314 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
crowns turn black and decay. The late 
fall rains too cause a second growth of roots 
and change a portion of the saccharine mat. 
ter to woody fibre. Any gain in size is 
lost in quality. Harvested early, they will 
keep well in a cool dark cellar until spring. 
The white Belgian carrot which grows 
high above the ground is injured by freezing, 
while the orange and other varieties covered 
with earth will endure 20 degrees of cold, or 
even keep sound through the winter. We 
have had them freeze through in the root 
room without apparent injury. 
Swedes and Ruta bagas are very hardy, 
and may go in last. A root-room adjoining 
the barn is the best place to keep them, and 
if such a place has not been already provided. 
A ROOT ROOM 
should be among the earliest investments of 
a little spare capital. Roots are coming in 
to use more and more in this country, and 
deservedly. They are raised more easily 
than grain, and go much further, acre for 
acre. 
Parsnips are improved by freezing, and 
may remain out all winter. Care should be 
taken to have no water stand about the tops. 
The crowns sometimes decay from this 
cause. They are a very nutritious feed for 
pigs and cows, but when they bring a dol 
lar a bushel in market, as they often do in 
the first three months of the year, it is best 
to sell them. Carelessness in storing roots 
has often led to great loss and discouraged 
the farmer from growing them. 
FATTENING SWINE AND CATTLE. 
No time should be lost now in preparing 
thtm for *he butcher. They take on flesh 
mo.e^si'v in warm than in very cold weath¬ 
er. ! t is a matter of great importance that 
they sho'do have full feed, at regular times, 
warm stalls, and beds, and be kept quiet as 
possible. Cooked food goes much further 
than raw. 
CARTING MUCK. 
Some farmers remove the manure that has 
accumulated in the sheds and yards during 
the summer, at this season, and make piles 
of it upon the green sward that is to be 
turned up next spring. They put in muck 
enough to absorb the gases, and make the 
heaps high so that they will not take too 
much of the rain. This helps forward the 
spring work very much, and on this account 
is a good usage. Where this is done the 
yards and stables should be immediately 
supplied with muck thrown out from the 
swamps and ditches a year ago. Muck is 
to be always on hand, as work to fall back 
upon, when other business is not pressing. 
It must not be neglected even in the busiest 
season. The making of manure is a funda¬ 
mental business upon the farm. It is to cul¬ 
tivation, what action is to oratory, the first, 
middle, and last thing, and if the farmer 
would make his crops talk with Demosthe- 
nian eloquence, he must insist upon manure, 
manure , manure. Keep the teams carting 
muck until the yards, sties, privies, and sta¬ 
bles are well stored. 
THE RATIO OF STOCK TO FODDER. 
This is sometimes lost sight of, and if the 
farmer could only lose sight of the miserable 
lean kine that come of it in the spring, it 
might answer. But ribs and hip bones will 
stick out, proclaiming the folly of keeping 
cattle on a scanty diet. Ten cows well fed 
will give more profit, than fifteen, pinched 
for food through the winter. Therefore 
either sell oflf your surplus or make up your 
mind to buy fodder. Do not think to make 
swamp hay or salt marsh do the work of 
corn fodder or herd’s grass. An animal’s 
stomach is proof against any such fraud. 
GATHER LEAVES. 
They lie now frequently in heaps and 
rows, in the corners, and under the walls, 
where they may be easily secured. Soon 
the winds will scatter them, or the snows 
will cover them, and they will be lost. Leaves 
are among the best fertilizers within the 
reach of the farmer. They are good bedding 
for cattle, good in the compost heap, and 
hot bed in the spring. Save all within your 
reach. 
LOOK TO YOUR DITCHES AND DRAINS 
that they may be ready for their winter 
work. The cleanings of the ditches are 
good material for the compost heap. 
RIDGE YOUR GARDENS. 
The frost will do a good work for your 
subsoil, if you will give it an opportunity. 
The ridges may be made with a heavy plow 
or with the spade. Ground that is wanted 
for early crops should be manured before 
ridging. Make the ridges at least two feet 
high, and let them be as close together as 
is possible with that depth. The subsoil 
will be pulverized by the frosts, and will 
receive some ammonia from the snows and 
winter rains. 
CLEAN CHIMNEY AND STOVE PIPES. 
This is a matter that you should not 
leave to the future. A chimney on fire in a 
windy, zero night is a poor lullaby. See 1o 
this matter in person, or at least know that 
it is well done. A chimney may be fired 
with a bundle of straw in a rainy day with 
safety. 
