1872 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
363 
liable to leach or wash away, you can not go amiss 
in keeping the teams busy at plowing land in¬ 
tended for spring crops. If possible, plow the corn- 
stubbles this fall. If there is not time for this, go 
over them with a two-horse cultivator. It will 
kill a good many weeds, and level down the hills, 
and leave the land in far better shape to plow in 
the spring. It will also do good by exposing the 
soil to the atmosphere, and thus develop plant- 
food. It will also cause a great many weed-seeds 
to germinate, and the young plants will be killed 
by plowing in the spring. We think so much of 
this work that we often cultivate between the 
stooks of corn as soon as the crop is cut. Try the 
plan. It will pay. 
Ditches .—On low, moist land, the fall is a good 
time to cut new ditches and clean out and deepen 
old ones. Underdraining on upland is usually best 
done in the spring, or late in the fall or early 
winter, when the ground is saturated with water. 
Wood .—If not already done, delay no longer in 
filling the wood-house with dry wood for winter. 
Clean up .—Pieces of boards, broken rails, barrel- 
staves, etc., should be gathered up before they 
become saturated with the fall rains. A few hours’ 
labor in straightening up would add much to the 
appearance of many a farm. Nothing pays better 
than neatness, system, and order. 
Harrowing Wheat .—We hope our readers will 
try the effect of harrowing wheat this month. 
Let it be done while the weather and soil are dry, 
so that any weeds that are pulled up will die. 
Horses that are kept at steady work should no 
longer be turned out to pasture. The nights are 
cold, aud the horses arc better in the stable. Horses 
that are only worked occasionally, and never very 
hard, may be still kept out at pasture during the 
day. They should be brought up on cold nights 
and stormy days. As a rule, it pays far better to 
stable the horses, feed well, and work steadily. 
But avoid working them on rainy days. If caught 
in a storm, rub dry when brought in. 
Milch-Cows, if well fed, give very rich milk at 
this season. As the pastures fail, the cows should 
have plenty of food at night in the yards or stables, 
such as corn-fodder, hay, bran, soft com or corn- 
meal, beet-tops, cabbage leaves, pumpkins, etc. 
Steers intended for winter feeding should now be 
allowed a little grain, say two quarts per day. 
They should be pushed forward now as rapidly as 
possible before cold weather sets in. 
Sheep.— If you intend to raise early lambs for the 
butcher, select out the largest and best common 
Merino ewes from the flock. Give them the best 
pasture and a little grain, say half a pound each 
per day. This will cause them to take the ram in 
a few days. Use a pure-bred ram—either Cotswold, 
Leicester or South-Down, as may be preferred. 
Sheep for Fattening in Winter should now be 
selected and pushed forward rapidly. On good 
feed, with a little hay and grain, they will often 
gain more in the month of October than duiaug the 
next six or eight weeks. It rarely pays to try to fat¬ 
ten Merinos, in winter until they are three years old. 
Lambs should be kept in a flock by themselves, 
and have the best of care and feed. If not already 
done, they should be dipped in a solution of car¬ 
bolic soap te kill ticks. This is especially neces¬ 
sary with the long-wooled sheep. In cold, stormy 
weather put all, and especially lambs, under cover. 
Do not Sell the best Ewes or Lambs .—Sheep are 
scarce, and the butchers are picking up all the good 
sheep and lambs they can find. Never let a butcher 
go into your flock until you have first selected out 
alt that you intend to keep. 
Sheep-killing Dogs are apt to be around at this 
season. Put bells on two or three sheep in each 
flock. Keep a gun loaded ready for the dogs. 
Poultry .—Feed well, and get such as you intend 
to sell or eat as fat as possible. Keep the hen¬ 
house clean. Do not allow the fowls or turkeys to 
roost in trees or on the implements. A little 
attention for a few nights will teach them to go to 
their proper roost. 
Swine .—Do not fall into the common mistake of 
neglecting these useful animals because pork is 
very low. A reaction is sure to come, and good 
pigs will be profitable stock. 
Farrowing Sows should have a warm, dry pen, 
with a rail round the inside about twelve inches 
from the ground and six inches from the sides. 
For two or three days after farrowing give the 
sow warm slops, and gradually give richer food 
as the young pigs grow and require more milk. 
At three weeks old the little pigs should have some 
food in a small trough separate from the sow. 
Spring Pigs if not in unusually good condition 
can probably be wintered over witii profit. Pork 
can hardly fail to be much higher next year than now. 
Fattening Pigs should be pushed forward as 
rapidly as possible this month. It is a great mis¬ 
take to delay shutting them up to fatten until cold 
weather sets in. 
Young Pigs, like all young, growing animals, 
should have abundance of food, and the best of 
care aud treatment. 
Work iu the Horticultural Departments. 
Nearly everything in the way of fruit and vege¬ 
tables at the North will be harvested during this 
month, and many arrangements can be made for 
. the next season, especially in planting trees and 
shrubs. As the days grow shorter, and fall work 
becomes less pressing, more time may be very pro¬ 
fitably spent iu reading, and in promoting sociability 
among neighbors aud friends, especially those in¬ 
terested in similar pursuits. If no rural ciub is 
organized in the vicinity, a little exertion on the 
part of several live, wide-awake farmers and horti¬ 
culturists can form one, and sustain an interest in 
such an organization. 
samel ^ftta.ii‘scs , y» 
Picking the late varieties of fruit- will be the main 
business of this month ; the quickest way to gather 
the fruit from an orchard is to pick the tree clean, 
and not slop to sort it, but store in large bins, aud 
afterwards assort it, making two qualities, and 
using those which can not be sold, for cider. Tiie 
late sorts of apples make the best eider, and it will 
pay to take considerable pains in selecting the 
apples, so that no rotten ones are mixed with the 
others. Cider made in this way is excellent for 
bottling, or it may be put into good air-tight barrels, 
when it will keep nearly as well as in bottles. 
