my shoulder, he would accompany me to m v 
room. 
stocked, an active workman can, without 
over exertion, pull and top in a working day 
of ten hours, from 150 to 175 bushels. This I 
know to be the case, for a month ago I had 
the matter demonstrated in the open field, 
and therefore can vouch for these figures. 
By this method turnips grown to full size 
can without any doubt, be puiled, topped, 
and put in “pits*' for an amount not to 
exceed two cents a bushel. When the 
ground is stony it is well for the toppers to 
carry with them a piece of whetstone, so 
as to keep a keen edge on their knives, 
RED PEPPER AND POULTRY 
FALL AND WINTER FEEDING OF 
POULTRY. 
CHEAP WAY TO HARVEST ROOT CROPS. 
Mb. P. T. Quinn, anthor of “Money in the 
Garden,” contributes the following to the 
Tribune : 
To those who have grown root crops on an 
extensive scale, it is well-known that the 
gathering and topping of the crop is the 
most tedious and expensive part of the 
whole work, and It is quite as disagreeable 
as it is tedious. To stand or rather sit still, 
in an open field topping turuiupj, with a keen 
cold November wind whistling around you 
for 8 or 10 hours a day, while the work lasts, 
is anything but cheerful to those who have 
taken a hand at this kind of farm work. The 
common practice is to pull t he turnips, beets, 
or carrots, throwing them promiscuously in¬ 
to large heaps, 'thou top in the field until 
chattering of the teeth and trembling of the. 
body put a stop to this method, when the 
balance is carted to the barn or shed, piled in 
a large heap, there to bo topped at leisure. 
Why not haul the turnips to the barn at first, 
or begin the work earlier before the weather 
gets, so cold, are two inquiries that would 
most naturally suggest theniselvest. To the 
first, the reason wliv is well known to every 
practical farmer who counts the cost, for 
each handling adds largely to the expense. 
While if there are two crops taken oil the 
of ground the same year, the 
I do not know if other persons who raise 
poultry and pet birds are as much dependant 
as I am on red pepper ; but I have found so 
much benefit from its use in my poultry 
yards and bird cages, that it may not be 
amiss to call the attention of others to its 
good properties. I do not speak of the 
article that is sold in drug stores—and some¬ 
times not remarkably fresh—but of the cap¬ 
sicum that grows in our gardens. I have 
tried all the different varieties, and that the 
most,'pungent and efficacious is the small 
kind mostly known by the name of “ bird’s 
pepper.” The plant iu itself is a beautiful 
object; it grows about, two feet high, and in 
Autumn its bright little scarlet berries look 
like coral beads peeping from under the 
dark, green foliage. Indeed, one plant in a 
pot forms a very pretty ornament for a 
flower stand. The seeds possess a stimulat¬ 
ing mul reviving property, and 1 And that 
two or three given to newly-hatched chick¬ 
ens, especially if they aro weakly, have a 
most, happy effect. If a hen looks feeble 
after moulting, six of these berries or pods, 
given daily in some corn meal and sweet 
milk, improves her wonderfully. Last sum¬ 
mer two of my canaries began to droop, 
Every day I gave them each one seed of the 
“bird’s pepper,” and in less than a week 
they were quit© well. The aame remedy is 
invaluable for mocking birds .—An Old 
Farmer in Woonsocket, Patriot. 
The foraging season iH now over, and the 
poultry will require more feed than they did 
while roamiDg over the farm in search of in¬ 
sects during the summer months. Unless 
they get a liberal supply of feed now, they 
will not grow and thrive profitably. The 
young things have enormous appetites now, 
same piece 
second crop, even on good soil, will need 
every day’s growth up to the close of the sea¬ 
son to swell the roots to full size. To get the 
advantage of the late growth with a knowl¬ 
edge that an ordinary frost at that time of 
the year will not in the least injure the crop, 
is the reason why this kind of work is usual¬ 
ly left until late in the season. The expense, 
then, of pulling and topping a crop of yellow 
turnips or ruta bagas of a Mr average yield 
will range anywhere from live to eight cents 
a bushel; a price that looks unwarranted to 
the inexperienced farmer. 
