124, 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Apkil, 
Kitclieu Garden. 
Some of the hints given last month will answer 
for this in many parts of the North. Hot-bcds will 
need constant attention to prevent the young 
plants suffering from the want of water or air. 
Asparagus. —Remove the coarse litter and fork in 
the fine manure. Make new beds. 
Beans. —A few rows of Snaps and Bush beans 
maybe planted for early use, but pole beans and 
Limas should be left until the soil is well warmed. 
Beds. —Sow early sorts in drills 15 inches apart. 
Cabbages and Cauliflowers. —Plants may be set out 
from the cold-frame in rows twenty-four by twenty- 
eight, and lettuces planted between. Sow seeds 
for second early iu open ground, and gradually 
harden off the liot-bed plants. 
Carrots. —Sow a few rows for early use in fifteen- 
inch drills, taking care to use plenty of seed to in¬ 
sure a good start. 
Celery. —Plant in a seed-bed, in drills eight inches 
apart, and cover lightly with fine soil. 
Chives. —Make new plantings by taking up the 
old clumps, and aftw dividing, set in rows six 
Inches apart. 
Cress. —Sow in one-foot rows every week. 
Cucumbers do better if not planted until next 
month, though a few may be started on inverted 
sods in a hot-bed for early use. 
Egg-Plants. —Sow in liot-bed and give plenty of 
heat; do not let the young plants get chilled. 
Garlic .—Break up the bulbs into sets, and plant 
six inches apart, in rows twelve inches apart. 
Horseradish. —Plant the sets which were saved 
last fall at digging, and plant in well-manured rows 
two feet apart and fifteen inches in the row. 
Herbs. —Have a good supply of sweet or pot 
herbs for flavoring soups, stews, etc. Thyme, 
Sage, Summer Savory, and Sweet Marjoram are 
the ones usually planted. Sow in rows four inches 
apart; keep free of weeds until ready to transplant. 
Leeks .—Plant early in fifteen-inch rows, and when 
up thin to six inches in the row. 
Lettuee .—Set out plants from the cold-frame and 
hot-bed. Seeds may be sown in the open ground 
in drills eight inches apart. 
Onions. —Plant out etets and top and potato onions 
as early as the ground is suitable. Seeds should be 
sown early, in rows fifteen inches apart, and if a 
few radish seeds are mixed with them they will 
serve as a guide to show where the rows are. 
Parsley .— Sow seeds in liot-bed or open ground. 
Barsnips need to be sown early in very deep, rich 
soil, to get a good start; sow in fifteen-inch rows. 
Peas. —The earlier these can be planted after the 
frost is out of the ground the better, as they will 
bear cold weather very well. Sow the dwarfs in 
rows a foot apart and the taller sorts two or three 
feet apart. 
Peppers. —Treat the same as egg-plants. 
Potatoes .—Plant in well-manured soil in rows 
three feet apart, Cut the potatoes into sets and 
plant these one foot apart in the rows. The sprouts 
may be started oarlier if the potatoes are placed in a 
warm room for a week or ton days before cutting. 
Badishes. —Sow in liot-bed and in open ground 
once a week for a succession. 
Salsify and Soorzonera are both excellent vegeta¬ 
bles, and need the^samc culture as carrots. 
Spinach. —IIoc over the beds sown last fall, and 
sow seeds in drills fifteen inches apart. 
Seeds.— Set out roots, bulbs, etc., for producing 
seeds, selecting only the fiuest specimens. 
Tomatoes.— Sow seeds under glass, and transplant 
those already up into pots or boxes where they will 
have plenty of room, and so that tho plants can be 
turned out without injuring the roots. 
Turnips .—Sow a few rows for early use, and as 
soon as up dust with plaster, to prevent insects. 
S' Flower-Garden and Lawn, 
Ornamented Trees. —Use as much care in planting 
these as in setting fruit-trees. In ornamenting a 
lawn do not plant the trees and shrubs in regular 
order, but endeavor to give it a natural appear¬ 
ance. Trees that have been bent by winds during 
the winter should be righted or reset. 
Hedges .—Where a protection is needed near the 
house, a living fence of Arbor Vitte or Norway 
Spruce is quite ornamental. 
Climbers .—Plant a good variety of climbers for 
covering trellises, arbors, etc. Clematises, Wis¬ 
tarias, Honeysuckles, etc., are all very handsome 
and rapid growers. 
