THE CULTIVATOR. 
159 
A LEICESTER RAM- [Fig. 79.] 
The subject of the above portrait, (copied from a steel plate in the Farmer’s Magazine,) is a shearling Leicester Earn, bred by 
and the property of Mr. S. Bennett, of Bickering’s Park, Bedfordshire, England, to which a prize of thirty sovereigns (about 
$145-00,) was awarded at the Cambridge meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, in July, 1840. 
by machinery, and on the perfection of the dressing 
much of the value and goodness of the article is depend¬ 
ing. __ 
WORK FOR THE MONTH. 
Securing crops constitutes the principal labor of 
October, and of these corn and roots are the most im¬ 
portant. Where it is intended to sow wheat after corn, 
and this is sometimes a very good course, the earlier 
sorts should be used that the ground may be cleared the 
latter part of September. But in ordinary cases, the 
harvesting of corn in our latitudes, falls in October. 
There are few crops the quality of which is more in¬ 
jured by carelessness in securing it than corn ; and it is 
one of such importance to the country that the best me¬ 
thods should always be adopted. We prefer cutting up 
’ the corn by the root, as soon as the ears are fully glazed, 
and then curing it by setting it up in small stacks, either 
in the field or some more convenient place. In this 
state of the ear, it sustains, as numerous experiments 
show, no injury from having the stalk cut at the root ; 
and the stalk itself, filled with the elaborated juices and 
properly cured, makes one of the most nutritious and 
valuable kinds of fodder that a farmer can have. If 
cutup at the proper season, and skillfully setup, the 
corn will stand for some weeks without injury, and the 
husks loosening from the ear it becomes thoroughly dried, 
and ready to be placed in the crib when husked. The 
common custom of topping corn is not a bad one, where 
the saving of all the fodder is not an object; and a 
field so treated, presents a beautiful sight, as the husks 
fall open, and the golden ears stand thick in the mellow 
rays of an October sun; but experience proves that the 
ears of topped corn are not so thoroughly cured, and 
the cob dried as effectually, as when cut up by the bot¬ 
tom, and are more liable to heat in the crib. The ex¬ 
periments of Mr. Clark, Judge Buel, and others, proves 
also, that there is a loss in weight where corn is topped, 
and that of all methods, cutting at the bottom, when the 
grain is in the proper state, gives the greatest product, 
and the finest grain. 
We alluded to the subject of saving seed corn in our 
last, but the subject is one of much importance to the 
farmer, and as some may have neglected the method 
there recommended, we refer to it once more. It is the 
worst policy to go to the crib, as many farmers do, and 
take their seed at random, satisfied if it will only grow. 
None but the best ears, those earliest ripe, large kernels, 
close set on the cob and well filled at the end, should 
be selected, and if there are two good ears on a stalk, 
save them by all means. Select your corn at or before 
husking, leave a few husks on each ear, and braid them 
up to be kept till wanted. We this year planted a small 
piece of corn about half of which was from seed saved 
by selecting the earliest ripened ears of last year, and 
the other the best common ears saved in the usual man¬ 
ner, and the first kind was ten or twelve days in advance 
in all stages of iis growth and ripening. Never leave any 
quantity of corn intended for seed in a situation where 
the air cannot circulate freely. It is apt to heat and 
destroy it. Several years since in saving seed corn at 
the time of husking, the selected ears, with the husks 
stripped down were thrown into a large tub, which was 
gradually filled. Some two or three weeks elapsed be¬ 
fore it was convenient to trace it up, when it was found 
quite warm, but no injury was apprehended until it 
was found by planting it the next season that its vitali¬ 
ty was nearly destroyed, not one kernel in ten vegetating. 
Potatoes should not be dug before they are ripe, 
unless they are so late as to be in danger of being fro¬ 
zen into the ground. Potatoes not fully ripened may 
answer for seed but are poor things for the table. 
