46 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
PROGNOSTICS OF THE WEATHER. 
Prognostics furnished by the heavenly bodies. 
1. Observations of the Sxm — Signs of the Wind. 
— The sun rises pale, and re nains red; his disc 
is very large; he appears with a red sky at the 
north; he maintains the color of blood; he re- 
mains pale, with one or more obscure circles or 
red rays; he appears concave or hollow. When 
the, sun, seems divided or is accompanied by a 
parhelion, it indicates a great storm. 
Signs of Rain. — The sun is obscure and as it 
were bathed in water; he rises red, or with black 
stripes mingled with his rays, or becomes black- 
ish; he is placed above a thick cloud; he rises 
surrounded with a red sky in the ea.st. Sudden 
rains are never long; but when the sky is chang- 
ed gradually, and the sun, moon and stars are 
obscured by little and little, it rains generally for 
si.v hours. 
Sigxis of Fair Weather. — The sun rises clear, 
and the sky has been so during the night; the 
clouds which surround him at his rising take 
their course to the west, or indeed he is envi- 
roned by a circle, provided that the circle is at 
equal distances on all sides;, then we may ex-- 
pect -weather constantly fair;, he sets amidst red 
clouds, -whence this popular saying, that “n red 
exjening and a gray morning arc snre signs of a 
fair dayf' 
2. Observations of the Moon. — Signs of the 
Wind. — The moon appears very large; she puts 
on a reddish color; her horns are pointed and 
blackish; she is surrounded by a distinct and 
reddish circle. If the circle is double ca: brokea 
it is the sign of a ternpest. At the new moon 
there is often a change of wdnd. 
Signs of Rain.. — ^Her disc is pale; the extre- 
meties of her crescent is blunted. The circle 
around the moon attended by a south wind por- 
tends rain the next day. When the wind is south 
and the moon is visible only the fourth night, it 
portends much rain for the month. 
Signs of the Weather. spots on the moon 
are very visible; a brilliant circle surrounds her 
when full. If her horns are sharp the lourth 
day, it will be fair till the full moon. Her dis- 
eovery brilliant three days before the change or 
the full moon, ahvays denote fair -weather. Af- 
ter each new and full moon, there is often rain 
followed by fair weather. 
3. Observations of the Stars. — Signs of Rain . — 
They sppear large and pale; their twinkling is 
imperceptible, or they are encircled. In sum- 
mer when the wind blows from the ea.st and the 
stars appear larger than usual, thei^ look out for 
.sudden rain. 
Signs oj Fair Weather and Cold. — The. stars 
appear in great numbers,are brilliant and sparkle 
with the brighte.st lustre. 
From the Farm House of the XIXth Century. 
THE ROLLER. 
From several years experience, I am fully 
satisfied the roller is an indispensable to good 
farming; and yet, I am as fully convinced, il not 
used j udiciously, it will do much injury. There 
are but few rules necessary to be understood to 
construct a roller. Those rnade of iron, of 
course, are be.st; but as economy is a part of the 
farmers study, a -wooden one will answer all the 
uses of the husbandman. 
Take a stick of -wood six feet long, and big 
enough to make a cylinder two feet in diameter; 
bore a hole thi’ough, and pass a bar of iron, to 
serve as an axel and support the frame work for 
hitching horses. If the roller be cut into t-vm 
pieces, each three feet long, there wall be no 
dragging in turning, and the seeds will come up 
more regularly at the ends of the lands. Al- 
most any common carpenter or wagon maker 
might prepare a roller in a short time. 
Uses. — The roller is valuable on light sandy 
land; also it is admirable for breaking clods, 
\vill cause oats, wheat and all small grain crops 
to come up better, leaves the land smoothe and 
pleasant for reaping, and it is the best instru- 
ment for running over wheat m the spring which 
has been frozen out. But if the roller is used 
on clay, particularly when a little wet, the ground 
will become packed so closely, that more than a 
season’s ploughing will be required to become 
a.t all free and open. In conclusion, we must 
remind the inexperienced to be cautious, or they 
will regret that they ever saw a roller. 
Tennessee Agriculturist. 
METHOD OF CAUSING CABBAGES TO HEAD 
DURING THE WINTER. 
In the fall of the year when it is time to gath- 
er cabbages, we always find more or less of 
them I hat have not formed any heads. They 
may have gro-wn well, and have a large stock 
of leaves, but have not closed up in the form ne- 
cessary to make a good, solid, compact cabbage. 
William Vance, Esq. of Readfield, has prac- 
ticed for many years the following method, which 
effectually closes these loose leaves in the course 
of the winter, thereby furnishing him with a 
supply of the best kind early is the spring. In 
the fall of the year, just before the ground closes 
up ^he gathers all the cabbages which have not 
headed together. He then digs a trench eigh- 
teen inches or more deep, and of sufficient width 
to- admit the cabbages. He then closes the leaves 
togetlier by hand, winding a wisp of straw or 
somothing else around them to keep them to- 
gether, and then puts them in this trench, with 
heads down and roots up. He then packs straw 
or leaves and earth snug about them, and rounds 
up the earth over them. The trench should be 
dug in a place where the water of the rains and 
snows run off and will not stand about them. A 
board, or couple, of boards, nailed together in 
the form of a roof and put o ver the mound,, may 
be useful. 
In the spring of the jmar open your trench and 
you will find that the cabbages are all headed 
firmly together, and if the water has not got in, 
will be solid and hard. Mr. Vance has had the 
goodness to send us a few heads which he has 
formed in this way, which were very nice. By 
following this plan, we not only preserve the 
cabbages well during' the winter, but save much 
of the crop which is not considered worth much. 