Herbaceous Perennials that have been set several 
years, ought to be taken up and divided before 
they have started into growth. 
Biennials, such as Hollyhocks and Sweet Wil¬ 
liams, should be transplanted to the border. 
Annuals .—The hardy sorts may be sown as early 
as the frost leaves the ground. Sow tender varie¬ 
ties in a hot-bed or in window-boxes. 
Bulbs .—Hardy bulbs should be uncovered and 
the ground kept free of weeds. 
CiSreeiiliHmses aud Window'-Boxes. 
’ As the time for bedding out plants is so near at 
band, proper care should he taken to give them 
plenty of air, so that the change will not be sud- 
dcu. This may be done by opening the ventila¬ 
tors, shutting off most of the fire heat, and on 
warm, pleasant days by opening the doors. 
Camellias .—As they are making their growth they 
should have plenty of water and a little more heat. 
Keep clear of insects. 
Pelargoniums coming into flower will need 
plenty of water and light. 
Propagating .—Continue to propagate bedding- 
plants as fast as possible, iu order that a large stock 
may be prepared for sale or planting out. 
Seeds of annuals that are small ought to be 
planted iu boxes or pans, and instead of covering 
with earth, press the seeds into the soil and then 
sprinkle from a fine-rose watering-pot. 
Dahlias .—Bring the tubers into a warm place 
where they will sprout. 
Cannas .—Start in the greenhouse, and set out in 
tho open ground when warm. 
Tuberoses do best if started in the greenhouse and 
then turned into the open ground next month. 
Window-Boxes .—The plants ought not to be al¬ 
lowed to become drawn, but should have plenty of 
light and air, and free exposure on mild days. 
New Yorlc Live-Stock Markets. 
WEEK ENDING 
Beeves. Cows. Calves. Sheep. Swine. Tot'l. 
80,502 35,367 74,004 
16,564 27,850 51,922 
18,015 26,377 51,65» 
18,785 26,265 53,496 
83,866 115,859 231,079 
February 19th. 
....7,189 
130 
816 
February 26th... . 
....6,508 
205 
795 
March 4th. 
....6,259 
126 
S80 
March 11th. 
_7.356 
182 
878 
Total in 4 Weeks ... 
613 
3,369 
(Xo-forprev. 4 TFee£s..30,564 
428 
3,325 
Beeves. Cows. Calves. Sheep. Swine. 
Average per Week .6,835 161 842 20,966 23,805 
do. do. last Month. .. .7,641 107 831 25,023 31,839 
do. do. prev's Month —6,035 109 954 20,585 86,158 
Average per Week, 1S71.7,187 88 2,301 25,132 25,177 
Beef Cattle.— Receipts are usually lighter at this 
season of the year, farmers arranging to increase their 
stock for grazing. Besides this, it is evident that so 
many cattle perished at the West during the unusually 
severe winter, we shall have a light run this spring, and 
it is feared the stock will be poor. Trade has been some¬ 
what uniform during the past month, the market closing, 
at a trifling decline. There is a great falling off in arrivals;, 
of Texans, only 494 coming forward during the pash 
month. At the last general market there were 130 car** 
loads of cattle on sale at Communipaw, 95 cars at Huii- X 
dredth Street, and 40 at Wechawken, all these place# 
comprising the Hew York market. Good cattle com¬ 
manded 12c. $ lb., and were in fair demand, though the 
opening of tho shad season, with abundance of cheap 
eggs, and veals coming in freely, somewhat lessen the de-* 
maud for beef. 
Below we give the range of prices, average price, and- 
figures at which large lots were sold: 
Feb. 19lh, ranged 9 ©13 c. Large sales 103f<31'2 C. Av. 11W7 
Feb. 86th, (lo. 9 ©12^c. do. do. 105 f@llfcc. do. lwi 
March'4th, do. 8k@125fc. do. do. 10%@ll^c. do. list;': 
March lltli, do. 9,S@13 c. do. do. 11 @12 c. do. 11H; 
Milch Cows.— The spring of the year is alvraya 
looked upon as the best time iu which to sell cows. The 
present lime proves an exception, made so by the large 
numbers of milkers sent here for sale. Poor quality has 
also contributed to the general dullness. So glutted have 
our markets been with hard lots of old cows, that they 
were sold at $25 © $30 each by the car-load. Recent 
sales of two cars rather ordinary cows were made at $55 
each. The decline for the month is about $10 per head. 