Packing Fruit .—The great danger in barreling 
apples arises from their not being packed tight. 
Clean new barrels should be provided. When one 
is about half-full, shake the barrel gently, in order 
to settle the fruit; repeat this when the barrel is 
full, and then place a layer on the top, so that the 
apples will be at least one inch above the chine. 
The head is tlieu put in position, and pressed down 
by means of a lever. Apples packed in this way 
can be carried a long distance without danger of 
bruising. Do not put any poor fruit with the first 
quality, as it will seriously affect the price. After 
the fruit is all barreled it should be stored in a cool 
place, where there is no danger from frost. 
Pears .—Late fall and winter pears may be treated 
the same as apples, but the earlier ones should be 
placed on shelves, where they can be watched, and 
as soon as ready sold or used. 
Pomace .—Should any seeds of apples be wanted 
for nursery stock, the pomace may be washed out; 
if considerable quantities are required, it is neces¬ 
sary to have a running stream of water ; this is con¬ 
ducted into a box, containing the pomace, which is 
constantly stirred, and the lighter parts washed 
away, and the seed, which is heavier, remains. The 
seed is then dried, and stored-in a cool, dry place. 
Manure in the nursery and orchard is needed, in 
: order to secure the best results, and the fall is a 
' good time to haul and spread it upon the land. 
Planting may be done this month, when the 
weather is mild. Raspberries and Blackberries do 
better when planted in the fall, as the buds start 
early, and when set in the spring they are not apt 
to make as good growth. 
Raspberries and Blackberries when planted should 
have the canes cut back to the ground, otherwise 
they are apt to fruit the first year, and this often 
injures the plants for future bearing. Set raspber¬ 
ries 4 to 6 feetapart, and blackberries 6 to 8 feet. 
Gooseberries and Currants .—Prune when the leaves 
have fallen, removing enough of the old wood to 
admit the sun and air, and cut back the new growth 
one half or more, according to the strength of the 
branch. The prunings may be used for propagai ing; 
cut them into lengths of 0 inches, and plant in 
trenches, 4 inches apart, leaving the tops an inch 
above the surface of the ground. The soil should be 
pressed firmly around the cuttings, and when cold 
weather comes cover the bed with litter or leaves. 
Grapes .—It is desirable to leave these upon the 
vines until there is danger of frost, as when per¬ 
fectly ripe they are of belter flavor. Before pack¬ 
ing in boxes, allow them to remain on shelves a few 
days, after which they should be packed in boxes* 
containing 5 or 10 pounds; store these boxes in a 
dry, cool place, and keep at an even temperature. 
MiSacBaeEa. CiliardLeM. 
The harvesting of the late crops and the fall 
planting and preparation of the ground for next 
season will give the gardener enough to attend to 
during the present month. The soil should be 
plowed in the fall, as it can lie done easier, and can 
be worked sooner in the spring. 
P'eserrving Roots, etc .—Iu very cold localities roots 
will have to be stored this month, and everything 
ought to be in readiness to do the job if sudden 
cold weather should come on. When roots are 
stored in cellars, provide plenty of bins, boxes, or 
barrels. The best way, however, is to store them in 
pits in the open ground. A dry place should he 
selected, and a trench duo’, too feet deep, 6 feet 
wide, and as long as needed. The roots should be 
packed in sections reaching across the pit, two feet 
long and as high as the surface of the ground. Six 
inches of earth are left between the sections, thus 
giving two feet of roots, and then six inches of 
earth alternately. A layer of straw is then placed 
on the top and covered with a foot of earth, having 
slant enough to allow the water to run off. 
Asparagus .—When the tops begin to (urn yellow, 
cut and burn, so as to destroy all the seeds. It 
becomes a bad weed in cultivated grounds, and 
very difficult to destroy when once established. 
Beets .—Pull and store on the approach of frosts. 
Cabbages and Caidiflowers.—T\\c&e bear consider¬ 
able frost, and should not be pulled until freezing 
weather. Prepare frames for small plants to be 
wintered. These should be one foot high at the 
back, and eight inches iu front, wide enough for 
the sash, and as long as necessary. Set the plants 
2)4 inches apart,and deep enough to cover the st tins. 
The sash must not be put on until cold weather. 
Celery .—Finish earthing up, banking the stalks 
nearly to the top of the leaves. Next- month will 
be early enough in most places for storing it. 
Lettuce .—Young plants are to he set in frames as 
directed for cabbages. In some situations, the 
mbre hardy kinds can be preserved in the open 
ground if covered with leaves or straw. 
Horseradish may be left in the ground until 
it is ready to freeze up, when it should be dug 
and stored like other roots. Save the small side 
roots for setting next spring. 
Rhubarb may be taken up, divided, and new beds 
made. Cut the roots so as to leave a bud on each 
piece. Apply plenty of good stable manure, in 
order to give it an early start in tbe spring. 
Spinach .—Keep the late-sown crops free from 
weeds. Thin where needed, and use the thinnings. 
Sweet-1 otatoes are fit to be dug when the vines are 
