AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
553 
1883 .] 
a time. Animals are never contented when hungry, 
and they should not be permitted to thus become 
uneasy. The damage done by one omitted feeding 
cannot be made good by a double ration afterwards. 
This slip-shod method of feeding is quite 6ure to 
bring disorder into the flock or stable. 
Horses. —An idle team may be wintered upon good 
hay alone, but when lightly worked, a little grain 
at noon may be needed. They are to be kept in 
good health and flesh, and the amount of grain 
should be governed accordingly. Horses doing 
heavy work will need a few quarts of ground oats 
and corn daily, in addition to an abundance of the 
best hay. Young colts should have excellent 
care, for their future usefulness depends largely 
upon the growth they make the first winter. Lin¬ 
seed oil cake in small doses is one of the best rem¬ 
edies for eostiveness in the young farm animals. 
Cows .—As the weather begins to grow cold, the 
cows will fall oil in milk unless an abundance of nu¬ 
tritious food is provided in the stalls. Beets cut or 
pulped, and mixed with cut hay, to which corn- 
mcal is added, makes an excellent ration for milch 
cows. It is of the greatest importance to keep up 
the flow of milk at the beginning of winter. Calves 
and yearlings may be kept in roomy sheds where, 
with good feed and abundant litter, they will make 
a large amount of excellent manure before spring. 
Sheep should be kept from the lambs, or they 
will crowd and rob the young stock. The flock may 
take a run on the stubble fields during warm days. 
The ticks should all be killed before midwinter. 
Boys may be paid, by the dozen, for picking them 
off the sheep. Breeding ewes to have early mutton 
lambs, should be kept in a separate yard and shed, 
where they may have the most generous feeding. 
Swine. —The importance of killing the hogs early 
in the winter is given at length elsewhere, with 
sundry suggestions about butchering on the farm. 
The Orchard and. Nursery. 
Going into Winter Quarters. —This month closes 
out-door work with a large number of our readers, 
but occasional mild spells should be employed in 
making all snug for the winter. If no provision is 
made for knowing the name of every tree planted 
last fall, secure this by making a permanent record 
of the trees by rows, while the matter is fresh in 
the mind. Open surface drains wherever water 
may stand after heavy rains or thaws. Make 
fences and gates proof against cattle. Keep off 
mice and rabbits, as suggested last month. Manure 
may be carted to the orchard. In mild weather 
cut cions, and prune young trees; if large wounds 
are made, cover them with melted grafting wax, or 
shellac varnish, or paint. 
Orchard Work Indoors .—In addition to the above 
suggestions for mild days in the orchard, there is 
equally important work to be done in the house. 
Are more orchards desirable ? If so, of what kind of 
trees ? This should be carefully considered, not only 
as to the varieties, but where they can be best pro¬ 
cured. Study catalogues, and select not only as to 
kinds suited to the locality, but with reference to the 
probable market for the fruit. Those near cities or 
other good market, may find early apples most prof¬ 
itable, because if of good quality they bring higher 
prices than winter kinds; but they will not bear 
transportation to a great distance. Matters of this 
kind can only be properly considered in the leisure 
of winter, which is the time for reading and study. 
Good Books on Fruit Culture are within reach of 
all, and one or more should be at hand for study 
and reference. The best work for those not familiar 
with orchard management is Barry’s “ Fruit Gar¬ 
den,” which, besides full descriptions of fruits, etc., 
gives all the operations in the nursery in a full and 
practical manner. “ The American Fruit Cultur- 
ist,” by J. J. Thomas, is an excellent work, while 
Downing’s “ Fruit and Fruit Trees ” has long been 
the standard for descriptions of varieties. 
A Rural Club , by whatever name it may be called, 
should be formed in every neighborhood. Once a 
week in winter, this should bring together all who 
are engaged in the cultivation of the soil. At such 
gatherings, fruit culture will form a topic of fre¬ 
quent discussion, and many useful facts be elicited. 
Information as to the peculiarities of the neighbor¬ 
hood can only be had on the spot, and local experi¬ 
ence is of much more value than general treatises. 
M'Sie I'niit Garden. 
The suggestions under Orchard as to preparations 
for winter, apply in good part here. Gather up 
old stakes, labels, etc., and, if no longer useful, 
take them to the burn heap. Unfinished pruning 
of grape-vines, currants, etc., may be completed in 
mild weather, and cuttings made of the prunings. 
These should be tied in convenient bundles, la¬ 
belled, and covered in the cellar with sand or 
earth. Tender raspberries must be bent down and 
covered with a few inches of earth. Grape-vines, 
even the hardiest, will be greatly benefited by sim¬ 
ilar treatment, so long as the vines are young- 
enough to be laid down. Give strawberries yet 
uncovered their winter protection of marsh hay, 
straw or leaves. Leaves may be kept from blowing 
away by laying brush upon them or sprinkling a 
little earth over them. If new plantings are to be 
made next spring, the same care should be given 
to the selection of varieties of small fruits as is 
recommended elsewhere for the orchard trees. 
Kitchen, ami Market Garden. 
Going into winter quarters is the chief work here 
as well as elsewhere. Whatever of clearing up or 
preparatory work that can be done now and save 
an hour in the rush of spring, let it be done. 
Cold Frames, except in severe weather, will need 
ventilation by lifting the sash at the top ; when the 
temperature is above freezing, remove the sashes 
altogether. Remove the snow from the sashes, un¬ 
less it falls when the earth within the frame is 
frozen, when it may remain a week or more without 
doing harm. In mild weather remove it at once. 
Roots, etc., in Trenches, should have their final 
covering when the weather becomes steadily cold. 
