2 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[January, 
Contents for January, 1874. 
Calendar for January. 
Boe Notes for January. .10 
Boys and Girls’ Columns—About Horse-Shoes—The 
Doctor’s Talks—Something about Gunpowder—A 
Game for Winter Evenings—Aunt Sue’s Puzzle-Box— 
A Dubious Prospect..3 Illustrations.. 27, 88 
Bull, Beacon Comet 8th. Illustrated'.. 20 
Cattle Herd-Book, Polled.20 
Cistern, Barn. Illustrated . .17 
Cold Grapery. Illustrated. .22 
Corn-Cribs, Cover for.2 Illustrations.. 18 
Com, Kiln-Drying. Illustrated. .I 1 ? 
Cottage, Design for a .3 Illustrations. .13 
Cotton-Seed Cake Meal. 17 
Cranberries. When to Flow to Kill Worms.19 
Farm Work for January. 2 
Flower Garden and Lawn for January. 4 
Fruit Garden for January. 3 
Greenhouse and Window Plants for January. 4 
Hare, The Little Chief. Illustrated. .13 
Household Department—About a Laundry—Home Top¬ 
ics—What Shall we Have for Breakfast ?—Puddings 
and Pancakes—Doughnuts.5 Illustrations. 25, 26 
Instruments, Two Useful.2 Illustrations. .17 
Kitchen Garden for January. 3 
Market Report for January. 4 
Notes from the Pines—Seedling Pelargoniums—Flor¬ 
ists’ Plants from Seed—One Caution—Packing Plants 
—Plants by Express or Mail — Artichoke —Odd 
Things—Ornamental Peaches—Pyramidal Peach— 
Purple-Leaved Peach—Australian Dwarf Peaches_23 
Ogden Farm Papers, No. 47—Good Farming—Plow¬ 
ing. 11 
Orange JHdd, Sketch of. Illustrated.. 1, 12 
Orchard and Nursery for January.3 
Patrons of Husbandry. 10 
Pig-Pen, Cooking Room for.3 Illustrations.. 1G 
Plant, Hova or Wax. Illustrated ..23 
Plants, Indian Tobacco. Illustrated. .21 
Plants, Southern Pitcher. Illustrated. 21 
Potatoes, American in England.19 
Sheep, Native Races of. 19 
Sleds, How Built.7 Illustrations.. 16 
Steam on the Canal.. .18 
Timber Tongs. . Illustrated. .18 
Tomato, One Hundred Dollars for a.23 
Two Crops at Once. 19 
Walks and Talks on the Farm, No. 121—Wheat—Drain¬ 
ing—Chops in Iowa—Chili Club Wheat—Rotation of 
Crops in Pa.—Corn.14, 15 
Watering-Pot, New French... Illustrated. 24 
What Crops Leave in the Soil..:.18 
INDEX TO “BASKET,” OR SHORTER ARTICLES. 
Aftermath, Too Heavy_ 9 llorse - Shoeing, Instruc- 
Am. Dairymen’s Assoc_ 
American Rural Home ... 6 
Ashes. 6 
Beacon Comet 8th. 7 
Beef from Texas. 7 
Blue-Grass, Kentucky. 0 
Bone-Dust, upon New Land 7 
Bone Mill. 9 
Brahma Chicks, Naked... 7 
Brewers’ Grains, Value of. 35 
Broom Machinery. 8 
Catarrh in Sheep, Preven¬ 
tion of.7 
Cats.35 
tion in. 8 
Indigestion in the Horse.. 7 
Information Wanted.35 
Injection Syringe.35 
9 
7 
Irrigation by Ffoodin 
Ithaca Horse Rake. 
Knitting Machine.. 
