Jot Copus, 
JOTTINGS AT KIRBY HOMESTEAD. 
by cox,, f. d. cmms. 
Mistakes are teachers. When we looked over 
our sheep early in fall we found five ewes which 
we thought ought to he turned off. They had 
been such excellent mothers that they had been 
kept until two of them had lost their front teeth 
and the others were fully eight years old. The 
old ewes were put into a stable and a temporary 
rack made where they conld bo fed hay. There 
was a nice feed box for grain, and with a tub to 
hold drink, we said to ourselves “now wo will 
fatten our sheep and have some first-rate mut¬ 
ton.” We gave them plenty of clover hay,—the 
best kind of hay for sheep—and kept the tub full 
of water. No rulatako about this. Then xve be¬ 
gan to feed them barley—about a gilt each day. 
This was well enough, for we kuew sheep must 
be fed only a little at first or they would get fo- 
veiidj and lose their wool, and perhaps get the 
scours. We had never stall feed sheep before. 
This waB the way we had wintered them often, 
and they did well. The roots were not gathered 
or wo should have fed them some turnips with 
the barley. By and by there was a load of corn 
ground in tbo ear to feed the pigs, and this 
meal we thought just tbo thing for our rattening 
sheep ; so we commenced w ith the corn meal 
and as they ato it greedily we increased their 
feed to a quart each. 
In a few days they all bad the scours and be¬ 
fore they got. over it they bad lost all they had 
gained and we lost all our trouble and feed. A 
neighbor offered us two dollars apiece Tor the 
four best ewes and wo let him havo them. With 
tLo one old sheep and a half dozen late lambs, 
we started another iloclc and another trial. They 
have been fed twice a day with corn meal, less 
than a pint each, all told. The old sheep is get¬ 
ting round and plump and the other day the 
hired luau wanted to know when we should kill 
her as ho wanted a quarter. Dividing the food 
into two messos, morning and evening, is a most 
capital idea, as the stomach doos not get over¬ 
loaded and thou being a less quantity it is 
thoroughly digested. An animal will actually 
fatten sooner on a small quantity fully digested, 
than on a larger amount, crowded into the stomach 
at one time. A pig may be fed nil it will eat of 
concentrated food, but not so with & sheep or 
cow; grain must he fed to ali ruminating ani¬ 
mals in limited quantities. We once had a fat 
ox thrown into a chronic dysentery from which 
lie never recovered, by being over-fed with corn 
meal. The man fed him six quarts twice a day, 
instead of once a day as we told him. Hotsc-s 
can be gradually fed up to a condition that they 
may be tied up to an oat bin and allowed to eat 
all they wish without injury, or the grain conld 
bo kopt in the manger before them and they 
would only eat what they wanted. We have 
dono bo when horses were required to perform 
severe labor. It is a mistake to keep sheep, 
however useful they maybe, until they arc more 
than six years old. In fact as a mle, it would 
be better to fit them for the shambles at an 
earlier age. Old sheep takeonllesh much slower 
than younger ones as the muscles are shrunken, 
all the tissues are more or less wasted and the 
blood thin and weak. Nearly the whole animal 
structure has to be renewed before they will fat¬ 
ten, and this is a cost which may be obviated by 
fattening when in full vigor. The same is true 
of old cows. It may be a question whether the 
advantages to be derived from those animals in 
the production of young do not compensate for 
the increased expense in fitting them for the 
butcher. This can only be so when the owe is 
an extra good one. A sheep at four years of ago 
has got its full growth, and after that produces 
a lighter fleece every year, unless extra care is 
had. and even then a ewe, after she has passed 
this age, will produce less wool annually. From 
these deductions and our own experiences,we are 
satisfied old ewes do not pay. 
Many of our neighbors are letti'g their sheep 
run over the field and pick their living. They 
must be losiDg in condition, and besides they 
are injuring the meadowB and pastures for an¬ 
other year. Sheep bite very close and when al¬ 
lowed to run in this way, they will eat off tbo 
crow ns of the clover and other grasses. When 
this is done, the grass is apt to die, especially if 
the winter is an open one as this one bids fair to 
be. They get unruly, too, and next summer they 
will not forget it. 
A box is a capital thing to put over a grape¬ 
vine or any tender plant to protect it. When 
dirt is not desirable or handy or the vine is so 
shaped that it cannot be conveniently covered, a 
box is just the thing. Evergreen brush of any 
kind is also good and clean to use about the 
house. 
