1880.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
415 
may be gathered, husked, and sorted according to 
their perfection at leisure, braided together, and 
hung up in a dry loft, or in the peak of the corn crib. 
Corn Crib. —The only perfect protection of a small 
building against rats, is the setting it upon posts 
protected by tin, by broad caps, or in some such 
way. A corn floor is sometimes made in the peak 
of the barn roof, above the tie-beams, and resting 
upon them fully half the length of the rafters above 
the eaves. This is not, however, perfect protection, 
though it often remains for years before the rats 
find any way of getting to it; it is an excellent 
place to keep corn and seeds of all kinds. The 
grain must he hoisted by a horse with a block and 
tackle. Free ventilation is absolutely essential to 
the proper curing of the corn crop, hence corn 
cribs and bins have open, slatted sides, and, if ex¬ 
posed to storms, such a slant that the rain will not 
drive in. The old rail pen, narrower at the base 
than at the top, and well thatched, with straw or 
stalks, cures and keeps the corn as well as the most 
expensive corn house, and protects it quite secure¬ 
ly from everything except vermin. 
Plowing for Spring Crops. —This may be done at 
any time now, where the soil is not too light, and 
not likely to wash during the winter. The ground 
should be left rough to be subjected to the fullest 
action of the weather, freezing, thawing, wetting, 
drying, etc. Should a crop of weeds come up, it 
will very likely pay to harrow and plow again. 
Ridge Plmoing of stiff clays is often of great bene¬ 
fit. It is done by turning the furrows two and two 
together, so as to leave the land uniformly ridged. 
The ridges must run up and down the slopes; 
otherwise, in heavy rains, water will be held by the 
ridges until it breaks through somewhere, when 
there will be danger of a “wash-out.” This sys¬ 
tem of winter fallowing involves plowing again in 
the spring, but shows its good effects in the crops. 
Water. —If pure water does not flow at the barn, 
look into means for securing it. Barn-yard wells 
are convenient, but often dangerous to the health, 
if not of animals, certainly of men, who may drink 
at them. If the water from some spring can be 
led to the house and bam, by all means bring it 
down—use plain iron pipes or enamelled ones—not 
“galvanized” pipes. Zinc is a slow poison, but 
not quite so bad as lead. A well on higher ground 
will often furnish flowing water, conducted by a 
siphon, at the level of the buildings. No well 
should be dug at a less distance than 300 feet from 
a barn-yard, cesspool, or privy vault. 
Buildings. —This month offers the most favorable 
time usually for the painting and repair of farm 
buildings, and putting them in order for the winter. 
A great part of this work may be well done during 
this month by the farmer and his boys. 
Implements, put away for the winter, should be 
painted or protected in some way from the action 
of the air and moisture. Paint or varnish for the 
wood-work, and a varnish of two-thirds rosin and 
one-third mutton tallow is excellent for protecting 
iron and steel. 
Livestock.— A little extra feed brings cattle and 
horses to the beginning of winter in good order. 
The tops of carrots, beets, and turnips may be fed 
to good advantage, and there is a great deal of 
sweetness in the October pasturage. Where much 
corn is planted, there will always be soft ears and 
“ nubbins ” which are best fed to horses and piss. 
Swine .—Pigs will fatten nearly as fast on pota¬ 
toes this month as on corn next. They do best on 
cooked feed, and the grain ought to be ground. 
Sheep.— This month we speak for March lambs. 
Half-fed sheep are often run into market from sec¬ 
tions where food is scarce, and it pays well to se¬ 
cure such to feed for the winter, turning them off 
fat in the spring. The feeder should be satisfied if, 
by so doing, he works up his wheat straw and corn 
into manure, getting pay for his grain and cash 
outlay, and that only. 
Ftndtry —Early fattened poultry bring more 
money if marketed in October, and early in Novem¬ 
ber, than at Thanksgiving and Christmas time. 
Thy fatten much easier, also, at this time, for it is 
not so cold, and they get more forage in the fields. 
Notes on Orchard and Garden Work. 
The present month may be said to close the sea¬ 
son in the Orchard and Garden, and it offers an 
opportunity for looking back over the successes 
and failures of the busy growing months that are 
past. This is a time when the lesson to be drawn 
from the past may be a guide and an inspiration 
for the future. In the retrospect it may be found 
that the failure in one place was due to imperfect 
preparation of the soil; in another the soil was not 
good, and not infrequently the soil and the seed 
being of the best, the young plants were neglected 
and the crop was rank weeds instead of a paying 
one. The “bad luck” of the season maybe due 
to imperfect drainage, and if so, the gardener 
should begin at once to remedy the difficulty. This 
is one of the best of the months for making drains, 
and having decided to improve the soil in this way, 
push the work in a thorough manner to comple¬ 
tion. This is a favorable month for all labor re¬ 
quiring the removal of earth, and such work as the 
making of roads in the orchards, grading, etc., can 
be better done now than in the busy days of spring. 
Orchard and Nursery. 
Apples.— The practice of picking the fruit and 
putting it in heaps for a few days until the skin 
toughens, before barrelling, is a good one. Put the 
fruit into the barrel with care, shaking it down 
when half full, and again when full, so that the 
apples will fit closely when the head is pressed in 
by means of the barrelling press. The opposite 
head should be marked as the one to be opened. 
This season of abundant apples it will not pay to 
market any except the best fruit, and that in fine 
shape. Dry second-rate fruit or make it into 
Cider. —The best cider is made from late ripening, 
sound fruit, and in cool weather when the fermen¬ 
tation is gradual. Many early apples may be worked 
up into sweet eider and sold as such or made into 
vinegar. This is one of the best methods of turn¬ 
ing to account fruit that would otherwise be lost. 