Larch, Scotch. . 6 
Manure, Management of.. 7 
Mich. State Pom. Society. 6 
Much Castor-Oil.5 
Muck on Sandy Soils. 9 
Mushroom.35 
Mushrooms. 6 
Change of Seed. 7 Orchard Planting and Vin- 
Clieese, English. 9 egar. 9 
Chufa or Earth Almond.. .35 OtHonna—Correction. 5 
Cistern, Capacity of. 6 
Clover Sod for Wheat. 7 
Colt, For a Jumping. 7 
Cooperative Store. 7 
Copper-Strip Cutter,Gale’s 8 
Corn, Cost of a Crop of... .35 
Cotswolds. 6 
Cotton and Flax - Seed 
Meals . 9 
Cotton-Seed, Cooking. 8 
Cow, A Good Native. 0 
Cow, Value of a. 7 
Cure for Curb. 8 
Dairy Farms, Renting-35 
Dandelion, Northern Lim¬ 
it of the . 9 
Eggs, To Preserve.9 
Epizootic and its Results. 8 
Farm Labor for America, 
English.5 
Fertilizers,Manufacture of.35 
Fertilizers upon Oats..... 7 
Fine Catalogue of a Fine 
Our Western Office. 8 
Oyster - Shells, How to 
Burn. 9 
Pastures, Poisonous.35 
Pears. 6 
Peas and Oats. 7 
Petroleum for Shingles_ 8 
Pickle for Sugar - Cured 
Hams.8 
Plants Named. 9 
Plaster upon Wheat.35 
Pleuro-Pneumouia.35 
Plows, Sulky. 9 
Pollen in the Atmosphere. 9 
Pork, Smoking..35 
Potato Rot.35 
Poultry, Hard Crop and 
Vertigo in. 9 
Poultry, Houses. 9 
Poultry upon a Large Scale 7 
Question of Morality. 8 
Reports, Catalogues, and 
Journals. 8 
Library.. 5 [Rye, How to Feed. 9 
Florida Settler.35 Sheep in New Mexico- 7 
Frequent Working. 6 Sheep vs. Goats. 9 
Fruit near Chicago. 6 Solvents for Gutta Percha 
Garden Library. 5| and Caoutchouc.6 
Grain Drills. 8 Spreading Lime in Win- 
Grape, Taylor or Builit... fi[ ter. .35 
Grape-Vines run Wild. . 35 State Granges. 5 
Grass for pasture. 9,Strawberries,Tan-Barkfor.35 
Grass, Salt Muck for. 9 Sundry Humbugs.5 
Gregory’s Specialties. 7|Swelling of the Legs. 7 
Ground Bone,. 8 Swollen Neck.6 
Harrow, How to Make a.. 9 1 The English of It. 5 
Harrowing Wheat and (Tomato, Grape.fi 
Sowing Timothy. 7 Turkeys. Bronze. 9 
Harvest-IIome Festivals.. 6,Virginia. As to. 8 
Heaves.35 Weeds. Killing. 0 
Homestead, IIow to Get a 7 Weevil in Barns.35 
Homesteader in Minn..., 7. What Shall we Have for 
Dorses, Percheron and Breakfast?.;. 7 
Norman ? White Spots... 6 
1 Day of Month. 
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57 
PHASES OF THE MOON. 
MOON. 
| BOSTON. |N. YORK. 
WASn’N. 
ciia’ston 
CHICAGO. 
i). rr. M. rr. m. 
II. M. 
TT. M. 
TT. M. 
Full M’r. 
21 2 19 cv. 2 7 nv. 
1 55 CV. 
1 43 CV. 
1 13 ev. 
SdQrii’vt. 
10 3 11 cv. 1 2 59 cv. 
2 47 cv. 
2 3“> ev. 
2 5 ev. 
New M’n 
18 3 16 in. | 3 4 m. 
2 53 m. 
^ 40 m. 
2 10 m. 
1st Qmiri 
211 7 53 cv. ! 7 46 cv. 
7 3-1 cv. 
7 22 ev. 
C 52 ev. 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
NEW YORK, JANUARY, 1874. 
The present season is one of enforced compara¬ 
tive idleness. Holiday keeping will help to while 
away a portion of the farmer’s, time, after which, 
although the hands may be idle, there, is much 
head-work to do. The new year is the time for 
laying plans for the future, and no employment 
needs more careful thought than this matter of 
laying plans. The better the plan the more profit¬ 
able will be the work. No work needs more plan¬ 
ning than farming. It is not a business to be done 
on the spur of the moment; and at the commence¬ 
ment of the year the whole future labor of the 
season should be laid out distinctly and thought¬ 
fully. Then when the emergency comes one is 
prepared for it. This is the great secret of success 
in all business, and is that which often enables the 
less able and confident man to come out ahead of 
his more sanguine and more capable neighbor. 
