M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1857-04-09
agricultural,
Hints for the Season.


1. 1t is to be hoped, thaU you will
allow no cattle, orsheep, or horses, 10
pasture in your orchard. II by any
chance they should get in, drive them
out at once, and pat up the fence so
high that nothingc can get in again.
2. You are making sugar, if you
have sugar maple trees enough to
make the operation a good one. A
few things, on this matter, may be re-
called to your mind. Have every
thing clean, from the trough, or tub,
to the strainer ; let no sap (Sugar wa
ter) run away; boi. it as soon as pos
sible after gathering. Be careful to
keep cattle and hogs out from among
your sugar trees ; they knock out the
spouts, drink the sap, and hurt them.
selves by doing so.
8. Take care ofteeble animals
some Of them may be hooked
by the stronger ones; o may be thrown
down a hollow, or a marshy place and
be unable to rise; or they may be out in
a rain, o. snow or they may get into
some corner of the woods, or pasture,
and fail to come up with the rest
They had better all be kept in the
stable, or at least under cover, have
the best care for some weeks. Feed
them well, rub them of, and give
gentle exercise. Keep vermin from
infesting them, for these are very apt
to attack animals in poor condition.
BY these means you may save them.
You ought not to have a poor animal
at all, for last fall you should have
sold all that you could not winter
through in coed condition but ifyou
lave kept them along until now, it is
best to try to save them.
4. Your COWS need TO be looked
after now, for in the course of the
next month, nearly all of them will
have calved. Keep close watch over
them. lfthey are weak help them at
the propertime. In general they will
need no help.
5. Take great care, torsome weeks
now, of your wOrking animals. HOr-
ses and oxen, whose work must be
heavy for the next two months, should
be we'll and evenly fed, regularly cur
ried, and not allowed to get at the
ground to eat any young grass. This
spoils their appetite for dry food, and
weakens them rapidly. Do not hest
tate to spend some money, if necessa-
ry, for grain or meal for your teams.
To starve or stint them now, would
be like cutting off the right hands Of
your men in harvest time.
6. If your tools were all put up
last fall and winter, as we suggested
at that time, they will need little prep
aration this spring. Is the plow-
beam weak Repair it, or have q
new one put in. Is the point dull ?
Screw on another. Is the meld-board
rusty 2 brighten it up {; tighten all the
nuts, and put in complete order, Ex-
anime and repair all the tools, gears,
and vehicles for spring use, in the
most careful way. After you have
tried it once, you will be likely to do
so always afterwards.
Z. At the same time, place unler
cover yOur qcjnter tools and cehicleS.
That sled should be placed in the
shed, and its runners raised from the
ground. That sleigh has been ont
several weeks-it is to good a one to
rot. That hay-rack may be put where
the rains won't soak it through ; with
care, it will last two years yet.
8. Place your wood, too, under
cover ; see that the wood house is full
of wood, all ready for use /; it is much
better to have it all done now, than to
stop in the rush OF Spring or Summer
work, to prepare a load Of wOod.-O.
Farmer.