
Potato-Bug, Colorado.4S 
Poultry World. .45 
Pump for a Deep Well. ...45 
Rain at Will .46 
Raisins.48 
Red Root.48 
Ring Bone .40 
Roots, ComparativeVahie 47 
Rural Alabamian.45 
Seeds, Mailing. 43 
Size of Ox-Yokes.40 
Skippers in Hams, To Pre¬ 
vent.40 
Small Fruit Notes.40 
“ Smilax ”.40 
Stable-Floor, Best.47 
Steaming Food with Hot 
Water.40 
Strawberry, Mexican Ever- 
Bearing.48 
Sundry Humbugs.45 
Swine, Suffolk...47 
The “ World” Agricultur¬ 
ally Considered.47 
Thrashing-Machine, IIand47 
Washing-Machines.46 
Watches, Cheap.45 
Water - Rams, Do they 
Waste Water?.46 
What we Sleep on.47 
Wheat and Chess..48 
Calendar for February. 
Boston,NEng¬ 
land, It . York 
JS T . Y. cut/, CL 
Philadelphia, 
Washington, 
Maryland. 
State Miclii- 
New Jersey, 
Virginia .Ken- 
gan, I Viscon- 
Penn., 
Ohio. 
tuck//. Misso'u- 
8 
| 
sin, low a, anil 
Indiana 
and 
ri , 
and 
Cali- 
Oregon. 
Illinois. 
fornia. 
U 
II 
e 
If 
n 
II 
Si 
Sun 
rises. 
Sun 
sets. 
si CO 
SI 
Ss 
n.M 
H .11 
II. M. 
ii.m 
n.3i 
u. sr. 
II. 31 
II .31 
h. ar. 
1 
T 
7 14 
5 14 
morn 
710 
moTn 
7 6 
5 22 
morn 
2 
F 
7 13 
5 15 
0 31 
7 H 
5 19 
0 28 
? i 
5 23 
0 26 
3 
S 
7 11 
5 16 
1 42 
7 A 
5 20 
1 38 
5 24 
1 34 
4 
s 
7 10 
5 18 
2 56 
7 0 
5 22 
2 51 
? 3 
5 25 
2 46 
5 
M 
7 9 
5 19 
4 9 
7 5 
5 23 
5 24 
4 4 
7 2 
5 26 
3 58 
H 
T 
7 8 
5 20 
5 20 
7 4 
5 14 
71 
5. 27 
5 8 
7 
W 
7 7 
5 22 
6 20 
7 3 
5 25 
0 15 
7 0 
5 28 
6 9 
8 
T 
7 6j5 23 
7 10 
7 2 
5 26 
7 5 
G 59 
5 29 
7 0 
9 
F 
7 515 25 
sets 
7 1 
5 28 
sets 
(i 58 
5 31 
sets 
10 
S 
7 4 5 26 
7 30 
7 11 
5 29 
7 32 
0 57 
5 32 
7 34 
11 
7 2,5 27 
8 42 
6 59 
5 SO 
8 43 
6 56 
5 33 
8 44 
12 
M 
7 1,5 29 
9 49 
6 58 
5 31 
9 49 
6 55 
5 34 
9 48 
13 
T 
7 0 5 30 
10 56 
6 57 
5 32 
10 55 
6 54 
5 35 
10 53 
14 
W 
6 58 | 5 31 
morn 
G 50 
5 33 
11 58 
6 53 
5 36 
11 55 
15 
T 
0 57 
5 33 
0 1 
G 54 
5 34 
morn 
6 52 
5 38 
morn 
16 
F 
G 55 
5 34 
1 3 
6 53 
5 30 
0 59 
6 50 
5 39 
0 55 
17 
S 
6 54 
5 35 
2 5 
6 51 
5 37 
2 0 
6 49 
5 40 
1 55 
IS 
s 
0 52 
5 36 
3 3 
6 50 
5 38 
2 57 
0 48 
5 41 
2 52 
19 
M 
G 51 
5 38 
3 58 
C 49 
5 40 
3 52 
6 47 
5 42 
3 46 
20 
T 
6 50 
5 39 
4 49 
6 48 
5 41 
4 43 
6 46 
5 43 
4 37 
21 
W 
6 45 
5 41 
5 35 
6 40 
5 43 
5 2D 
G 44 
5 45 
5 23 
22 
T 
6 4; 
5 42 
6 14 
6 45 
5 44 
0 9 
0 43 
5 4G 
6 3 
23 
F 
0 45 
5 43 
rises 
0 43 
5 45 
rises 
0 41 
5 47 
rises 
24 
S 
6 44 
5 45 
6 0 
0 42 
5 47 
6 3 
fi 40 
5 4S 
6 5 
25 
s 
G 42 
5 40 
7 4 
6 40 
5 48 
7 5 
G 38 
5 49 
7 7 
20 
M 
6 40 
5 47 
8 9 
6 38 
5 49 
8 9 
C 37 
5 50 
8 9 
27 
T 
6 38 
5 48 
9 14 
0 37 
5 50 
9 13 
0 35 
5 51 
9 12 
28 
w 
0 3, 
5 49 
10 22 
0 35 
5 51 
10 20 
fi 34 
5 52 
10 17 
29 
T 1 
6 30 