Maine Farmer. 
CULTURE OF THE STRAWBERRY. 
I early turned my attention to Horticulture, 
and in one department of that, the cultivation 
of strawberries, I think I can show by facts that 
I have been truly successful. I have not failed 
to have a good crop every year, for ten years; 
and last year, from 1371 plants only a year old, 
I sold eighty gallons, besides what was consum- 
ed in my family, and some choice parcels, per- 
haps from vanity, sent as presents to my friends. 
My garden is a light loam, nearly level, but 
high and diy, not remarkably rich, it having 
been taken from a wheat field and enclosed the 
3mar before. 
My mode of cultivation is to set out the plants 
or runners at equal distances of 18 inches, and 
if planted in the spring, keep them constantly 
worked and the runners off. This may be done 
with a garden scraper, quickly and neatly. In 
the month of Navenqber, if the season does not 
set in cold sooner, l' manui’e with well rotted 
manure and work it in, putting my beds in nice 
order. I then cover them about one or t-«m inch- 
es deep with pine shatters, (having an abun- 
dance of them,) straw, chaff — ^perhaps tanner’s 
bark Avould do as -well, though I object to the 
chaff because it has more or less wheat, which 
will vegetate, and give your beds an unsigfitly 
appearance. Having made my servants work 
the shatters under the vines, they stay on until 
the strawberries are done bearing. In this waj^ 
the vines are kept warm in winter, the grass 
and weeds do not spring up, and the Iruit is so 
clean when gathered, that there is no necessity 
of washing, &c. I make no alleys in my beds, 
my ground being porous and dry. If I plant in 
the spring, I deem it advisable to renew mj-- beds 
after the second year’s bearing. This is done 
by simply directing the runners to the centre of 
the square formed by the old vines, throwing 
over the tendril of the runner a little earth, to 
keep it in place, and when the runner has taken 
1 root, sever it from the parent vine. Then with 
a hoe, for the space will admit it, cut out the old 
vines. The manure which the ground has re- 
ceived in two years, vi-ill put it in fine order, and 
thus the bed may be kept up for years. I intend 
to tr}" plaster on my vines this spring. I sold 
my strawberries for 50 cents a gallon, through-' 
out the season, in our village market, and coul^ 
not gratify the demand. I omitted to state that 
the 1371 plants grew oh a comparatively small 
area, as any one may see by calculating it. I 
then had four beds. I now have twelve, and in 
every bed the plants look beautiful, scarcely one 
missing.. I have but -yery few male plants, 
though it was by accident. 
Brice J. Goldsborocgh. 
Albany Cultivator. 
VALUE OF SEASONING FIRE-WOOD, 
We make the following extract, says the 
Southern Planter, from a letter received from 
Mr. George W. Craven, of Albemarle. 
“Perhaps, gentlemen, I can throw out a useful 
hint (whilst I sit by a cheerful seasoned wood 
fire,) on the importance, comfort and saving of 
labor by having seasoned wood instead of green. 
In the first place, it does not require more than 
half the labor to load and unload, and half the 
labor to hmul;, which is no small consideration. 
And then half the quantitj' of seasoned wood 
makes as good a fire; for two or three sticks of 
seasoned wood makes a good fire, and you get 
the benefit of the whole of it, as none goes off 
in smoke to make foul chimneys. For smoke 
is nothing more nor less than unconsumed fuel. 
Therefore, I would advise all farmers to cut 
their fuel the winter before it is used; split and 
set it up. If for market, no one that considers 
comfort and economy will object to it because i( 
is seasoned. It is a fact, that any wood, when 
seasoned, makes a good fire, whereas, there are 
many kinds of green wood that make an intole- 
rable one. For instance, pine -tvood green will 
scarcely burn at all — when seasoned, it makes 
a respectable fire. All kinds of timber are bet- 
ter for being seasoned. If farmers would cut 
and split their stakes there would be no need of 
burning. Fencing and hauling is more expedi- 
tiously done when the rails are seasoned. I 
consider one of the greatest secrets in farming 
is a judicious saving and application of labor 
in the various operations of the farm. For la- 
bor saved is monej' made. I have spent some 
$50 in the last twelve months (as hard as the 
times are) in labor-saving machines, and consi- 
der the money not badly spent. In the first place, 
it occurred to me that a great saving of time and 
labor might be made ia the tedious process of 
shelling eorti by hand. I therefore had a ma- 
chine made with no extra work but a whirl for 
the machine band to run on, cost, $12 50. I 
can in ten minutes detach my machine (thresh- 
ing box) and attach my com sheller, and in a 
day, I can shell com sufficient to last man and 
beast for a rponth or more, with but two horses 
and two men and a boy to drive. I also had a 
straw cutter made with the same extra work, a 
whirl, cost $25, which I can attach to the same 
machine in five minutes, and cut straw enough 
in one rainy day to last several weeks for some 
twelve head ol horses apd as many cattle. So 
you see it is not only a saving of labor but you 
do it all in bad weather with but few hands. — 
And then when the weather is fair, I have no 
hindrance of this kind to delay my -work, but go 
right ahead, from morning until night, and no 
stopping to shell corn and cut feed. I cut up 
every thing for my horses (or rather I make 
them do it,) and I never allo-w an ear of corn to 
go in their troughs until it is ground and mixed 
with some kind of cut stra-w or chaff. In the 
winter months, I have my servants’ breakfast 
prepared for them rvhile they are feeding, so that 
they do not go to work before sun-up in cold 
weather, which I consider a saving of time, 
for they cannot do much in cold weather before 
breakfast.” 
Agriculture is the most ancient, the most 
honorable, and the most useful of arts. 