For more than a dozen years T have been 
interested ia the culture of root crops for 
market purposes, having grown thousands 
of bushels every year. The seeming unnec¬ 
essary expense of pulling and topping has 
been duriug this time au annual source of 
annoyance, and one that materially lessened 
the profits of root crops. From year to year 
I carried into practice, in gathering root 
crops in the fall, such methods os upon trial 
proved to be improvements upon those in 
use, and succeeded iu this way in reducing 
the cost two or three cents a bushel. The 
past season I hit upon a plan that goes far 
ahead of anything that 1 have seen in print 
or testsd in practice. This method not only 
reduces the expense of pulling and topping 
from six or seven cents to less than two cents 
a bushel, hut at the same time obviates any 
necessity of carting to the bam or shed 
untoppod roots, for with this plan topping 
becomes more pleasant and warmer work 
than pulling ; no matter how the wind blows, 
there will be plenty of action to keep warm 
in topping in the field. 
Carrots, beets, parsnips and turnips are 
now very generally cultivated in rows, by 
those who raise any or all of the kinds enu¬ 
merated, to any extent. When the time 
arrives for pulling, each man or boy takes 
two rows and pulls them, and as fast as pull¬ 
ed they are placed in one row, side by side, 
one deep, and iu the same relative position. 
The next two rows are pulled and placed in 
the same way, with the roots of row number 
two facing those of number one. By follow¬ 
ing this plan with every four rows the labor 
of gathering the roots, when topped, will be 
found much less. The main point to be 
carried out, iu pulling aud placing turnips 
or other kinds of roots, is to bo sure and keep 
the necks as near in a straight line as possible. 
With an hour’s practice a man can pull and 
place the roots in this position about as fast 
as if throwing them in heaps. One active 
man will cut off the tops as fast as two men 
can pul). Equipped with an ordinary table 
knife the boy follows the puller, severing 
each top in turn, and frequently two at once, 
without removing the roots from the position 
in which they are placed by the men pulling, 
so there is no time wasted in taking up or 
throwing down Ilia turnips, beets or carrots. 
The topper keeps constantly moving along 
the line of each row cutting off the tops, as 
he walks along, being forced to make enough 
of motion to keep warm even on a cold day, 
I have topped sixty rutabagas by this meth¬ 
od in a minute, when trying hard to work 
against time. Of course this speed could not 
be kept very long. But when rutabagas 
have grown full size, say from one to two 
pounds apiece, and the ground is evenly 
POULTRY NOTES, 
Hen Manure,.—In the north of England 
hen manure is highly valued. It is always 
kept apart from other manures, and is look¬ 
ed upon as tho very best manure for onion 
beds. To that use it is almost invariably 
put, and the crops grown by it arc said to al¬ 
most double those grown by any other agent. 
Ah it is a very strong manure, however, it 
should be put in the soil somo time before 
the send is sown.—Ear. 
Ducks are preferable to geese wherever 
they can have plenty of wa»er. Ducks get 
their living from the water, while geese de¬ 
pend upon the farmer’s crops. 
THE LAMB KNITTING MACHINE 
The sewing machine is rightly considered 
a household necessity in thousands of fami¬ 
lies where, if as well known, the Lamb Knit¬ 
ting Machine would he regarded as equally 
indispensable. The great obstacle Lo woman’s 
advancement in intelligence is the absorbing 
nature of her work, wbicb so fills her hours 
that she has little time to study or even to 
think. We expected wonderful results from 
the introduction of sewing machines in light¬ 
ening woman’s labors and giving her more 
time for mental culture and improvement ; 
but Fashion stole a march on Civilization 
there, so that the time and labor which 
women might save by the use of sewing 
machines is given to additional fineries, flow¬ 
ers and ruffles. With a good knitting ma¬ 
chine, no such danger need bo feared. Time 
saved by it is saved for use and not for fri¬ 
volity. It insures pleuty of comfortable 
gloves, mittens and stockings for every mem¬ 
ber of the family during the coming winter, 
and if wives, mothers and sisters are tempted 
by the facilities for doing the work to knit 
warm, comfortable and useful capes, afghans 
and jackets for their loved ones, the effort 
will cost little time, and “ the world will be 
the better for it.” 
The Lamb Knitting Machine has been sev¬ 
eral years before the public, has been fully 
tested and shown to be capable of doing 
everything in the line of knitting, not only of 
mittens and stockings, but of various fancy 
and useful articles which women folks are 
always wanting, but which cost a good deal 
of money to buy. The saving in family ex¬ 
penses, the gain in family comfort, and tho 
increased time which a good knitting ma¬ 
chine will give the womenfolks, form a triad 
of advantages quite as important as those 
which the farmer gains in out door work by 
improved reapers aud mowers. 
