The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-12-20
agricultural.

approaching when the thrifty farmer, who
has faithfully labored through the year. can
| quietly SIT in his chimney corner before
blazing fire, with his loving family around
| him: and. while rejecting on the many
| blessings with which his lot is crowned. can
look forward hopefully TO future cxertions to
be followed by even greater rewards. He has
| leisure now to survey all his former opera
tons find out how and why they failed and
| form plans on whose success he can more con-
| tidcntlv calculate. As there is no profession
| which more impcrativclv demands the excr-
else of forethought, SO also there is none
which so improve the reasoning powers or
better pays for their use. 1t requires more
hard, common sense. in other words, more
| .smartness.' to be farmer. than to be sue
cesSril in one of the learned professions. II
becomes all farmers and farmers boys to i'm
prove every leisure moment in the culture Of
| their minds. Then. on the opening of the
Spring they will lie better enabled to lay out
their mental strength un their fields, and the
seeds they have sown on the one field will
bear fruit on the Other.
The farmer should now carefully lay his
plans for the next campaign. 1t is as i'm
portant for him to understand and feel what
he has to do, as for general entering an
-
gies of the parties should he directed to the
accomplishment Of the one great aim. The
resources on which so much time and money
has been spent, should be husbandcd in some
instances, that they may be expended literally
in others. Care must be taken to guard
against surprise. so that in any emergency
none Of the force be lost or unemployed. A
point Of the utmost Importance is to pitch
the crop properly, so that all the land be &C.
cupicd to the best advantage, neither too lit
tie to employ the force fully. nor too much
so as to overtask it. 1t Is great mistake to
suppose that one hundred barrels of corn from
fifty or n hundred acres is as good crop MS
the same amount from ten or twenty; yet our
farmers will think so, and be perfectly salts
fled with their returns. The great object is
to get the largest amount from the smallest
surface with the least expense. a little lsrm
well tiled is the perfection Of agricultural
practice. The chief means hereto are the
collection, preservation and application of
manure, and the breaking up OF ground for
the winter frosts to act on. The farmer who
gives his time and labor 10 these objects, will
find his gains much larger in proportion than
his who dcvotcs himself to clearing new
grounds, or worse Still, spends his winter
evening in dissipation. Creek bottoms should
now be cleared up and ditched, they often
contain the most valuable land, bitches clean
ed out; dead trees cut down and burned,
stumps and bushes grubbed up, gulies filled
in, and the fields properly cleared Collect
manurcs from every possible or probable
quarter, leaves, straw, stalks. bones, hair,
leather, sawdust, charcoal, ashes, and any
animal matters, rags, feathers, mari. old
plaster, the sweepings and Stops Of the house
and kitchen should all be saved and COM
posted with more or less lime, mari, mud. &c.
Keep all your yards well Uttered, make the
stock consume all the straw stalks, vines,
&c. even if YOU have to cut and steam them
for them. Their stomachs act as chemical
labora tories. and will convert them all into |
valuable manure. Prevent all washing of
these yards by the RAIN and as soon as the |
mass with which they are covered is well sn
tnratcd with the virtues Of the manure, heap
it under the shelter and shovel it over oc-
casionally.
Above all, have care of your cattle, the |
hard working partners of your toll they GER
tainly should partake Of your triumphs. |
Your riding horse is seldom neglected !; he is
vour pet but the favori.es of the wife, and |
the rest Of the family, if well attended now
will more than repay the care and expense.
A comfortable shelter will more than save its
cost in the smaller amount of food they will |
consume they will make more manure and |
comc out in the Spring in so much better con.
aition. that this alone, a consideration of self
interest, should induce the farmer to shelter
and provide them with food, water and little |
salt.-CU,'. DOilar Newspaper.