1873 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
363 
Sheep are looking up again. On grain farms a 
email flock of sheep can he kept with little 
expense. 
Keep only the Strongest and Best Sheep. —Select 
out all the old and poor sheep and dispose of them. 
It will not pay to winter them. 
For Winter Fattening we want sheep that have 
got their growth and are now in good thrifty con¬ 
dition. Merino sheep for this purpose should be 
three or four years old. Let them have good pas¬ 
ture and a little grain—say half a pound each pet- 
day. They will gain very rapidly this month. 
Long-wool Sheep and Lambs should be dipped or 
dressed with a solution of carbolic soap to kill 
ticks. If this is neglected now the ticks will be 
very troublesome next spring. 
For Combing-Wool and Mutton Combined there is 
no more profitable sheep than a grade Cotswold or 
Leicester-Merino. Select out the strongest and 
best common Merino ewes, and procure a full-blood 
Cotswold, Lincoln, or Leicester ram. For 20 or 25 
ewes a last-spring’s lamb will answer. Good, 
pure-bred ram lambs can be obtained for from $40 
to $50, and nothing will pay better. 
Merino Sheep will always be wanted in this coun¬ 
try, and those who have good flocks should spare 
no pains to improve them. 
Farrow Cows that are giving milk should be fed 
two or three quarts of corn-meal per day. This 
will fatten them, and they can be milked at the 
same time. 
Milch Cows will also pay well for a quart or two 
of meal per day. It will get them into good con¬ 
dition for the winter, as well as keep up the supply 
of milk. 
Look Out for Storms , and have the sheds and 
6tables ready to shelter the sheep, calves, cows, 
etc. See that the stables are well ventilated. 
Swine. —Pork has been so low for two or three 
years that many farmers have paid no attention to 
the improvement of their breed of pigs. They 
make a mistake. There will be a reaction. Good 
pigs will soon be wanted. 
Early Maturity is more than ever desirable in 
our breeds of pigs. The demand is now greater 
and the price higher for young, small, well-fattened 
pigs than for large hogs. 
As Soon as a Pig is fat he should be sent to 
market, Sell the fat ones and buy lean ones 
to feed. 
Fattening Pigs should be pushed forward this 
month as rapidly as possible. There is no better 
food- than sound corn. If it docs not cost too 
much, grind and cook it. At any rate, shell it and 
soak the corn for 24 or 36 hours. Let the pigs 
have all of this soaked corn they will eat, and then 
tempt them to eat more by throwing them some 
dry ears of corn. Let them have a full supply of 
fresh water at all times, 
Young Pigs should have all the milk you can 
spare. Our own plan is to feed them cooked corn- 
meal, and when they have eaten as much of this as 
the}- will, give them some more cooked meal mixed 
with milk. This induces them to eat more, and 
they grow very rapidly. 
Breeding Stock should have plenty of exe:-eise, 
with a liberal allowance of food of a not too con¬ 
centrated character—such as pumpkins, bran, man¬ 
gel leaves, turnips, etc. 
Spring Pigs are better wintered in the pork- 
barrel. 
Early Fall Pigs should be pushed forward rapidly, 
so that they may have strength enough to stand 
the winter. 
Late Fall rigs must be kept in pens by them¬ 
selves, and should have the best of food. It will 
not do to let them rough it with the common herd. 
Horses should be kept up at night; or at any 
rate, if turned out to pasture they should be 
allowed graiu an d hay in addition. 
Poultry should not be neglected. See that they 
have abundance of food. Clean out the hen-house 
frequently. Scatter dry earth on the floor. Do 
not let the hens roost in trees or on implements. 
- - —»«»--♦ - 
Work in the Horticultural Departments. 
October in northern latitudes will close up most 
of the out-of-doors labor for the year, while fur¬ 
ther south a number of weeks still remain before 
frosts set in. The cool, bracing air at this season 
invigorates one, and though the days are short the 
amount of labor that can be done now is nearly 
equal to that accomplished during the hot, long 
days of June. Nature seems to have created this 
month for the especial benefit of those who arc 
behind with their work, and to give them an op¬ 
portunity to close up the many necessary jobs 
around a garden. The copious rains have so fresh¬ 
ened up the plants and grass that little need be 
feared of an autumn drouth. The labors of the 
coming season may be materially lightened by a 
judicious foresight in the application of work at 
the present time. 
Or<-liai-d and Nursery. 
Fruit. —Harvest the late varieties of fruit before 
the frost becomes too severe. If handled with 
care, fruit picked now will last a long time. A 
cool cellar is needed for storing and keeping fruit. 
Sort and place the fruit in barrels; head, and lay 
the barrel upon its side, taking care to leave a foot 
at least between the barrel and cellar wall. The 
cellar should not be closed until the low tempera¬ 
ture outside makes it necessary. 
Late Pears are to be treated in the 6ame way as 
recommended above, except that it is best to sub¬ 
stitute boxes for barrels unless one has a great 
quantity. Do not remove them to the cellar 
until there is danger of freezing. The earlier 
sorts may be placed on shelves in the fruit room. 
Cider and Vinegar. —The best use for inferior 
fruit is to manufacture into cider and vinegar. 