STORES FOR THE MIND. 
While you are providing for physical com¬ 
fort during the winter, do not forget a good 
stock of reading. There are points in your 
husbandry that you have not yet settled. 
Seek light on these topics and make your¬ 
self a well read and intelligent man. Noth¬ 
ing pays better upon the farm, than science 
united to practical skill. Take a good sup¬ 
ply of agricultural and horticultural papers, 
that you may know what progress husband¬ 
ry is making in all parts of the land. The 
perodical press is now pouring forth such 
floods of choice literature, and standard 
works are so cheap, that every one can sup¬ 
ply his household.— Ed. 
Strychnine Antidote. —Mr. C. Leavitt, 
of Rockville, Connecticut, informs the Sci¬ 
entific American that a valuable dog poi¬ 
soned by strychnine, and fast sinking under 
its influence, v/as cured by half a pint of 
strong coffee. _ 
The eye’s eloquence, twin born with 
thought outstrips the tardy voice ? 1 
CALENDAR OE OPERATIONS, 
NOVEMBER, 1856. 
[We give from month to month, besides our leading 
article, “Work for the Month,” a Calendar of some of the 
more important operations in the field, garden, &c. 
These are adapted to the latitudes of 41® to 42°. A little 
allowance must be made for each degree of latitude—later 
north, earlier south.. An early season, or a late one 
advances or retards operations, so that we shall 
need to revise and adapt these tables to each year. 
The letters f. m. 1. refer to first, middle, and last of the 
month. 
Doubling the letters thus: ff., mm., or 11., gives emphasis 
to the particular period indicated.] 
FARM. 
Barns—Have in readiness for cold weath¬ 
er, with stalls and mangers prepared for 
cattle and horses. 
Barn-yards—Keep well supplied with 
muck, and guard against drainage as directed 
last month. 
Beeves—Continue to feed if not already 
fit for the butcher. Complete fattening be¬ 
fore severe weather and finish by giving 
corn, or Indian meal. 
Buildings of all kinds—Look to see that 
they are in good condition, and of sufficient 
number to protect both iipeds and quadrupeds 
from the severe cold and driving snows of 
the approaching winter. 
Cellars—Remember the frozen roots of 
last winter and guard against a repetition, by 
timely banking up with spent tan or saw 
dust., and doubling the windows or even 
darkening them rather than have frost in the 
cellar. Ventilation should not be closed, 
however, until severe cold requires it. 
Cisterns, both for house and barn may be 
made during the early part of this month if 
not already done. Instead of driving the 
cattle a distance for water, collect from the 
barns and sheds that which would other¬ 
wise wash the yards, and conduct it into large 
cisterns so that a horse or other animal may 
be watered at a moment’s notice. 
Draining may still be continued during the 
greater part of the present month. 
Economy of the Farm—Give store stock 
of all kinds sufficient food as the pastures 
fail, that they may commence the winter in 
“good heart.” Complete fattening whatev¬ 
er is to be killed early ; »s less food is re¬ 
quired now than in cold weather. Keep 
stock warm and sheltered for the same rea¬ 
son. Look over the farm, about the build¬ 
ings and among the tools, and do whatever 
you can to save labor in the spring. Make 
manures assiduously, bearing in mind that 
if each cord costs you two dollars worth of 
time and labor, it is even better than to pay 
that much away for, perhaps, an inferior arti 
cle. 
Fattenirig stock of all kinds—Complete be¬ 
fore severe cold weather requires a portion 
of the food to be used in keeping up the ani¬ 
mal heat. 
Fowls—Give cracked corn, mashed pota¬ 
toes, &c., for two weeks to those you are 
fattening. Feed meat to hens as soon as the 
cold weather deprives them of their supply 
of worms and insects. If an animal dies a 
portion of the meat may be sliced off and 
hung up to feed out daily. The increase in 
eggs will much more than pay cost. 
Frost—Guard against, both in cellars and 
about water pipes, which if exposed, should 
be boxed and filled in with tan or sawdust, 
or wound with straw. 
Grain—Thresh ff. if not already done, pre¬ 
serving the straw for feeding and bedding. 
Hogs—Give full supply of food so as to 
fatten early. Cooked food is much to be 
preferred, finishing by feeding corn or Indian 
meal. Keep the yards well supplied with 
muck, leaves, turf, mold, &c., all of which 
may be converted into excellent manure. 
