Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1861-09-20
Farm Work for September.

September arc the months for plow-
ing green sward lands There is general
| ly, at this season, enough of green vegc-
table matter on the surface, to induce fer
mentation when the sod is inverted, and
the atmosphere is sufficiently warm to
hasten the decomposing process, and pre-
pare the organic matter inhumed for eff
cicnt action the subsequent spring. The
team, also, is strong, and the farmer has
generally the advantage Of leisure to ena-
bic him to attend to his powing, an oper-
alton that never should be hurried through
with, but performed in the most perfect
and careful manner. Old pasture
grounds, plowed in September, will be
found in excellent condition for a crop
the following year. Plow deep. Super
fetal plowing is the bane of New Eng
land husblndTy A deep soil is far pref
crablc to shallow one, and depth is reg
ulated wholly by the running of the plow.
Subsoil brought within the influence of
the air, in the course of short time be-
coues vegetable earth" imbibes fructify
ING principles from the atmosphere, and
is changed from light to an opaqu,
hue.
MucK.-The muck beds are, ut this
season, commonly in condition to admit
Of their being worked to good advantage
Every farmer should be dilligent in accu-
muating materials for manure, and there
is no substance more valuable for this
purpose than muck. Cast it into your
attic, hog and sheep yards deposit it
unlcr priyies and sink spouts, and pile it
up in your fields to be acted upon by the
elastic gases. The action Of frost ne
traizes the hunlic acid contained in mu
formed by submarine dc;ompo ,ition, and
changes it into vegetable food. Lime
mixed with it produces the same result
| The best compost for old and decaying
appIe-trecs that we have ever applied or
have any knowledge Of is composed Of
the following materials, and III the pro-
/ portions here given, VIZ: One cord OF
/ best muck, one cask eaustic (unslac&edl
/ lime, six bushels unleached wood ashes,
one bushcl salt, and two bushels finely
GROUND gypsum. One bushel Of pulvor-
ized charcoal should be sprinkled over the
surface Of the soil, after the compost is
applied.
TuIsrlEs.-Thistlos should be cut
when in full bloom; but il amy should cs-
cape sec that they do not go to seel. -
During this month, those thistles which
have not been destroyed, will send forth
their light downy seeds on the air to find
a Iodgment somewhere. They may some
times be seen floating i'll myrlads, ready
t. take any direction the breath Of the
winls may give them, aud ready to tasten
to the soil wherever they ali9ht. Cut
ting when in bloom, for one or two sea-
sons, and sprinkling salt on the stumps,
is pretty sure to destroy them. If few
should escape, they could easily be eradl-
Gated No pest is more troublesome to
the farmer when once they have obtained
possession of the soil Some persons arm
themselves with thick gloves and "pull'
them from the ground .by the roots."-
This Is Il tedious process, and is rarely et-
fcctual. Now and salt them.
EEnS.-Look through your cultivated
grounds, and destroy every weed that has
escaped the hoe Nomatter what it may
be-.sorrcl, witch-grass, Roman worm
wood or rag-weed it up, and convey
it to your hog yard, unless the seeds have
attained maturity. loa have no other
place for it on your farm.
SroSEs.-Pic& and remove the stones
from your stut5le lands. Do not pilo
them up in small scattering heaps, but
pick them into u cart an convey them
at once from the fields. If Of tolerabIo
size. they should be formed into walls.
the best species Of enclosure one can con-
struct if too small for this use, convey
them to some place where they will bo
out OF the way.
Provide good substansial gates
70" the entrances to your yards, fields and
pastures, and hang them on posts of oak,
cedar or stone Supply good tastenings
that they may not be blown open by the
wind, aud your crops exposed while you
are asleep or absent, to the incursions Of
wandering cattle.
AFrEEMArH.-Cut all the aftermath
you can 1t makes excellent food for
Young cattle As it generally requires a
long time thoroughly to cure "second
crop, especially when there is much clo-
yer intcrmixed with it, a little salt may
be spraklcd over it as it is packed away.
Mlch cows do well when fed on this fod-
der, and yield 4 liberal supply of milk.
PuNpKINs, boiled and mixed with corn
and cob-mea, make good feed for swine.
Green pumpkins are watery and innu.ri-
: tjons, but as soon as they begin to ripen,
; they may be fed to good advantage to all
kinds Of stock, either raw or cooked
When fuel is high, it may, perhaps, be
, questioned whether cooking pumpkins is
, economical Farmers, however, will de-
| eide this point for themselves. If they
| can afford the expense. the food will cer-
| tainly be increased in value by the pro-
| cess.
SWEET Apples FOR SwISE.--No better
: food can be supplied to swine than sweet
apples. But in the present unproductiye
: state Of our orchards, it would be scarce
} ly advisable to appropriate 50 valuable a
product to such use.
ToppING INDIAN CoRN.-"Cutting
= stalks" has now mostly gone out OF fash
} ion among the farmers Of New England.
Experience has demonstrated that the
| grain fills BETTER ripens earlier, and Is OF
( greater weight when the stalks are leis
e ON, than it docs when they are stopped" !"