1877.] 
AMERICAN AG-RICUIjTURIST. 
363 
earth. If the leaves are pulled before the beets are 
dug, they should he twisted off, and not cut, or 
the roots “ bleed ” considerably. When treated as 
above, the leaves will not scour the animals, even 
when fed to them liberally. 
Weeds.—All weeds that have matured seed should 
be cut when wet with dew, and when dry should be 
burned. If not thus disposed of, they will be a 
source of much mischief. Have all the screenings 
from the thrashing machine ground up at the mill, 
and mixed with meal for pigs. In no ease let them 
go into the barn-yard or manure heap. 
Horses that are still pastured, should have some 
extra feed to keep them in good condition. The 
late growth contains too much water to make suffi¬ 
ciently nutritious feed. Besides, the changing tem¬ 
perature makes increased demands upon the sys¬ 
tem, which must be met with an increase of food. 
Milch Cows can not be kept up to a profitable con¬ 
dition on pasture alone. It will pay well to give 
them two quarts of feed daily. It is a wise plan to 
begin winter rations on the first of October. They 
not only give more and better milk now, but come 
into the winter stronger, and in better condition. 
For Fattening or Feeding Stock, only thrifty, well 
grown animals should be chosen. To fill out a 
lean, thrifty animal with fat, adds not only to the 
weight, but to the value of the meat. The chief 
profit in winter feeding—in some cases all—de¬ 
pends upon a proper selection of feeding stock, 
whether beeves, sheep, or pigs. 
Sheep .—Now that we are shipping sheep and mut¬ 
ton to Europe, every farmer who can do so, should 
take a hand in the profits. In England, the farm¬ 
ers call their sheep “ the rent payers,” that is, they 
are expected to bring in from $10 to $20 per acre 
over the whole farm, or about what is paid for rent 
there. A good mutton sheep will sell for nearly 
$10, without counting the fleece; at this price it 
will pay to keep long-wool sheep as they ought to 
be kept. The strongest and most rapidly growing 
sheep are the best. Grade- Cotswold sheep are the 
best for the ordinary farmer. 
Selecting a Bam— March is the best month for 
lambs to come, if very early ones can not be well 
attended to. For these, a ram should be selected 
now, one that is in his second year, not large-bod¬ 
ied, but one that is compact, well built, well 
formed, well wooled, and with a fine, well-shaped 
head, is to be preferred, even if he is only of medi¬ 
um size. At this age a Cotswold ram may weigh 
120 to 200 lbs., one weighing 150 to 180 lbs. is well 
as regards weight. The lock of wool on the fore¬ 
head of the Cotswold, is one test of pure blood. 
Early Maturity is the chief point in breeding ani¬ 
mals for market now, and the chief thing to calcu¬ 
late for, is to have stock that will make the most 
weight in the shortest time, and on the least food. 
Swine .—With proper arrangements, sows may be 
bred whenever it is desirable to have the pigs. A 
sow should be a machine for producing pigs, and 
the more work in this way she is made to do, the 
more money is made. There may be two litters in 
the year. Spring pigs for the summer or fall mar¬ 
ket, and August pigs for the holidays. 
Warm Pens .—By and by every gqod farmer will 
find fuel to be cheaper in the winter than food, and 
in a warm pen, pigs may be raised in the depth of 
winter. Those who can take care of pigs in February, 
may couple their sows now ; others should avoid 
it. When a pig, of any good breed, can be made 
to weigh 800 lbs. in 10 or 12 months, there is loss in 
keeping any but breeding animals over that age. 
Fattening Pigs should be pushed on as rapidly as 
possible before the cold weather. A pound of fat 
made now, costs less than that made next month, 
and that costs less than the same made in Decem¬ 
ber. Remember that cold weather wastes fat. 
Moderately Fat Animals are the most profitable. 