Some varieties of the potato require a much longer pe¬ 
riod for their growth than others, and are sometimes 
condemned simply because they are notripe. Potatoes 
imported from a warmer climate than ours will not ri¬ 
pen unless planted early; thus the Rohan and Sommeil- 
ler require the whole season for their maturity. Pota¬ 
toes, if it is desirable to have them in all their excel¬ 
lence, should never have the sun shine on them after 
they are dug, and be exposed to the air and light as lit¬ 
tle as may be. Potatoes pitted, or buried in holes in 
the field, retain their freshness and good qualities much 
later than those put in open bins in the cellar, and the 
farmer will always do well to have a few pitted for 
spring use. The necessity for this may in a great mea¬ 
sure be obviated, by lining the bottom and sides of a 
bin with turf, and when it is filled, covering it in the 
same manner. Potatoes will keep perfectly sound and 
good for years, if placed so low in the earth as to 
have a temperature too low for vegetation. Experi¬ 
ments made in a compact soil on the north side of 
buildings or walls show that four or five feet will usually 
be sufficient; in a lighter or more porous soil a greater 
depth is requisite. No water in any case should stand 
on potatoes, as it will soon destroy them. If potatoes 
are dug and pitted early, there should be an opening 
made at the apex of the heap, and filled with a wisp 
of straw, to keep out the rain, but at the same time 
to allow the heated air to pass off. 
Turneps, ruta baga, &c. are among the easiest of 
roots to preserve. They should be left in the ground 
as long as is consistent with safety from frost; then 
drawn and put in cellars of moderate or rather low 
temperature, or pitted in the field at once. The turnep 
will sustain a much greater degree of cold than the po¬ 
tato, without injury, but heat has a worse effect upon it, 
and in saving this root, heating is what is mainly guard¬ 
ed against. A hole made in the top of the pits with 
an iron bar, to be covered with a flat stone when the 
cold grows severe, will permit the heated air to pass 
off and prevent danger from this source. In the expe¬ 
rience of a number of years we have scarcely had a tur¬ 
nep lost by frost or by heating, either when pitted or in 
the cellar, a proof to us of the ease with which this 
root can be secured. 
Carrots and beets, like the potato, require more care 
than the turnep, to prevent the effect of frost upon them. 
The best way we have yet tried upon them, is to pack 
them in bins or barrels, and strew fine earth among and 
over them, to exclude the air, and preserve a uniform 
temperature. 
If your pigs have have had the run of your orchards 
in September, they will be found doing well in October, 
and afford proof that apples are worth something to the 
farmer when not made into cider. The cheapest mode 
we have yet tried in fattening hogs is with apples and 
potatoes steamed, always finishing with good sound 
food, such as corn, peas, or barley. All food given to 
hogs should be cooked; fruit and roots by steaming, 
grain or meal by boiling. If the latter is not convenient 
the grain or meal should always be well soaked or mixed 
with water, and if long enough to ferment and sour a 
little, it will be none the worse for it. Farmers who 
feed dry corn and peas to their pigs pursue a very waste¬ 
ful course ; as they may easily ascertain by experiment. 
Where corn is fed, there is a great saving in having it 
ground in the cob, and particularly when fed to cattle or 
horses. From what we have seen, we think there is 
less advantage in cooking food for horses and cattle 
than for hogs, and that with such it rarely repays the 
expense. Grinding, however, where economy is con¬ 
sulted, will always be practiced. 
October is the montli for saving winter apples. The 
best lime is indicated by the mature ones beginning to 
fall from the trees, but in all cases the fruit should be 
suffered to hang on the trees as late as is consistent 
with safety from frost, or the danger of being blown 
from the trees. They should be carefully picked 
by the hand in small baskets, and as carefully deposi¬ 
ted in the barrels or bins in which they are to be kept. 
A good mode is to pack them in empty flour casks, filling 
them with sand fully dried in the sun. The sand will 
exclude the air, and absorb moisture, and thus prevent 
the rotting that frequently takes place by contact. The 
method extensively practiced near Boston, where large 
quantities are put up for exportation, is to put the ap¬ 
ples carefully picked by hand into clean dry barrels, 
generally purchased at the bakers, and when filled the 
head is gently pressed in and secured ; no straw or 
shavings being admitted in packing. The barrels are 
then packed and laid on the bulge in courses on the 
north side of some building, with covering of boards to 
keep off all rain, and there they remain until the ap¬ 
proach of a severe frost, when they are removed to a 
dry cellar of low temperature, and with windows to 
the north that the temperature may be kept low, and 
the cellar ventilated as long as possible. During the 
severity of winter, the windows or openings are closed, 
and they are thus secured from frost. The barrels are 
never tumbled about, and are never set on the end. 