5 50 
11 34 
C 34 
5 52 
11 31 
C 83 
5 53 
11 27 
PHASES OF THE MOON. 
3IOON. 
BOSTON". 
N. YORK. 
WASH’N. 
OHA’STONl CHICAGO. 
D. 
H. M. 
IX. 31. 
H. M. 
H. 31. 
|H. 31. 
3d Quart.. 
2 
5 26 m. 
5 14 m. 
5 2 m. 
4 50 m. 
1 4 20 m. 
New Moon 
8 
9 S ev. 
8 56 ev. 
8-44 ev. 
8 32 ev. 
8 2 ev. 
1st Quart.. 
16 
1 40 m. 
1 28 m. 
1 16 m. 
14 m. 
0 34 m. 
Full.. 
24 
6 12 m. 
6 0 m. 
5 48 m. 
5 3G m. 
1 5 G m. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY, 1872. 
“As the days begin to lengthen, the cold begins 
to strengthen.” With ns, February is usually one 
of the coldest months in the year. Some people 
think that they can stand cold better towards the 
conclusion of winter than at the beginning—that 
they get “ hardened.” The facts all point the other 
way. An Englishman stands the heat and cold of 
our climate far better the first year than the second. 
The thermometer often falls lower with us than in 
Russia, hut there the cold weather lasts longer, and 
is steadier and more continuous. And the inhabit¬ 
ants feel it more and make greater preparations to 
guard against it than we do. The last half-hour of 
a cold ride is far more trying than the first half- 
hour. It is continuous cold that tests our strength. 
It is said that our climate is changing. Cutting- 
down forests undoubtedly increases the severity of 
the wind. But otherwise there is no evidence of a 
change of climate. Our winters are no colder; our 
summers no hotter. By setting out evergreens and 
other trees for screens, and otherwise providing 
shelter, we can make the climate on any particular 
farm, garden, homestead, or barnyard justas favor¬ 
able for grain, fruit, animals, orman, as it ever was. 
No change has taken place that man can not ob¬ 
viate. When the country -was first cleared, the 
roots in the soil, probably, to some extent provided 
drainage, while the accumulated organic matter 
from centuries of fallen leaves, furnished plant- 
food, and rendered the soil rich and porous. Such 
soils are now in many instances wet, compact, and 
poor. Wc have the power to restore its original 
condition by underdraining, good tillage, and man¬ 
uring. We can raise just as good wheat as we ever 
could, and more of it to the acre, because our land is 
free from stumps. And so of all other crops. Shame 
to the man that can not beat Nature ! Wc liighly 
venerate the great and good men of the past, but 
we have great faith in the men of the future, and 
are not wanting in respect for those of the present. 
Wc like to hear the fathers talk of the good old 
times; but depend upon it, times arc no harder and 
the world no worse than in former days. We re¬ 
joice to believe that they are better. 