Every excessively fat animal has been fed at a loss 
during the latter part of its feeding. When an ani¬ 
mal is ready for market, sell it; if there is feed left, 
buy some more lean animals and feed them. “ The 
nimble sixpence ” brings the profit. 
Young Fall Pigs should have plenty of milk, and 
if the food is made “ milk-warm,” they will thrive 
the better for it. Small potatoes, boiled and mashed 
in skimmed milk, with a little bran, will make them 
grow rapidly. Feed a little at a time and often. 
The young pig’s stomach is very small, and over¬ 
feeding causes indigestion, and prevents growth. 
Stables and Pens should be made tight for the win¬ 
ter. Dry, tight floors, warm bedding, close doors 
and windows, and ventilation from the ceiling or 
over doors, are necessary to the comfort of animals. 
Pure Water is a' first requisite for man or beast. 
A good well, or cistern, provided with a Universal 
Force Pump, will be found one of the most profita¬ 
ble things in the barn-yard or house-yard. 
Poultry .—Cull out undesirable fowls, and keep 
only good ones. Pure-bred fowls are as profitable, 
in their way, as other pure bred stock. Feed 
young pullets with boiled potatoes, mashed in the 
water they have been cooked in, and mixed, while 
hot, with com-meal and cracked wheat. Feed this 
warm, and every week give some of the “Imperial 
Egg Food,” with some of Bowker & Go’s, meat and 
bone flour along with the food. This will give eggs 
all through the winter. The culled fowls may be 
cooped and fed on scalded skimmed milk, -with 
corn and oatmeal, for three weeks, when they will 
be as fat as they can be made; to feed any longer 
is a waste of time and food. This food makes sweet 
and white flesh and fat. When fed for market, give 
only corn, which makes the yellow fat so much 
desired by the poultry dealers. 
Sundry Matters .—Dry earth is the cleanest and 
most healthful litter for the poultry-house or pig 
pen. Where sand is plentiful, this is also clean and 
wholesome litter. Fine road dust is, perhaps, the 
most convenient shape in which to collect a quanti¬ 
ty of dry earth for winter use. Ditch scrapings are 
also a good litter. Now is a very good time to pro¬ 
cure these materials. Implements, tools, and ma¬ 
chines may now be cleaned and stored away for the 
season. Drains should be looked to. Root-houses 
and cellars should be cleaned and made ready for 
the potatoes, turnips, etc. The half-yearly white¬ 
washing should not be neglected. Roads should 
be put in order before the fall rains come. Paint 
wagons and putty the seams, before they become 
swollen by the rain. Everything that can be done 
now to prepare for winter will be seasonable work. 
Notes on Orchard and Garden Work. 
Ripeness is the characteristic of the month— 
ripeness in the orchard, as seen in the ruddy fruit, 
ripeness in the garden, where growth is well nigh 
over, and in the forest and lawn trees, the tints of 
gold and crimson indicate that the leaves are ripe, 
their work is done, and the season at an end. In 
our Northern States the 6igns that mark the season’s 
close are more well defined and striking than in 
the milder ones, but even there they are more or 
less manifest, and over a wide extend of country 
this will be the harvest month, and the proper 
caring for the various crops will demand attention. 
In notes of this kind it is impossible to avoid re¬ 
peating some of the essentials—for they are writ¬ 
ten mainly for novices. If we enjoin upon every 
cultivator, no matter whether his ground is measur¬ 
ed by acres or by rods, to do everything this season 
that will save the doing of it next spring, it is 
none the less important because it has been said 
many times before, nor is there any probability 
that the necessity for it will be any less in the 
future. If one wishes to be driven with work next 
spring—so many things to do that he hardly knows 
which to do first; if he wishes a backward season, 
he can provide for it now. When the last cart¬ 
load or barrow-load has gone from the orchard or 
garden, let all lie as it is left, until next spring. If 
on the other hand he would have a successful 
season, let him begin his spring work now. Repair 
fences and gates, clear up rubbish and burn what is 
not to be saved; plow or spade and manure for 
early crops, are among the things that must be 
done either now or in the spring, but which may 
be much better done now. Those who have 
never tried it will be astonished at the difference it 
will make at the time when even with the best 
management spring work will be pressing. 