The AilantnB tree has lost its popularity in the 
cities. It is not beautiful, but. wo believe its 
fame did not rest on this, hut on a notion that it 
was healthy. Why, or how, we do not know. 
The odor of the Llossoms is exceedingly disagree¬ 
able, and wherever they fall they make a great 
deal of dirt. It is a natural habitation for ver¬ 
min, as silk worms are fond of its leaves. It 
may have had a charm on account of its oriental 
origin. We have been looking through all thiB 
and imagine we can see practical utility in its 
rapid growth and pungent woed. It will make 
good posts and railB. We have brought a score 
of self-seedlings, pulled up out of a little grass 
plat before a brown-stone front in New York, 
and, in nn out-of-the-way corner on the farm 
they are planted. Here wo will have an Ailauthus 
grove and wait and see if our imagination is not 
something more Ilian a fancy. 
Wo had a big heap of buckwheat straw which 
had been wet through and was partially rotted, 
It was in the way and against the warnings of 
Mr. Packer and others, wo had it scatte red over 
the rye. They said “ it would smother the rye, 
hotter to spread it. in the barn yard." The rye is 
on an exposed side-hill and needed, wo thought, 
just, this kind of a oovering. It cannot smother 
it this winter and alien spring comes why will 
not the buckwheat straw rot, and after serving 
as a muloh be so much manure to help the 
growth of tho rye? Then, wo save handling it 
over twice and this is quite an item. 
A fino Dorking rooster, weighing not less than 
six pounds, was dragged awsy by a hawk and 
killed. There has been a great deal of trouble 
with the depredations cf hawks in tho neighbor¬ 
hood this summer. Tho sly rascals sit quietly 
among the trees around the farm buildings and, 
watching their opportunity, swoop down with 
great force upon unwary fowls, c.itch them 
firmly with their claws, nnd carry them away 
with their wide-spreading pinions to some so- 
cluded spot where they tear them in pieces and 
feBst to their hearts' eoutent. They steal little 
chickens, arid carry them to the tall tree tops 
where they have their nests, to feed their young. 
Guinea fowls are said to he an ell'eotive guard 
against haw ks. When they see a hawk—and they 
seem to be more on the alert than other fowl—they 
set up a fearful scroaching which either fright¬ 
ens the marauder away, or so puts othrr poultry 
on their guard that tho would-be thief loses his 
game. We havo never been without Guinea 
fowlB until the past year, and this may accouut 
for the boldness of the hawks. We have now got 
a pair of Guineas to be prepared for next year. 
■ -» » » 
NOTES FROM MAPLEWOOD FARM. 
HECTOR BERTRAM. 
Winter is really upon us hereabouts. The 
smaller brooks are frozen over, and there is 
every indication that the change from mud and 
water is to be a permanent one. Older men 
prophesy an open winter—constant changes 
from cold to warm weather, and the opposite. 
We sincerely trust not; for such weather is very 
productive of sickness—tho prevalence of con¬ 
tagious diseases. With many men who style 
themselves farmers, the season's labor ceases 
at this Lime, and during the winter months they 
surround tho kitchen fire nearly all the time, 
gave that required to harry through their chores 
and procure fuel—such persons never havo a 
supply furnished before cold weather sets in— 
and consider that this is all they have to do dur¬ 
ing the time that mother earth is covered with 
her mantle of snow. A very erroneous idea it 
ia too. To the practical, painstaking farmer 
the winter months furnish ample opportunity 
for tho maturiug of plans, in accordance with 
which the campaign of the coming season shall 
be conducted. Ho knows when spring opens 
just what particular grain shall be sown on hiB 
land, how many acres he cun afford to drain, 
what fences need repairing or rebuilding, and 
how many more important improvements cau be 
accomplished. The tools are all overhauled, re¬ 
paired, and covered with a good coat of oil, the 
harness is washed and oiled, and missing straps 
hunted up, or replaced with new ones. He will 
also look over the year’s account of income and 
disbursements, and on the result base his cal¬ 
culations for the ousuing year. This added to 
the careful and systematic management of 
stock, will insure him ample labor for the winter 
months, and perhaps leave a balance of time in 
which ho can compare notes with his neighbors, 
and glean many useful ideas from their experi¬ 
ence, Suoh farmers are ttie ones that succeed, 
tbeoncB who look upon farming as a profession, 
not a degredation, who are contented with their 
lot and happy. They are not the ones who com¬ 
plain that "farming does not pay,” who desire 
to dispose of their farms to remove to town, 
who remain upon the farm from necessity not 
from choice, who will never succeed in any 
business however great their opportunities or 
advantages, and who are a great drawback to the 
advance of agriculture in this or any country. 