Very many of those now sent here for sale are springers. 
Fresh cows vary from $30 to $50 each for poor, $55 to $70 
for medium to good, with a few choice at $75 to $S0. 
Calves. —The figures show only a moderate increase in 
numbers, hut the markets to-day are perfectly glutted 
with dressed veals, and overstocked with live. Trade is 
slow, and prices much lower. There are fully three times 
as many dead calves sent in as are reported above among 
tho live-stock. It now takes a fa't calf to bring 10c. UP lb., 
alive, or over 13c., dressed. Good to prime milk-fed live 
calves are worth 9c. @ 10c. UP lb. ; common to fair sell at 
7c. (a) 8>,4c.; mixed lots, at 5c. @ 6!4c. Ilog-dressed are 
worth 10c. (a) 14c. for milk-fed, and 6c. © 9c. for grassers. 
.Sheep and Lambs.— These show quite a 
falling off in arrivals, the approach of shearing time and 
the. season of spring iambs inducing farmers to keep 
stock back. Already wo have a few spring lambs, which 
sell too high to be taken as regular quotations, for they 
will rapidly decline. By the pound they are worth about 
20c., though some of 41 lbs. each went at 22c. Sheep 
have advanced a full cent UP B>. during the month. Three 
cars fine-wool Ohio, 115 lbs. average, just sold at 10*4c. UP 
B>. Poor to medium sheep are quoted at 7i4c. @ 8!4c. 
Up lb.; fair to good at 8%c. © 914c. ; and prime to best 
selections at 10c. © 10!4c... Swine.— In addition to 
the live hogs reported above there were 39,282 dressed re¬ 
ceived during the month. Prices are scarcely as firm as 
they were four weeks ago, the packing season approach¬ 
ing its close, while receipts are still quite liberal. Live are 
worth 5%c. @ 6%c.; city-dressed Western, G%c. @ G%.o .; 
Western dressed, 5%c. © 5%c. 
n o 
containing a great variety of Items, including many 
good Hints and Suggestions which we throw into smaller 
type and condensed form , for want of space elsewhere. 
lieissittaMg- Money: — Chcclcs on 
New Yorlc City Banks or Bankers are best 
for large sums ; make payable to the order of Orange 
Judd & Co..Post-Office Money Orders, 
for $50 or less, are cheap and safe also. When these are not 
obtainable, register letters, affixing stamps for post¬ 
age and registry ; put in the money and seal tho letter in 
the presence of the postmaster, and take his receipt for it. 
Money sent in the above three methods is safe against loss. 
Postage : On American Agriculturist , 3 cents 
a quarter, in advance ; on Hearth and Home , 5 cents per 
quarter. Double rates if not paid in advance at the 
office where the papers are received. For subscribers in 
British America, the postage must he sent to this office 
for prepayment here. 
Round Copies of Volume Thirty 
arc row ready. Price, $2, at our office; or $2.50 
each, if sent by mail. Any of the last fifteen volumes 
(10 to 30) will also he forwarded at same price. Sets of 
numbers sent to our office will he neatly bound iu our 
regular stylo, at 75 cents pervol. (50 cents extra, if return¬ 
ed by mail.) Missing riumbers supplied at 12 cents each. 
Clubs can at any time be increased by remitting 
for each addition the price paid by the original members; 
or a small club may be increased to a larger one; thus: 
a person having sent 10 subscribers and $12, may after¬ 
ward send 10 more subscribers with only $8 ; making a 
club of 20 at $1 each ; and so of tho other club rates. 
Our Basket. —We try to answer each month 
as many questions as possible, but we find that we usually 
liavc many items for which room can not be made. Not¬ 
withstanding the many answered in tho paper each 
month, and as many or more answered by mail, wc find 
it difficult to keep up with this department. We regard 
“ The Basket” as one of the most important parts of the 
paper, and there is none upon which more care is be¬ 
stowed. The longer articles often answer many corrc* 
spondents at once; for instance, those in this issue upon 
Irrigation and upon Cattle Stanchions servo as a reply to 
a score or two of letters. With every desire to make the 
contents of the paper meet all wants, we must ask the 
palionce of some who are unanswered. Wo will try to 
get to them in time. 