Orchard and Nursery. 
Some hints were given last month on page 342, 
which may be found useful. As a general thing 
the late keeping varieties of apples and pears may 
be left on the trees until there is danger from frosts. 
Apples are nowhere, that we have seen, an abund¬ 
ant crop, and prices are likely to be such as will war¬ 
rant care in picking and packing. We again insist 
upon a careful assorting of the fruit. In barreling, 
use a press of some kind—a simple lever, though 
slower than some of the presses or vices sold, is 
better than none. All fruit that is to be transport¬ 
ed should be packed so solidly and pressed so firm¬ 
ly, that shaking and consequent bruising can not 
take place. Keep the fruit as cool as possible ; it 
is better to place the barrels under a shed, and not 
take them to the cellar before quite cold weather. 
Winter Pears need the same treatment as winter 
apples. The autumn pears have, with us, ripened 
much earlier than usual. Should this occur with 
the winter kinds, they will need watching. 
Cider Making for vinegar may be earned on when 
most convenient, but if the product is to be used 
as cider, it should be done when the weather is 
cool and fermentation may go on slowly. Sound 
fruit, great cleanliness in the press and other uten¬ 
sils used, and gradual fermentation are essential in 
making good cider; the quality of the product 
will depend upon the richness of the apple juice. 
Pomace is a waste product that many find it 
difficult to utilize. If there is a demand for apple 
seeds at a neighboring nursery, they may be washed 
from the fresh pomace; a box 8 or 10 ft long, half 
as wide, and 10 inches deep, is used ; this is placed 
where a stream of water will continuously flow 
in at one end and out at the other, an inch 
lower. The pomace is beaten and broken up 
with forks, and the stream carries off the fragments 
while the heavier seeds sink to the bottom. It is 
only rarely that pomace can be used in this manner} 
it may be fed to pigs and to cattle in small quan¬ 
tities at a time; if put in the manure heap, it 
should be well broken up as it is very slow to decay. 
Planting .—Wherever autumn is usually mild, and 
the soil in proper condition, planting at this season 
is advisable, but if winter sets in early after the 
first frosts, the locality is not favorable for autumn 
planting. There is usually more time to give to 
the work, and the soil still warm and in better con¬ 
dition for the roots than it ordinarily is in the 
spring. If trees are not to be set until spring, it is 
better to order them in the fall,that they may be at 
hand. They may be kept with as much safety as if 
they remained in the nursery if properly 
Heeled-in .—A nurseryman’s term for placing the 
trees in the ground temporarily. A trench is dug 
, in a dry and sheltered place, and the trees are laid 
in it in a sloping position, filling in around the 
roots with fine, mellow soil, taking care to leave no 
spaces among them ; the soil should be rounded 
up, and cover about half of the stems as well as 
the roots ; there should be no straw put over, as 
this would shelter mice, and for this reason there 
should be no weeds or other litter near by. 
Top-dressing with manure or compost may be 
done this month or later, the important point being 
to do it some time. 
Seeds of Stone Fruits (often improperly called 
“pits,”) the peach, cherry, and plum, must not be 
allowed to get too dry. Small lots are placed in 
boxes with alternate layers of moist sand, and kept 
in a cool place, even out of doors, if covered to 
keep out the rain, until spring. With large quan¬ 
tities, such as several bushels of peach stones, they 
are put upon the ground in alternate layers with 
earth, covering all with several inches of earth and 
leaving it exposed to the weather until spring. 
Budded Stocks that were worked late should be 
looked to and the ties cut if the buds are all right. 
Friait Garden. 
For the reasons mentioned under orchard, most 
small fruits may be set this season where the con¬ 
ditions are favorable. Some hints are given last 
month concerning planting. 