We have too many farmers in name only. 
Mr. Mabcy was telling ns, the other day, of an 
experiment with corn and wire-worms, which, 
—conld wo attach as mnch importance to the ex¬ 
periment as did he—will prove of great worth to 
ns poor mortals who have these wholesale de¬ 
stroyers of the corn-crop to contend with. As a 
drowning man will catch at. straws, so we seize 
with avidity anythiog that promises to rid us of 
this pest. At planting time, the seed was soaked 
in soft-soap, until the grains were well moisten¬ 
ed, then rolled in piaster until dry enough to 
separate easily. Tho grains sprouted even sooner 
than when planted after tho old manner. As 
soon as the first shoots began to show through 
the ground, a mixture of lime, ashes and plaster, 
equal parts, was applied, a tablespoonful to each 
hill, directly upon tho young plants. Mr. Mabcy 
assured us that, not a hill wastronhled or in¬ 
jured in the least, although the ground was full 
of worms and a field adjoining, planted the year 
before, had proved a complete failure owing to 
their depred;it,ious. We shall try the experiment 
next season, ourselves, should we plant, corn on 
ground where wire-worms arc known to exist. 
During a living visit through tbs counties of 
Tioga and TompkinB, we saw many fields of 
winter wheat having a very large top for this 
season of the year. Some pieces were lodged 
badly, lying as fiat as though a roller had been 
applied; while others bad been mown to pre¬ 
vent its joiotiug this fall. Wo consider, outlie 
whole, late sown wheat the surest. Many 
farmers pasture their wheat in the fall, turning 
on their sheep. This must prove injurious, as 
no animal is as destructive to vegetation as 
sheep. While a cow will gather tho outside 
leaveH, sheep with their narrow jaws and sharp 
teeth, take tbo very heart, and while the broad 
feet of tho former will only, in a measure, dis¬ 
turb tho surface, the sharp ones of the latter 
cut up and destroy many of the plants and 
transform the field—if suffered to remain long— 
into a ruire-hole, especially when the season has 
been so rainy as the present one. 
We raised a large quantity of pumpkins among 
the corn this season, and calculated that they 
would prove beneficial for milch cows, but after 
feeding nearly all of them, concluded that pump¬ 
kins would diminish rather than incroase the 
flow of milk. Wo ceased feeding, supplying in 
their place corn-stalks, and tho result proved 
conclusively that farmers should feed pumpkins 
to their young cattle, hut reserve for milch cows 
all their stalks. A neighbor informs us that his 
cows went nearly dry before Lis crop of pump- 
kius was exhausted, but regained in a measure 
the accustomed (low when corn-stalks were sub¬ 
stituted. 
[Were the seeds taken from the pumpkins 
before feeding them ?— Ens.J 
A farmer of our acquaintance keeps sheep 
but to my miud is unwise in his management 
of them. We havo often known them to be 
placed and left to remain for weeks in a paetnro 
where no living water could be found, and oblig¬ 
ed to depend upon the dew for drink—note the 
consequences, TUe sheep are poor, small-bod¬ 
ied, and thin-wuoled. Those that formerly 
sheared five pounds of wool now shear two and 
three. This does not look to me like progress in 
agriculture. There it no animal—domestic animal 
at. least—which will drink as often as sheep. 
Plenty of salt, a large range, and fresh water, 
they must have, t.o thrive. A barrel of salt 
secured in the pasture, one head removed, so 
that the animals cun have free access to tho 
Halt, is our plan: others of course may think dif¬ 
ferently. We are safe at least in saying that 
the man who advocates the doctrine that sheep 
require no moisture save that obtained from the 
grass during the night or early morning, should 
not take upon himself the responsibility of their 
care. Wo have found beans to he the best of 
grain for sheep. They increase the weight 
and quality, I think. 
We have learned a new mode of cultivating 
potatoes this season. A shallow furrow was 
plowed, in which the potatoes were dropped, 
two pieces in a hill, three feet apart. Auother 
furrow covered them nicely, Tho third furrow 
from this was planted in a similar manner, and 
so continued, dropping potatoes in one furrow 
and leaving three until tbo field was plowed- 
They came up rather slowly but grew finely, and 
this fall showed a good crop. E ither the lazy 
man’s method, some may say, hut a very judic¬ 
ious one we think in a dry season. We always 
have planted and probably always shall plant 
our potatoes deep. They do not require as 
mnch hilling, and are not as liable to rot. A 
friend lias a novel method of heading off the 
Colorado beetle, lie plants alternate rows of 
corn and potatoes,claiming that the “bugs” 
cannot find tbe latter if thus planted. The plan 
seems doubtful to ns, yet he says he is entirely 
satisfied with tliereeult. 