Apples thus packed will endure a severe chill without 
injury, and do not require repacking; indeed the bar¬ 
rels should never be opened until the fruit is required 
for use. It has been suggested that well dried sawdust 
would be good for packing apples, but it is apt to at¬ 
tract moisture and mold, and most kinds would commu¬ 
nicate an unpleasant flavor to the fruit. 
Plowing may, in many instances, be advantageously 
performed in the fall. Tenacious soils on which it is 
intended to put spring crops, are essentially benefited 
by plowing in the fall, and exposure to frosts during the 
winter. Freezing pulverizes such lands more effec¬ 
tually than any thing else. If intended for corn, it has 
by some of the most successful corn growers in the 
United States, been deemed best to put on a dressing of 
manure previous to plowing, and then another dressing 
before the corn is planted in the spring. The first is 
placed deeper, and is rotted more fully, than if all was 
put on at the spring preparation. Teams are usually 
in better condition for labor in October than in April, 
and what is done in the fall is so much taken from the 
spring’s work. By having that part of the plowing done 
in the fall, which may be as well done then as ever, the 
work of the spring is lightened, the labor much expe¬ 
dited, and the crops put in in better season, and 
in better condition than without it. This was par¬ 
ticularly the case last spring, when the season 
was unusually backward. The seed put in on fall 
plowed land was not only earlier, but being better root¬ 
ed, stood the drouth which followed the rains of spring 
much better, and the crops on such lands have maintain¬ 
ed their superiority through the season. Fall plowing 
is also useful, where the soil is infested with the larva 
of insects, such as the cut and wire worms, and the 
white grub. By turning up the soil deep, as late in the 
season as is practicable, thousands of these in their 
half torpid state in which they cannot move or again 
penetrate the earth, are exposed to the cold of winter, 
which to them is certain destruction. 
Many farmers may find October a month for putting 
in drains in such parts of their farms as require them. 
Open drains are objectionable from the waste of land 
they occasion, and the frequent clearing out they re¬ 
quire from filling in of surface earth. Covered drains 
are therefore to be preferred, as they are equally ef¬ 
fectual in carrying off surplus water, occasion no loss 
of surface in cultivation, and require no labor in re- 
moval or clearing out, when properly planned and con¬ 
structed. Open drains are only admissible, where con¬ 
siderable streams, or large quantities of surplus water 
are to pass off. All drains, when dug should be filled 
and covered as soon as practicable after digging, as the 
action of the air and rains is apt to make the banks 
cave, and add much to the labor of finishing. Drained 
lands can be worked much earlier than undrained ones, 
are materially warmer, and crops can be grown on them 
which on wet soils are impracticable. The wheat fields 
should now be occasionally examined to see that the 
water furrows are open, and that no water accumulates 
after rains on the surface. 
The Western farmer Ik Gardener s Almanac for 
1842. 
We have received from the editor, Mr. Thomas Af¬ 
fleck, who is also editor of that valuable agricultural 
journal the Western Farmer & Gardner, at Cincinnatti, 
a handsome pamphlet of some 100 pages, bearing the 
above title, filled with useful and interesting agricul¬ 
tural matter, and furnished in any quantities to pur¬ 
chasers at the low price of $2 per dozen. A glance at 
the table of contents, will show the variety of matters 
embraced, in addition to the common calendar pages of 
the almanac; and the numerous and well executed illus¬ 
trations, will be found to add much to the interest and 
value of the work. We pronounce the chapter on 
swine with its illustrations, worth to any farmer who 
wishes to understand the varieties of improved breeds 
of hogs now in the country, and their essential points 
of difference, worth twice the cost of the almanac. 
Mr. Affleck is also the author of “ Bee Breeding in the 
west,” a most valuable treatise on the history and man¬ 
agement of bees, to which we have before adverted in 
our paper, and in the Almanac will be found plans of 
the hives invented and used by him, copied from that 
work. We cordially recommend the “ Western Far¬ 
mer and Gardener’s Almanac,” to our readers, assuriag 
them that in some, if not in all respects, it will be found 
adapted to all latitudes. 