The best cider can be made at this season, as there 
is less danger of rapid fermentation. Cider made 
from good fruit and run through a filter of sand 
may be bottled and placed in a cool cellar, where 
it will keep well. 
Planting. —If fall planting is practiced the trees 
should be set out as soon as they can be had, so 
that they may have time to get established before 
winter sets in. Plow and prepare the land so that 
no delay need happen after the trees have arrived. 
Do not mix the sorts, but plant out separately in 
straight rows, and have a plan of the orchard 
showing the position and name of each variety, so 
that should the labels be lost or the names be 
obliterated by the weather the plan will be a sure 
guide to the variety. 
Labels. —When trees arrive from the nursery the 
labels are often wired so close as to injure the 
bark. This should be looked to, and if a plan of 
the orchard has been made the labels may be re¬ 
moved altogether. 
Clear up any weeds or rubbish which have col¬ 
lected around the orchard and fences during the 
fall, and see that the fences are repaired so as to 
prevent any stray animals from entering and injur¬ 
ing the trees. A little time employed in this now 
will often preveut hundreds of dollars of damages. 
Fruit Garden. 
Currants and Gooseberries. — Prune when the 
leaves have fallen, cutting out the old wood so as 
to make the bushes open and allow the light and 
air to penetrate them. Shorten the new growth at 
least one-half, and if the shoots are weak remove 
more. Save cuttings of such varieties as are need¬ 
ed for propagation and plant them in trenches 18 
inches apart and the plants four inches in the rows, 
taking care to press the earth firmly around them. 
Strawberries planted last month must be kept- 
clear of weeds, and other beds set out where 
needed. Do not mulch until the ground is about 
to freeze. 
Grapes.—Allow them to become perfectly ripe 
before they are picked. The stalks which hold the 
bunches will lose their stiffness, so that the cmscer 
will hang down from the vine when quite ripe. 
Blackberries and Raspberries stand the winter bet¬ 
ter if the canes are laid down and covered ; this, 
however, should not be done until quite late—if 
possible, just previous to the freezing up> of the 
ground. New plantings may be made now if 
wanted. Set out the plants in rows 8 feet apart, 
allowing 6 feet between the plants for blackberries ; 
plant raspberries 4 feet apart each way. The soil 
should be rich and properly pulverized by plowing. 
EiJlcEiieii Gai-«lcs». 
In this department there will be plenty of work 
to occupy the gardener’s time until the winter sets 
in. Everything around the garden should be put 
in good order at once. Delays in this matter are 
dangerous, especially in this climate. 
Draining can usually be done at this season, and 
there are very few gardens which will not be bene¬ 
fited by it. The articles which frequently appear 
in our columns upon farm drainage will apply with 
equal force to the garden. 
Plowing .—The garden should in every case where 
it is possible be manured and plowed or spaded in 
the fall. The frost then has a chance to act upon 
the soil and render it better for crops, besides al¬ 
lowing it to be worked earlier in the spring. 
Manure should be carted and placed upon the 
ground in piles ready for use early in the spring. 
This work may be continued until quite late, even 
after winter has set in. 
Asparagus. —As soon as the tops turn yellow cut 
and burn so as to destroy the seeds. If put into 
the manure-heap the seeds grow and the plant* 
become troublesome weeds. 
Cabbages. —Prepare cold-frames for wintering the 
young plants grown from seed planted last month. 
Set the plants 2 % inches apart each way, and down 
to the leaves, pressing the earth firmly around the 
plants. Do not apply the sashes until freezing 
weather. Treat cauliflowers in the same manner. 
Celery. —Finish earthing up, banking the earth 
well up against the stalks nearly to the top of the 
leaves. Before the ground freezes take up and set 
in trenches a foot wide and as deep as the plants 
arc high, and cover with straw and boards, increas¬ 
ing the thickness of the covering as the cold be¬ 
comes more severe. 
Lettuce. —The more hardy kinds may be sown 
early this month, and will winter over if covered 
lightly with litter or leaves. A supply should 
be put into the cold-frame for early spring planting. 
Rhubarb. —This is the best season for making 
new plantations, as the plants start too early in the 
spring to be moved to advantage. Divide up the 
old roots so as to leave a good bud to each plant, 
arid set out in rich soil; too much manure can 
hardly be used. 
Spinach. —The late sowings must be kept weeded 
and thinned, and later, when cold weather finally 
sets in, covered with a thin layer of leaves or straw. 
Squashes. —Cut before the frost injures, and allow 
them to remain in the field for a day or two to get 
thoroughly dry. Store in a cool, dry place where 
there will be no danger of frost. Handle with care, 
so as to prevent bruising and decay. 
Sweet-Potatoes. —After the frost has wilted the 
vines, dig and allow the potatoes to lie iu-tlie sun 
an hour or two. In storing for winter, pack in 
barrels with cut straw, taking care not to injure 
the tubers, as a slight bruise will often cause de- 
cav. The temperature at which they are best pre¬ 
served is about 60°, and it should not go much less 
than this. 
Roots— See that the bins, barrels, cellars, etc., 
are all ready for the reception of roots. It is best 
in northern latitudes to 6tore in root-cellars rather 
than in the open ground, if possible; the great fall 
of snow and the depth to which the ground freezes 
in some localities will often prevent access to them 
when in heaps or trenches in the ground. 
