1871 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
323 
Timothy Seed catches better when sown with the 
wheat in the fall, than when sown in the spring. 
A peck of seed per acre is none too much, unless 
clover is to be sown in the spring; in this case, we 
prefer to sow four quarts of timothy in the fall, 
and six quarts of clover in the spring. 
Manure may be drawn out on grass land when 
other work is not pressing. Spread it evenly as 
fast as it is drawn, and harrow to break lumps. 
Thrashing. —See hints for last month. When 
grain is safe in the barn, and the space is not want¬ 
ed for clover seed, the straw and the grain-will be 
all the better if not thrashed until they are wanted. 
There is little prospect of a decline in prices, and 
many reasons for anticipating an advance. The 
straw is generally of good quality, and as the hay 
crop is short, it will be unusually valuable for fod¬ 
der. See that it is carefully preserved. An extra 
man in topping off the stack will be good economy. 
Peas, when affected with the “bug,” should be 
fed out early. When fed in September and October, 
the bugs cause little or no loss of nutriment. The 
pigs will eat bugs and peas together, and enjoy it. 
Sheep.— With good feed, sheep will grow rapidly 
this month and the next, and lay up a store of fat 
and strength for the winter. We are sorry to say, 
however, that too many farmers leave their sheep 
to pick up a living as best they may. Instead of 
allowing all the food they can eat and assimilate, 
they are content if they find enough to keep them 
alive. They thus lose all that the sheep ate, while 
a little additional food would enable the sheep to 
produce considerable wool, mutton, and fat. Bet¬ 
ter, if need be, give a little hay, than let the sheep 
go without ail the food they need. Lambs espe¬ 
cially should be well fed. If they scour, there is 
nothing better than a pint each of milk porridge, 
made from fresh skim-milk and wheat flour. In 
severe cases, ten or fifteen drops of laudanum in ay 
be given, and repeated every five hours until the 
diarrhoea is arrested. Ewes intended for raising- 
early lambs for the butcher must have extra good 
feed, and the ram put with them. There can no 
longer be any doubt that good, strong, common 
Merino ewes, crossed witli a Cotswold or Leicester 
ram, will produce excellent lambs for the butcher. 
But it is equally certain that both ewes and lambs 
must be well fed. That is to say, the ewes should 
have good pasture in the fall, and good hay in the 
winter; or if straw is fed, which is the more profit¬ 
able plan on wheat-growing farms, a little grain 
must be given in addition. The ram should have 
a pint of grain every day. A long-wooled lamb 
ram should hot be allowed to serve more than forty 
ewes. A yearling or two-year-old will serve from 
sixty to one hundred, according to the length of 
time, food, and condition. 
Milch Cows should have good pasture, and, if 
need be, a little extra food to prevent them falling 
off too rapidly in their milk. Contrary to general 
opinion, we find in our own experience that two 
quarts of corn-meal per day, instead of drying up 
the cow, will greatly increase the quantity of the 
milk and the richness of the cream. 
Swine. —Pork is low, and it is a good time to pay 
extra attention to raising good pigs, as thousands 
of farmers will neglect their stock or abandon the 
business. Fall pigs need extra food to get them 
strong for the winter. Fattening pigs should be 
pushed forward rapidly this month. If there is not 
much profit in fattening pork at present prices, 
there will be still less if we feed the pigs little 
more than enough to keep them alive. That farmer 
will make the most money, or, at any rate, lose the 
least, who feeds the most liberally. 
Do not he Discouraged. —If farmers are not making 
as much money as they have a right to expect— 
and, as a rule, such is the ease—it may be well to 
recollect that we ail anticipated “hard times” 
after the war. We have certainly suffered far less 
than we feared. Let us be thankful, and take heart 
for the future. The farmers are the mainstay of 
the nation. If the farmers prosper, the nation 
prospers. If farmers suffer, all classes suffer also. 
We must Farm Better. —Wc must aim to make 
our land cleaner every year. Weeds are the most 
oppressive tax we have. We can not get rid of 
them at once. Keep fighting, and especially should 
it be recollected that we must make thorough work 
as far as we go. If not entirely dead, they will grow 
again, and we lose what work we have performed. 
Killing Weeds Enriches the Soil. —This is the key¬ 
note to good farming. Most of our soils abound 
in latent plant-food. Stirring the soil, and expos¬ 
ing it to the atmosphere, favors decomposition, and 
renders the plant-food available—in other words, 
makes the land rich. The fall of the year is the 
best time to do much of this work. And the earlier 
we can get at it, the better. 
narrowing Grass Land causes a good many weed 
seeds to germinate, and when the land is plowed 
next spring the plants will be destroyed. In some 
cases, especially on light land, this is a better plan 
than fall plowing. 
Keep the Teams at Work. —This is our own rule. 
We must aim to distribute the work so as not to 
be crowded too much at any one time. It is not 
always best to do work at what may be absolutely 
the best time, but to do it when you can best afford 
the time—provided always that it is never done too 
late. Any thing that we have time to do now that 
will lessen work in the spring should be done, even 
though we gain nothing except being so much 
ahead with our work. 
A Dry September affords -an. excellent opportunity 
for digging ditches in low land, and for cleaning 
out and deepening those already cut. It is also a 
capital time to throw up muck, and get it ready for 
hauling in the winter. Any of our readers who 
have some land the} 7 think too low to drain, if they 
will commence at the stream, and dig a ditch 
througji their land, making the water follow them, 
they will probably be astonished at the result. 
