1869. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



547 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THB GAEDEN IN DECEMBER. 



It is an axiom with all prudent rulers and 

 governments, "In time of peace prepare for 

 var." As thoughtful gardeners we will adopt 

 the spirit of ihis motto, and say, "In time of 

 leisure prepare for the busy season." The 

 gardener who drops his implements at the first 

 approach of hard frosts and gives his garden 

 no more attention till the opening of another 

 season, always finds himself behind hand in 

 more respects than one. There is always work 

 that is in order ; seed time and harvest bring 

 iheir appropriate duties, and so does the season 

 of comparative leisure ! While there may be 

 but little labor for the hands, there is more 

 opportunity for the exercise of the mind 

 Thought, reflection, and planning contribute 

 largely towards success in any calling, and a 

 leisure season is the most favorable time for 

 this occupation. 



Sometimes there Is an "open spell" of 

 weather in December, favorable for out-door 

 work, when improvements, &c., may be made ; 

 cleaning up, pruning, draining, ploughing, 

 spading, &c., may be done. Turning up the 

 soil at this season, often brings to the surface 

 a large number of insects and their chrysalids, 

 &c., which the weather will destroy, or the 

 birds and fowls pick up and devour. If heavy 

 snows or rains and ice come and adhere to 

 trees, shrubs, or vines, attention is needed, 

 that damage does not occur from overloading, 

 breaking or splitting down of the trees and 

 branches, by gently shaking off the snow or 

 ice. The fences, gates, &c., will need to be 

 looked after, to see that they are in good 

 order, and kept shut, to keep out farmer 

 "Slack's" or neighbor "Don't Care's" cattle, 

 as they range the highways or fields. 



Our hints for the practical, every-day oper- 

 ations during the winter season must be brief. 



Cold Frames — In a late article in the Far- 

 mer, on "Cold Frames and their u'^es," there 

 was an error in saying "fow seed of cabbage 

 and cauliflower the last of September.'''' I had 

 in mind to say the last of August, and find by 

 referring to my notes, that such was the time. 

 The error must have occurred in writing out 

 the article. In this latitude the first week in 

 September is late enough in general seasons ; 

 sown then, the plants will have attained a 

 growth of two to four inches upon the ap- 

 proach of cold weather, when they are trans- 

 planted into the cold frames, the plants set 

 deep, putting the whole length of the stem, up 

 to the leaves, into the soil, so that the stem 

 may be protected, as it is the most tender part 

 of the plant, and is first affected by cold. The 

 main point in the successful wintering of plants 

 in cold frames, is to give proper ventilation, — 

 all that is possible without exposing the plants 

 to too great cold. Attention is needed to see 

 that mice do not gain admittance and so 

 destroy the plants. Trap or poison them, and 



keep them out at all events. See that the 

 frames are well banked up on all sides, and 

 provide mats or shutters convenient to be used 

 in severe weather. The novice in the use of 

 cold frames may meet with some drawbacks 

 or failures at first, in which case he should not 

 be discouraged, butdrawlfssons so as to avoid 

 shoals and quicksands in the future. 



Compost. — All good gardeners look out in 

 advance for liberal supplies of compost and 

 manure, and the winter is the great season tor 

 accumulation. Muck or dried earth should be 

 provided in abundance, to absorb all the li- 

 quids, &c., from the privy, pig sty, stable, 

 and to mix with the droppings of the poultry. 

 Muck or woods earth mould may be dug and 

 hauled frequently, at any time during winter, 

 and often easier or more conveniently on the 

 sled than on the cart or wagon. No danger 

 of hauling or getting together too much, as it 

 will keep and be all the better for keeping. 



Seeds. — Take good care of all home pro- 

 duced. Select the best only, and clean out 

 all others. Make a list of what is wanted, 

 and if you cannot obtain pure and good of 

 your friends, be in readiness to order from 

 reliable producers and dealers as soon as their 

 stocks are ofF^red. W. H. White. 



South Windsor, Conn., 1869. 



THE SOUTHERN SCORPION. 



The Scorpion is frequently found in Geor- 

 gia, yet it is not abundant. It is a little ven- 

 omous reptile, about an inch and a half to 

 two inches in length, of a brown color, and in 

 general appearance somewhat resembling a 

 small crayfish, except the tail, which, instead 

 of being flat, is armed with a horny speai* and 

 within which is a very sharp poisonous sting 

 which can be us«d at will. The tail is curved 

 over on its back, in the form of a hook. The 

 sting or wound it inflicts is very poisonous and 

 painful, although I have never known it to 

 prove fatal. As tneir abode is generally under 

 rotten logs, persons engaged in clearing new 

 land are sometimes stung in the hand by them ; 

 the hand and arm swell up rapidly and be- 

 come much inllimed, and the victim is l.xid up 

 for two or three weeks and then slowly re- 

 covers. 



Its habits are the most interesting part, 

 however. The female, after being impreg- 

 nated by the male, falls to and eats him un ; 

 she then lays five or six eggs and fastens them 

 upon her own back, where they are hatched ; 

 she then turns her tail over her back and 

 stings all to death that she can reach ; a por- 

 tion of the brood, however, usually escapes ; 

 those that are killed the mother devours when 

 they fdU off. The young that escape death, 

 as they increase in strength and age begin to 

 devour the mother, by eating into her back and 

 vitals and finally kill her. — Georgia corres- 

 pondent Germantown Telegraph. 