Full instructions for using sent with every 
machine. We will furnish a complete ma¬ 
chine, ninety-six needles, six to the inch, 
with iron needle-bed and all extras, suited 
for every kind of work, for 40 subscribers at 
club rates, or for 80 at $2.65 per copy. No 
reader who procures one of these knitting 
machines will e ver regret it, 
HOW TO PET THE CANARIES 
Says a writer on canaries In this way I 
answer tho question of “ how 1 had such luck 
with birds.” Simply by allowing the birds 
to attend to their own affairs, and by letting 
them understand that their mistress would 
never harm them. Also, by accustoming 
them to plenty of light and air and company, 
rather than, as recommended in books, keep¬ 
ing the cage in a dark room for fear of fright¬ 
ening the birds. Make just half the fuss 
directed in bird-books over the matter, aud 
you will have doubtless better success iu 
rawing birds. Never give them sugar, but 
all t he red peppier they will eat. It is the 
best thing for them. And if your bird feels 
hoarse at any time, put a piece of fat salt 
pork in the cage, and see how the little 
fellow will enjoy it. Give him flaxseed once 
in a while, and if he appears dumpy occasion¬ 
ally give a diet of bread and water, with red 
peppier sprinkled in. Open the cage door and 
give your pets the freedom of the room ; 
soon they will come at your call and fly to 
meet you whenever your voice is heard. I 
had one who came regularly to my desk as 1 
sat writing each day, aud disputed with 
fluttering wings and open beak, my humble 
right to tho inkstand. Aud when I had 
reasoned him out of his mistaken notion he 
would perch himself on my pea-handle (no 
very comfortable proceeding for me), and 
watch gravely as I wrote. I have many a 
time also discovered him in the act of eating 
off tho corners of my paper, oveu to the title 
of my article. Another thought nothing of 
trotting about on my head and shoulders and 
even hopped under my throat to nestle 
against my chin, lie would take his bath as 
I held the cup in my hand, and coolly dry 
himself on my head. Another would fly 
down or up-stairs to me whenever I called 
him, and many a time, when I have been 
out, he lias welcomed my return by flying 
down the stairs aud singing at the top of his 
voice all the while, until, at last, perched on 
WINTER RYE AS A FORAGE PLANT 
Stephen Shkpi.ky writes as follows in the 
New England Farmer : —“ Constant Reader ” 
of Shirley, inquires “How it would do to 
plow aud sow with ryo and grass seed a 
piece of pasture land which is to lie fed coo- 
stantlv next summer.” I answer, “Just 
right.” 1 have tried it and am satisfied with 
the result, if possible, f would jdOw the 
last of August or first of September, and 
turn the. sod over 11 it and then liurrow 
lengthways of the furrow. Sow one and 
one-half bushels of rye to the acre and har¬ 
row again the same way as before ; then 
sow on grass seed, say four quarts of herd’s- 
grass, eight quarts oi red-ton, eight quarts ol* 
June grass and four pounds white clover, 
and roll or brush it Iu. If sown as early as 
1 have indicated, the rye affords very good 
Joed in October. The cattle, at (hat season, 
seem to prefer it to every thing else. And 
then, in the coming spring, I doubt whether 
the cattle or their owner can look upon any 
field with more pleasure than on that part of 
the pasture which is covered with a green 
ami luxuriant growth of rye, affording as it 
will, a great amount of nutritious feed at a 
season of the year when it is so much 
needed. I should sow at any time before 
first of November rather than riot sow at all, 
or if “Constant Reader” wants to change 
the condition of his mowing lands, let him 
go through tho same operation as with me 
pasture, only sow more grass seed; say 
eight quarts of herd’sgrass, sixteen quarts 
red-top and six pounds red clover. 
By the tenth day of the following June he 
can cut a very fair crop of rye straw which 
he can dry and put in his barn, and he will 
find it excellent feed the following winter. 
If he has a little top-dressing to spare— the 
more the better, as none of it will be wasted 
—let him put it on where the rye straw lias 
been taken off ; aud if the season is a favora¬ 
ble one, he can, by the loth of August, cut, 
on the same piece, more than an average 
crop of hay and leave a good, promising bot¬ 
tom for next year. This plan 1 think far 
better than to let the worms, of which he 
complains, have the old fields to themselves. 
I wish "Constant Reader” and others 
would try rye as a forage plant, for 1 do not 
think it is appreciated by the farmer accord- 
to its worth. 
