CHAP. vir. CALENDAR OF GENERAL FARM WORK. 1069 



flooding water meadows. Cart dung in favourable weather. Destroy 

 ant and mole hills, and level pastures. Repair fences, and continue to 

 scour out ditches. Under-drain wet lands. Cut down wood. Buy in 

 strong store-pigs for the yard, and put up bacon hogs to fatten. 

 Dispose of fat beasts and swine already fattened off for curing bacon. 

 Attend to the feeding, warmth, and comfort of cattle. Select young 

 calves to breed from. Keep fatting sheep on turnips or cabbage, with 

 hay, and lean ones on the remnant of summer grass, and on sheep- 

 walks. Stack and preserve carrots, if not already done, and turnips 

 from frost. Get in and store swedes. Pit potatoes, if not already 

 done. When ploughing for spring crops the subsoil plough may be 

 used with advantage to pulverise and break up the subsoil, and render 

 the land more permeable to the atmosphere and to moisture. Be careful 

 to keep water gutters cleaned out. Thresh corn as required. 



DECEMBER. 



Do not work the land in bad weather, but lose no opportunity when 

 it is fine to break up stubbles not already moved. Keep the ploughing 

 up close behind the sheep. Prepare sheep yards for early-lambing 

 ewes. Carefully attend to the Uttering, cleanliness, and ventilation of 

 the farm-yards, cow-houses, stables, and cattle-sheds. See that imple- 

 ments are placed under cover. Chain-harrow pastures and meadows. 

 Collect turf, cart earth, marl, or clay from ditches, banks, or pits, to 

 form temporary foundations for cattle-yards, and to absorb the liquid 

 manure. Attend particularly to ewes near the time of lambing, and 

 litter them if kept in folds, and feed them well. Give fat sheep some 

 hay. "Well litter swine. Flood the water meadows. Clean out ditches. 

 Put boars to sows for spring litters. In preparation for spring crops, 

 finish any ploughing left undone in October or November. Settle 

 quarterly bills and farm accounts. 



JANUARY. 



Still greater care is required in working land if the weather is wet, 

 for as the winter advances there are fewer chances for frost to mellow it. 

 Take advantage of light frosts for ploughing up sheep-pens which have 

 been much trodden by sheep. Carefully watch cows near the time of 

 calving, and allow them some succulent food, besides hay. Take care 

 of ewes that have already lambed, or are near the tune of lambing; 

 shelter them as much as possible; if still kept on turnips, allow 

 them also a small quantity of hay; cabbage will make an excellent 

 food for them. Fatten beasts. Marl lands. Cart the mud from 

 ponds and the scrapings of ditches. Eepair fences and hedges. 

 Drain wet lands. Examine water-furrows and water meadows. House 

 weanling calves and foals. Cut and spread ant-hills. Finish killing 

 and curing bacon, if not already done. Burn lime. Cart manure, 

 especially on to grass land. Sow soot or lime over wheat land if the 

 slugs attack it. 