Gather the autumn leaves and mulch the 
strawberry beds. A little fine manure scattered 
over them will keep them in place and protect 
the roots of the plants. 
--- 
AGRICULTURAL NOTES FROM CALI¬ 
FORNIA. 
WM. C. L. DREW. 
November has come aud gone, and half of 
December is nearly among the days that are past, 
yet the sbv remains clear and bright, no sign of 
storm mars our spring-like days, the air so calm 
and still, has hardly enough motion for wind¬ 
mill purposes—such is the state of tbe weather 
in the home of the writer. 
In October and the first week in Novomber 
wo had a few gentle showers, sufficient to lay 
the dust of summer, to start the plow in the 
mellow soil, and to cause dame Nature to put on 
her robe of green. With the first rains tho Cal¬ 
ifornia farmer brings forth his plow, and from 
that time to the following April it is constantly 
busy, now at work in the field, then in the gar¬ 
den, a short visit to the orchard, and so on until 
its work is done. 
Tho graps in many plaeeR is nearly stroug 
enough to give abundant feed to cattle : through¬ 
out tho greater portion of California, tho grass 
remains all through winter, green and fresh. 
Sowing of grain, principally wheat, barley and 
oats, commences as soon as the soil can he pre¬ 
pared in the fall, and continues to April or May, 
all through winter, and while our sister States of 
the East Lave on their robes of white. This 
season has seen an immense amount of grain 
sown in California. Many farmers looking for 
eaily storms, sowed their grain in (he dry dust 
before the early showers; the grain thus sown 
in many sections of the State is in splendid con¬ 
dition ; in many fields it already stands six or 
seven inches high, a perfect mat of green t 
Seed sown soon after our first showers, owing to 
tho gentle weather wo have since had, has ger¬ 
minated freely and quickly, and is now in splen¬ 
did condition. The crop harvest of next season 
will bean abundant one, if the present condition 
is any criterion of the future. 
But not to the farmer alone is tins a busy sea¬ 
son in California tbe horticulturist and florist 
have also their work to do. Trees are to be trans¬ 
planted, for this is the most propitious season for 
that work in our State. Blackberries, raspber¬ 
ries, strawberries aud other small fruit must be 
trimmed and cultivated. To the florist this is a 
season of work; beds are to bo prepared, fertiliz¬ 
ers to be applied,.perennials to bo transplanted, 
stock to bo increased, while many other duties 
demand bis attention. 
To make this a happy time, all that is now 
needed is a real good downpour ; for this, how¬ 
ever, there is abundance of time. Many eom- 
plnin about another hard season, but a good rain 
will relieve all apprehension. 
El Dorado Cal. 
Jot dMonomj). 
FARM NOTES. 
S. RUFUS MASON. 
PAY OR NO PAY. 
Dors such and such a crop pay, or doos such 
a kind of stock pay? lias become a standing 
query. Now Pay is the difference between a 
certain amount of outlay and a certain amount 
of income, and it is only when tho iucome is 
the greater that it is said to pay. In all Invest¬ 
ments on a farm, it is very necessary to hold tho 
money outlay in cheek, and make up the defi¬ 
ciency with extra care and brains. The slip-shod 
mode of management so common, never pays, 
and alt "slip-shoddies”—to coin anew' word- 
say that nothing pays, and it is only from that 
class that we hear the cry, “ farming don’t pay.” 
A careful man makes everything pay; he bes¬ 
tows care upon every operation, and during 
every moment of that operation. His mind is 
totally given to his business, which he conceives 
to be to produce the best possible article. It is 
not the crop or stock that with some does not 
pay ; it. is the man that doesn’t pay (attention 
understood, as we used to say in our parsing les¬ 
son). The fact is, when anything on a farm 
doesn’t pay, it is because it has had no chance. 
The moment a man finds that his labor doesn’t 
pay, lot him increase the amount of outlay in 
that, line; that is to say, let. him increase his 
capital by th« addition of brains, care, perseve¬ 
rance and courage, and the pay will come. 
Producing a great quantity or a thing over¬ 
stocks the market; but producing a high qual¬ 
ity always increases the number of buyers. The 
