The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-11-25
farmer s1epartmrnt..
From the Rural New Yorker"
Preparation For Winter.


Of snow, warn us that winter is fast APP
preaching. The harvest is past, the
Summer is gone, WINTER is nigh, and
We feel the cold shadow he cast:
before, telling US of him coming
Another of the few seasons allotted here
has passed, never to return. We can
not live over sgain a single day, or re
call = mis-spent moment we connot uu-
do q single foolish act, or control The
widening circle of its influence We
can, however, learn wisdom from the
past to guide us in the future aud he
who does not grow wiser aud better every
year that be lives, truly lives in vair.
The farmer has M opportunity to
learn much and become wise. He is in
the school of experience; nature is bis
teacher, and her lessons are truthful aud
emphatic her punishment for diSobe
dience certain aud severe. The wise
see, feel and profit, the foolish see, feel
aud lament. The poor, Lard-used soil
refuses to grow a crop thas will mune
rate th e farmer for tie labor bestowed
upon i the wise man learns that it is
necessary to add the elements of fertifi-
~, the food of plauts, to the soil, and
acts accordingly the foolish sply learns
that be is unlucky, and lamcnts his sad
fortune. Many, although taught better
by experience, have plated potatoes the
present season upon a wet and uudraiDed
soil. and the lesson taught before SO en-
phatically is again repeated. Only two
bushels of sound potatoes on IN acre is
reported to US hy one who should not
have needed this last severe lesson /;
while one hundred aud fifty bushels that
would to-day bring the cash at fifty
cents per bushel-makipg a clear profit
Of Fifty dollars per acre-as realizing by
others, who were wise enough to learn
wisdom from previous failures.
Last winter was long and severe fOd-
der was scarce, hay and grain euor-
mously high before spring. Many cat
tie suffered the pain of hunger, while 10
some parts of the country many were
reported to have starved 10 death
The owners, except less than human,
have suffered rot only in pocket, |
but sorely in mind. Who will profit by
last years. experience, and store away
carefully everything that will furnish
food for their stock taking care that not
even the fragments are wasted Then,
many disposed of hay and grf in in the
fall, or early in the winter, at a low
price, aud had to purchase again before
at double the price for which
sold. The wis man will profit by
such sad lessons, and learn to keep on
baud more even than he will be likely
TO need, 80 as to be prepared for the
worst. He will always aim to be on
the safe side in any emergency, while
the inconsiderate trust to luck. aud get
paid in a way that is neither pleasant
nor profitable.
Many have learned that good shelter.
warm barns, and stables and sheds, not
only render the animals more co,nforta-
BILE, but are very economical, as stock
will keep in much better condition with
the same amour of food, VIXEN well and
comfortably housed, than When exposed
TO the weather. or kept in such build
as we often see, which. but for the
of the thing, the sheltered side
Of . rail fence would be abou, as good
He who exposes the cattle to the cold
wastes his food. Some this les
sen yet to learn, although the condition
Of their stock every spring-the quaint
y Of food consumed to so little purpose,
should have taught it long ago.
For al of a little banking a slight
attention to the windows, the frost was
permitted to get in the celler last win.
Ter and injure a good many vegetables,
&c, besides making the house
70 cold that an extra quantity of fuel
was necessary to keep it comfortable
These things should be attended to im-
nsdiatsly, and can be done much better
BOW than at any time later. An hours
labor will do wonders towards keeping
the frost out and making home confor
liable.
In some cases that came to our notice,
The potato hills were not sufficiently
protected from the frost, and in the
the potatoes were found TO be
much injured. For potatoes, tuInips.
carrots, &C., there is nothing like a'root
seller. We have previously given di
ions for their construction Those
Who have 8 suitable situation p%artieu
larly . side-hill, should by all means
one. When potatoes are disposed
10 rot, as they are the present season, i'll
\ celler they can be watched, sorted
oVsr, sold or fed to stock, as circuDsiaD
ces nay render necessary. Such u Gel
Ter is also invaluable for keeping all
other roots that 10 Necessary TO bay
access to at all times fer feeding. We
know q farmer who mado a foe c%eiier
in the fall Of 1858, ana who raises on
average a THOUSAND bushels of Pota-
q year. He has been enabled to
take advantage OF the market aud sell