Vinegar. —The essentials for good vinegar are: 
good cider; a temperature of at least 70°, and as 
complete exposure to the atmosphere as possible. 
The process may be hastened by adding yeast to 
the cider, or “ mother ” from old vinegar barrels, 
which amounts to the same thing. Vinegar mak¬ 
ing is therefore a sort of fermentation, facilitated 
by a low microscopic plant of the fungus group. 
Pomace from the cider press is of no great value 
either as a food for stock or as a manure to the 
land. Pigs will eat it to some extent. It should 
be put in the manure heap, as when left by itself 
in the open air it gives off a disagreeable odor. 
Fruit Cellars should be in readiness, but the fruit 
should be kept under sheds, etc, until cold weather 
comes, bein<r careful to remove it to the cellar be¬ 
fore being exposed to severe cold. The fruit cel¬ 
lars should be provided with ventilators so arranged 
that they can be readily thrown open. 
Hetling-ln. —When the orchardist purchases his 
young trees in the fall they should be heeled-in, 
which, when properly done, consists in burying the 
roots in a place where they will keep in good order 
until ready to set out in the spring. The usual 
method is to open a trench—lay the trees in a slant¬ 
ing position and fill with earth. If set upright the 
trees are more exposed to the weather; but are 
less apt to be injured by mice. No unfilled places 
should be left about the roots ; finish off with 
patting the surface of the soil down firmly with 
the back of the spade. Look well to the labels, 
and leave no litter near the trenches to harbor mice. 
Sundry Matters.— Recently planted trees should 
have a conical mound of earth around them to pro¬ 
tect from mice and act as a stay for the tree against 
winds. .Top-dress the orchard with fine manure 
.... Repair fences and gates, put away the tools in 
in good shape, and do the many odd jobs that will 
help so much when the busy days of spring come. 
'i'iie Fruit Garden. 
Every farmer or owner of a good-sized village 
lot should have a separate plot of ground devoted | 
to small fruits. Now is a good time to decide upon 
this matter, and begin to have a Fruit Garden. The 
soil should be well drained, and if not rich, made 
so by an abundant supply of manure, which is best 
plowed under and the soil left rough until spring. 
Strawberries. —If planting is done now it is pleas¬ 
anter than in the spring, as the soil is in a better 
condition, besides it will relieve the pressure of 
spring work. There is no gain in the time of fruit¬ 
ing by planting now, unless the plants are pot- 
grown and are set out without any disturbance to 
the roots. When the ground begins to freeze the 
bed should be covered with litter, marsh hay, straw, 
etc., putting it only slightly over the plants, that 
they may not be smothered. In setting, fifteen 
inches between the rows will be the distance most 
suitable for working a narrow cultivator among 
the plants. Exercise care in selecting good sorts. 
Blackberries. —It is best to set them in the fall, as 
they start so early in the spring, placing the plants 
6 to 8 feet apart. The Snyder is coming into favor. 
Raspberries should also be put out in the fall, for 
the same reason as for blackberries mentioned 
above. Set the plants in rows about 4 by 4 feet. 
Grapes. —The grape-shears should be used in 
picking, as it allows the bunch to be cut without 
handling to deface the bloom. The Concord, and 
similar thin-skinned varieties will keep but a short 
time. The Catawba, Isabella, Diana, and other 
thick-skinned varieties may, with care in packing, 
be kept until midwinter. Grapes should be picked 
in shallow trays, and left in a cool room for a few 
days, for the skin to toughen, then pack in 3 to 5- 
pound boxes, filling from the bottom, and tacking 
it on with slight pressure. Label the opposite side 
which will be the one to be opened. The vines 
should be pruned so soon as the leaves have fallen. 
Kitchen and Market Garden. 
The principal work of the month, in this depart¬ 
ment, will be caring for the crops that are stored, 
and preparing for the early spring crops. All rub¬ 
bish should be cleared up and the ground manured 
and plowed to aid in the spring work. 
Cold Frames should be made for cabbages, let¬ 
tuce, etc. Light and dry soil in a sheltered place 
should be chosen. A rich soil is not demanded, as 
the plants are to be simply protected, not grown, 
during the winter. The object of cold frames is to 
protect plants that would otherwise be killed by 
the frequent changes of the weather—nottogrow 
them. If the frames are to be used afterwards for 
growing plants, then a rich soil is required. A plank 
of about 12 inches wide makes the rear of the 
frame, and one 8 inches high does for the front, and 
far enough apart to hold the sashes by their ends. 
Two strips should pass from front to rear,where two 
sashes meet, for them to slide upon. The sashes 
should not be put on until the weather requires it. 
in the South, ridges of earth running east and west 
serve the same purpose, and take the place of cold 
frames in the colder regions of the northern States. 
Roots. —Parsnips and Salsify improve by being 
frozen. Beets and carrots are injured, and should 
be dug before the freezing weather sets in. A 
supply for table use may be packed in dry earth, in 
boxes or barrels, and put in the cellar — the 
rest should go into the root-cellar or pits. The 
filling up of the cellar of the dwelling with various 
kinds of roots, fruits, etc., is objectionable, as 
foul gases are continually rising through the house 
and making the air impure. 
Pits must be made where it is dry and water will 
not stand on the bottom. The most convenient 
form is a trench 3 or 4 feet deep, and 6 feet wide, 
and as long as needed. The roots may be put in 
sections with a cross wall of earth between each. 
In this way a portion of the roots may be taken 
out without disturbing the rest of the pit. 
Asparagus. —The tops should be cut and burned, 
and a dressing of coarse manure applied to the bed. 
Beans. —Lift the Limas, poles and all, at the first 
frost, and put them under a shed where they may 
be kept fresh for some time. The ripe po-ds should 
be gathered and shelled for winter use. 