Work in the Horticultural Departments. 
September is a month for planting, as well ns a 
month for harvesting. Many seeds can now be 
sown to advantage for early crops next spring. The 
horticulturist should always be on the track of 
progress. In order to do this, he needs to visit the 
exhibitions of fruits, flowers, etc., nearest to him, 
and as many more as practicable. One evening a 
week can be improved in visiting the farmers’ club, 
if there is one in the neighborhood, and profiting 
by the experience of others. Standard works upon 
different brunches of horticulture are valuable for 
study or reference, even if one is pretty well versed 
in the practical operations of the garden. 
Orcluirtl and Nursery. 
In marketing fruit of all kinds, it will pay to take 
care not to injure it by careless handling, for the 
price paid for a good quality of fruit is much above 
that given for a poorly assorted and bruised article. 
If fruit is to be sent to a distant market, it must 
be picked while it is firm, but still fully developed. 
Dried Fruit. —Commence to dry fruit as soon as 
it is fully matured. It will be of use when the season 
for fresh fruit is over, and when it is difficult to 
procure a variety of food. 
Trees set last spring without any mulch around 
them, will often show signs of failing during 
the warm weather of autumn. If the soil around 
them is removed to the depth of three or four 
inches, and then watered thoroughly, and a heavy 
mulch applied, it will often save them. 
Seed-Beds are to be shaded as directed last month, 
and kept free from weeds. 
Evergreens may be removed now as well as in 
spring, if care is only used in talcing up plenty of 
earth with the roots. Be sure that the roots are 
not exposed to the sun or to drying winds, and 
select, if possible, a damp, cloudy day. Large stones 
placed around the trees are better than stakes to 
prevent them from being disturbed by heavy winds. 
Labels. —Provide new labels for fruit trees, where 
the old ones have become useless from long ex¬ 
posure to the weather. Have a plan of the orchard 
and nursery, so that in case the labels are lost, the 
different varieties may be readily known. 
Seeds. —Save peach and plum pits from healthy 
trees, and bury them for planting next spring. 
Plowing.— If new orchards are to be set this fall, 
the land ought to be plowed and manured, in order 
to provide the young trees with a good soil, in 
which they can make a rapid and healthy growth. 
MiSclaeia 
It is a good time now to make preparations for 
underdraining the garden. In a well-drained and 
deeply-worked soil, the crops rarely suffer from 
drouth, and the ground can always be worked much 
earlier in the spring. Harvest all crops as soon as 
they are in perfection, and clear the ground of all 
weeds and rubbish. 
Asparagus. —-If the beds did not receive a dressing 
of manure last month, apply it as soon as possible. 
Beans. —Shell Limas, and dry for use next winter; 
and string-beans, prepared as for cooking, may be 
packed in jars with alternate layers of salt. 
Cabbages and Cauliflowers. —In order to have these 
early next spring, sow the seeds in the open ground 
about the middle of this month, and, when large 
enough, prick out into cold-frames. Keep the late 
crop well hoed, and dust with lime if the slug 
makes its appearance. 
Corn. —As soon as the ears have been taken from 
the early sorts, cut the stalks and feed them to the 
cattle; they make excellent food, and serve as ai 
change of diet. Dry a supply of corn for winter use. 
Save a few ears of the earliest and best for seed. 
Cucumbers. —Go ever the vines every day, and 
pick all' fruit of the proper size for pickling. Sweet 
pickles may be made of those which are too large 
for salting down. 
Celery. —As soon as the nights begin to be cool, 
commence to earth up. Select a time when the 
plant is dry, for if the leaves are wet the stalks will 
be likely to rust. Use care in earthing up, not to 
allow any particles of soil to enter the center or 
heart of the plant. 
Endive. —When the plants are a foot across, tie 
the leaves together at the top, or cover the plant 
with a flower-pot or a mat, to blanch it so as to de¬ 
stroy the bitter taste which it otherwise has. 
Kale. —Sow the variety known as the German 
Green, which will stand our winters. 
Manure. —Every thing in and around the garden 
that can be converted, into manure must bo saved 
and composted with stable manure. Where there 
is peat near by, dig out for the compost heap. Land 
for early spring crops is better if manured in the fall. 
Melims. —Turn the fruit so as to ripen both sides • 
when ripe, the stem parts readily. Place the fruit 
on ice a few hours before eating. 
Onions. —Harvest as soon as the tops fall down,dry 
thoroughly, and spread them in a dry, cool place. 
Radish. —Sow the Chinese Rose-colored this 
month ; it will keep all winter. 
Spinach. —Sow in 15-inch drills ; thin and weed 
as soon as the plants are large enough. 
Sweet Potatoes. —Move the vines occasionally, to 
prevent their rooting. The larger tubers may be 
carefully removed, and the others allowed to grow. 
Squashes. —Destroy all insects as fast as they ap¬ 
pear. Remove the old vines of the early summer 
sorts. Allow the vines of the winter varieties to 
root freely at the joints. 
Tomatoes. —Keep the .superfluous growth cut 
away, and give the vines a support of some kind, 
if nothing more than a heap of brush. Destroy the 
large green “ worm ” which is fouud upon the vines 
abundantly this month.; 
Turnips. —Hoe the Ruta-bagas often. Sow the 
round early sorts early this month. 
I-Vioit Garden. 
Blackberries. —After the fruit has been picked, re¬ 
move the old canes, and cut out all but two or 
three of the new ones. Never allow the new canes 
