

Vol. XXI, Secosd Series. 



ROCHESTER, N. Y., MARCH, 1860, 



No. 3 



SOME HINTS ON SPRING WORK. 



Makch, the "surliest niduth of all the year," 

 5ias come aJ,^'»ir^ and, though in many localities icy 

 winter still coutinues to reign, the tocsin of pre- 

 paration sounded oa every side b}' nature begins 

 ;« be heard. 



Now is the time for the farmer to exercise all 

 us vigilance and forethought, and to see that 

 sverj moment of time is turned to account. See 

 ;hat a sufficient stock of fuel is laid in at the house 

 m summer wants, and that the rails are drawn 

 lud laid where they are likely to be handy for 

 epairing fences. Put the fences and gates into 

 ■*-€|iair, as soon as the ground is thawed enough to 

 "iX tlie stakes. 



Have you a stock of roots on hand? Every 

 lood farmer ouglit to have. Now is the time to 

 'eed them out to the animals on the farm, especially 

 uilch cows and breeding ewes, to enable them to 

 ;ive a full supply of milk for their young. 



See that the yeaning ewes are separated from the 

 est of the flock, given a little extra food, and all 

 ags and dirt removed from them. At lambing 

 ime, keep them comfortably housed, with plenty 

 if good, clean straw to lie on, and do not forget to 

 ct them have access to clear, pure water at all 

 imes. They require constant care at this time, if 

 t, is desired to raise the lambs. The ewes may be 

 et out into the yard every afternoon, but the lambs 

 u-c belter to remain in the house till they are at 

 east a week old, strong and healthy. All changes 

 uid exposure, especially to the sun or rain, is 

 ujurioHS to them, as also is lying on the cold, 

 lamp earth. The lambs will soon learn to eat, if a 

 little fine chopped hay or oat-meal is placed in a 

 shallow box or trough in their house, -while the 

 rbwes are out, and if it is desired to bring them 

 iforward early for the butcher, this extra feeding 

 .will help them greatly. 



I Fe*d tlie cows well, and do not let them fall off 

 in their milk while waiting for the grass to come, 

 le the wcirking animals enough of such food as 



will produce muscle, — not fat — and give them a 

 moderate amount of daily exercise. 



Keep the yard well littered with straw, and the 

 cattle confined to it. There is nothing gained by 

 letting them wander over the farm, making tracks 

 in the soft ground wherever they go. Stock should 

 never go to grass till the ground becomes settled 

 firmly enough to bear them without showing foot- 

 prints half an inch deep. Pile up the manure in 

 the yard as fast as it is made, mixing into the 

 heap all the scrapings of the house, fowl and sheep 

 yards, hog pens, etc. 



Pick over the potatoes, and select the largest 

 and soundest for seed. If they are cut, roll theju 

 in plaster of Paris, and sprinkle plaster over them 

 while lying in the cellar. It is said to act in some 

 degree, as a preventive of the rot. We know of 

 some farmers who sow a tablespoonful of plaster 

 in each hill, or over each set, at the time of plant- 

 ing, and who ascribe the freedom of their potato 

 crop from disease to the use of plaster. From the 

 known tendency of salt to destroy fungoid life in 

 its early stages, we think sowing it on the potato 

 plant might be the means of mitigating the rot. 

 We, however, only throw tliis out as a suggestion 

 to those who may be willing, to try the experiment. 



Sow a bushel of plaster per acre on clover as 

 soon as the ground is dry. 



Clover and grass seeds may be sown this montlj, 

 — on the snow if you like — though they will do 

 as well, if not better, when sown just after the 

 warm spring rains-. Harrowing is generally unne- 

 cessary, but a light brush harrow is used some- 

 times with advantage. Where it is desired to 

 ameliorate the soil, or obtain good pasturage, and 

 plow it again in a year or two, we should sow 

 nothing but pure clover, at the rate of 10 to 15 lbs. 

 per acre. But where permanent mowing meadows 

 are desired, it is weU to sow a mixture of equal 

 parts of clover and timothy, with the addition, 

 perhaps, of some other grasses, of such sorts as 

 can be grown in the locality with advantage; say 