Now is a good time for commencing a farm record, 
a book in which the farm should be mapped out, 
the plan of work for the season written down, the 
needed supplies of seeds, etc., noted, and in which 
at the close of each day there should be recorded 
the condition of the weather and the various occur¬ 
rences worthy of being remembered. Especially 
should be set down such things as the farm opera¬ 
tions, births, etc., of animals, payments and re¬ 
ceipts of money, engagements or contracts, and all 
under the proper dates. Such a book is an inter¬ 
esting study in after times, and is useful as a guide 
to future work and calculations, and has often 
saved money by reason of its being able to furnish 
either direct proof or corroborative testimony of 
payments or contracts. 
- 
Hints about Work. 
A Sharp Eye is of the greatest use at this cold 
season. Stock needs watching with care. No 
falling off in condition should be permitted. A 
little extra feed now will do great good, and will 
doubtless save a large expenditure two months 
hence. Besides, it is easier to keep up than to 
bring up the condition of an animal. 
Cellars need ventilating and extra protection 
against sudden cold snaps. 
A Plentiful Supply of Water is quite indispensa¬ 
ble to the welfare of farm stock. Ice-cold water 
is injurious and wasteful. A bucket of such water 
will destroy the good effect of several good feeds. 
The water-trough should be kept free from ice, 
and it should be emptied ns soon as the stock has 
been watered. Many people believe that sheep 
can live without drinking, but this is a great mis¬ 
take. All animals fed upon dry feed need water 
frequently. Snow is no substitute for water. 
Young Stock need especial care, and exposure to 
damp in mild or thawy weather is more hurtful 
i nan dry though comparatively severe cold. 
Manure should be gathered and worked with 
< re. If allowed to freeze it remains unaltered 
i util late in spring. That intended for root crops 
should be worked over, and piled up neatly with 
straight sides and flat top, so that it may receive as 
much moisture as possible. Labor spent in work¬ 
ing over manure is well spent. Three turnings will 
bring it into a condition for use in early spring. 
Oil- Cake Meal will be found a very valuable addi¬ 
tion to the feed just new. Dry feed tends to a 
constipated condition, which soon shows in 
staring hide and tight skin. A pound or even a 
few ounces of linseed cake meal, which costs about 
a cent and a half a pound, given each day to horses 
or cattle will loosen their bowels and improve 
their health. Calves and sheep should also not be 
neglected in the distribution. 
Vermin should be watched for. A weekly allow¬ 
ance of sulphur given in some salt will tend to 
keep down vermin. Sulphur rubbed up with lard 
makes a good application against lice if rubbed 
along the spine of an animal infested. Whale-oil 
is also a good apjAication. Carbolic acid and kero¬ 
sene should be used with caution; they may do 
more harm than good if too freely used. 
Snow is easily removed from paths and from the 
platform of the pump, etc., if attended to promptly. 
If trodden down the labor is greatly increased. 
Let the work be done the first thing every morn¬ 
ing, and also frequently during the day if snow is 
falling. Nothing is gained by delay. Do not wait 
until the storm is over before breaking the roads 
about the premises. Get out the teams and keep 
the roads open. If you have not a snow-plow a 
pair of harrows will level the drifts and help to 
pack the snow. It is not so important how the 
work is done—only do it, and do it promptly. 
In Starting a Heavy Load on a Sleigh be certain 
that the runners are not frozen to the 6now, and, 
if possible, help the team by moving the sleigh 
ahead a few inches with a lever at starting. 
Horse-Shoeing is a very important as well as an 
expensive item. A horse sliorftd be kept sharp 
shod in winter or not shod at all. Many a good 
horse is ruined for want of attention to this matter. 
Farm Horses kept .in the stable and only worked 
occasionally should be fed and managed with care. 
A common mistake is to let them do nothing for 
several days and then “put them through.” A 
sharp trot for a mile or two until the sweat starts 
will do no harm, but rather good, provided they 
are rubbed dry afterwards. But to drive them 
rapidly eight or ten miles, let them stand in the 
cold for an hour or two and then drive them rapid¬ 
ly home, and give them little care when they 
get home, is thoughtless and cruel. 
A Warm Bran-Mash is a good thing to give 8 
horse when he is brought home hot and exhausted 
from a long journey. Blanket him at once, and 
rub his ears and legs, and then rub his belly and 
flanks and such other parts of the body as can be 
got at without wholly removing the blanket. If 
your man thinks this too much trouble, and will 
not do the work willingly, discharge him. Better 
part with a man than lose a good horse. 
Cows that are expected to calve in March ei- 
April should, as a rule, be dried off this month. 
New milch-cows, or cows that calved last fall, 
should be fed liberally with food favorable to the 