Boards laid roof fashion overthe straw, leaves, etc., 
used for covering, will allow the contents of the 
pits to be readily reached when covered with snow. 
Celery is not injured by a slight freezing, but if 
the mass should heat, growth would begin and the 
celery be hollow. The final covering, which should 
be about a foot thick, need not be put on until 
really cold weather. Celery in boxes in the cellar 
must be kept as cool as possible without freezing. 
Cellars of the house must sometimes be used for 
storing vegetables and fruit, though this should be 
avoided if possible. It is well to have a thermom¬ 
eter in the cellar, and to keep the temperature as 
near thirty-five degrees as possible. Cover all roots 
in a warm cellar with dry earth, to prevent wilting. 
Horseradish is generally used only in the spring, 
but may be had all winter by storing the roots in 
a trench or in the cellar in a box with earth. 
Squashes and Sweet Potatoes, to keep well, require 
a temperature of about sixty degrees. Look over 
the squashes occasionally, handling carefully, and 
remove for use those that show signs of decay- 
Winter Work .—Store away all seeds that have been 
saved, with name and date .... Repair all imple¬ 
ments and machines .... Markers, dibbles, stakes, 
and other garden conveniences should be made on 
stormy days. If muck can be had within hauling 
distance, secure a large pile and let it freeze. 
Flower Garden snort Lawn. 
Where the house is some distance from the en¬ 
trance-gate, thoughtless persons are apt, when 
snow is on the ground, to drive directly to the 
house, without regard to roads, and often to the 
injury of choice shrubs and young trees. An im¬ 
portant preparation for winter in such places, is 
to mark out the road. This may be done by 
driving stakes at convenient distances and stretch¬ 
ing a wire from one to another, or better by nail¬ 
ing strips near the tops of the stakes. 
Leaves. — By care in raking them up before they 
are covered with snow, a valuable stock of leaves 
may be accumulated, which can be increased by 
saving those which collect along the road sides. 
A snow plow, drawn by one horse, allows the 
roads and paths to be cleared of snow with but 
little labor; iudeed, the boys regard the work as 
fun. Every village should have an Improvement 
Society which should clear the village walks, and 
those leading to the school-house, churches, etc. 
Herbaceous plants, even the hardiest, come out 
all the better in spring if they have a covering of 
leaves, straw, or coarse littery manure, and the 
same is true of beds of bulbs planted last fall. 
Ornamental tre.s, especially evergreens, are often 
injured by snow ; if this is damp, and lodges in the 
branches in large masses, it should be shaken out 
before it freezes. If a deep snow covers the lower 
branches of evergreens, it should be swept or shov¬ 
elled away, lest when the snow settles it may 
drag down and break the branches. 
Seeds and Bulbs. —Seeds should be cleaned and 
put away in strong paper bags, with the name and 
date plainly marked. Bulbs of gladiolus, etc., are 
to be wrapped in paper, with labels for the named 
sorts, and be kept where they will not freeze nor 
yet be too warm; keep them away from mice. 
Tuberose bulbs should be kept where the tempera¬ 
ture does not ever fall below sixty degrees. 
All proposed Improvements in the grounds can 
now be thoughtfully considered, and maps and 
plans drawn from which to work next spring. 
GSreeulioiise ami Window Plants. 
Those who keep plants during the winter will find 
their success to depend upon supplying them with 
the needed water, heat, and air, and in preserving 
them from insects and dust. These matters are 
easily regulated in a greenhouse, but it is more 
difficult with plants in window culture. 
Watering requires judgment. To saturate the 
earth in a pot by a daily soaking is a slow but sure 
way of killing a plant. The roots need air, which 
they can not get if they are surrounded by mud. It 
is better to allow the plant to flag a little than to 
over water it. Carefully watch the plants and 
only give water when.they show that they need it. 
Hanging Baskets are best watered by plunging 
them in a pail or tub of water until the ball of earth 
is well soaked. Allow the excess to drip, and 
when this ceases, return the basket to its place. 
Heat for House Plants.- —Living rooms are often 
kept too hot for plants, as well as for the inmates. 
The nearer the temperature can be kept at seventy 
degrees, with a fall of ten or fifteen degrees during 
the night, the better for both. 
Cold Nights in some localities may injure plants 
at the windows. Remove them when severe cold 
is expected to the middle of the room, and if neces¬ 
sary cover them with a sheet or with newspapers. 
Give Piesh Air, whenever the outside temperature 
will allow, if for only a few minutes at a time, 
avoiding a cold draft directly upon the plants. 
Bust is a great obstacle to successful window 
gardening. Ivies and all other smooth-leaved 
plants may be kept clean by washing the leaves 
with a sponge or soft cloth. Plants with downy 
leaves should be set in a bath-tub or sink, and freely 
showered by water from a pot with a fine rose, 
held high above them. When the room is swept, 
the plants should be covered with a thin cloth, or 
with newspapers, kept from resting on them 
these are to remain over them until the dust settles. 
Insects.— Those who carefully watch their plants 
can observe the first appearance of insects, and will 
rarely need anything more than the thumb and 
finger, or a brush, to remove the pests. Where 
plant-lice are numerous, showering with tobacco- 
water, and afterwards with clear water, will kill 
them. Scale insects and mealy bugs are easily re¬ 
moved by hand, using a small pointed stick. 
Chrysanthemums that have bloomed in pots, should 
have the stems cut off as soon as they are out of 
flower, and the pots containing the roots removed 
to the cellar, where they should be looked to and 
not ever allowed to get so dry as to kill the roots. 