It may be said that we could grow fruit easier 
when the country was new than wc can now. Better 
shelter, richer land, and fewer insects and diseases 
sufficiently explain this fact, without attributing it 
to a change of climate. And it may 'be that, the 
varieties of fruit were not as good as those we now 
cultivate. Our common seedling-apple trees, choke- 
pears, and frost-peaches still bear abundantly. We 
have a peach-tree that bears bushels of fruit every 
year, and the tree is as vigorous and healthy as any 
peach-tree could have been a hundred years ago. But 
the labors of our pomologists have given us such de¬ 
licious peaches that no one ever thinks of touching 
the fruit of this tree whenever the other trees in 
the orchard bear a crop. 
It is quite possible that it is our taste and not 
the climate that has changed. We demand better 
articles, and wc must pay a better price. No good 
thing can be had without care and labor. 
On the other hand, if we will bestow the neces¬ 
sary attention, the choicest varieties of grain, vege¬ 
tables, and fruit and the best breeds of animals 
always afford the greatest profit to the producer 
and the greatest satisfaction to the consumers. 
Every intelligent farmer and fruit grower, there¬ 
fore, should aim to produce the best. It is the 
constant aim of the Agriculturist to teach and en¬ 
force this truth. 
Mints about Work. 
We have thousands of readers in the Southern 
States who will be busy this mouth preparing then- 
land for spring crops, but with us in the North 
nothing can he done in the fields, except during a 
temporary thaw. Then we must be careful that 
no water is allowed to remain on the land. The 
outlets of underdrains should be looked to, and 
watercourses cleaned of any impediments. Few 
farmers seem to have any idea of how much water 
they can remove from their land by a little well- 
directed labor. Wherever 3 'ou see water on the 
surface, no matter whether the" field is occupied 
by a crop or not, get rid of it at once. It may be 
doing no harm now, but it will soak into the soil 
and keep the land cold and wet, or delay the opera¬ 
tions of tillage several days or perhaps weeks in 
the spring. We are aware that when the ground 
is frozen underneath, it is not always easy to let 
off the water, but this should be no excuse for ne¬ 
glecting the matter altogether. Every gallon let 
off and thus prevented from soaking into an 
undrained soil, saves all the heat that would 
be required to evaporate it in the spring. Recol¬ 
lect that the sun must first evaporate the surplus 
water before it warms the soil. 
Winter Wheat. —When the soil is frozen and com¬ 
paratively free from snow, a little manure, or straw 
even, may be spread out on the wheat with advan¬ 
tage. As a rule, the prospects for winter wheat are 
not favorable. The ground was very dry last fall, 
and the growth small, and the winter, so far, has 
been very severe, with little snow. If March and 
April are unfavorable, much wheat will be damaged. 
Good Prices for Wheat next Fall are highly prob¬ 
able. Everything points this way. Anything- we 
can do in the-way of top-dressing our winter wheat, 
will pay better than usual. Well-rotted manure, or 
200 lbs. of guano and nitrate of soda, applied very 
early in the spring, will help the crop of wheat, 
and benefit the clover afterwards. The artificial 
manures can be sown broadcast and need not be har¬ 
rowed in. The barn-yard manure should be spread 
evenly and then harrowed with Thomas’s smoothing- 
harrow. If it pulls any of the manure into small 
heaps, spread them out again. Wewouldgo over 
the field with the harrow two or three times in op¬ 
posite directions. The harrow will not injure the 
wheat—quite otherwise. 
Spring Wheat. —We think farmers will do well, in 
spring-wheat sections, to sow largely this year. 
But do not sow unless the land can be got into good 
condition. We expect good prices; but a large 
crop at a moderate price pays far better than a poor 
crop at high prices. We allude to this matter now, 
iu hopes of inducing the readers of the American 
Agriculturist to get ready for putting in a good area 
of spring wheat, and of putting it in well. 
Manure. —We should be glad to know that thou¬ 
sands of our readers have adopted our plan of piling 
manure as fast as it was made, and not allowed it to 
