Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-01-04
January Suggestions.

80 #@# L January 0ug8esuoAS.
IT, Season of cracking nuts and pepins pale;
Offrosted cider and wild popping corn,
IL OF cheerful hearths with glowing embers piled;
7 OF honest labor in his blessed home"
X X
o January, with his icy hand, unfolds the
portals through which we look, as it were,
down the vista, and behold Winter, with its
storm of snow and sleet; its snowbanks
sparkling in the bright sunlight, or rejecting
back the chaste glitter ofthe full orbed moon !;
its gaycty and its gloom; its merry sleigh
rides, rushing with silver bells, over the pol
ished roadway. The happy farmer by his
winter fire, surrounded by "wife, children
and friends" all these, in our minds eye
we see, with a hundred other things common
to the season of rest, of festiyity and mirth.
Yes, the season of rest-for, like night to the
toil-worn man comes winter to the toil-worn
earth; faithfully has she labored from April
to November. "Seed-time and harvest has
she given, and her abundance has been
poured into the lap Of man.
January, the month of congratulations and
good wishes, as well as of new hopes, new
promises and determinations. Every first
of January that we arrive at, is an imaginary
milestone on the turnpike track Of human
life at once a resting place for thought and
meditation, and starting point for fresh ex-
crton in the performance of our journey of
life. Let us, then, from this standpoint,
look to shun them in the future, and make
its exccllencics the starting place of moral
signal virtues throughout this new period of
revolving Time.
The country, has changed-thc fields are
"brown and sere," the singing birds are
gone the earth is hard and unyielding, and
the trees are leahess and bare. But all these
changes reveal new beauties,-the thick
leaves had long concealed the bloom-buds of
the fruit trees which now stand out upon the
otherwise bare branches, and dressed in their
wind-and- water proof coats, brave the utmost
severity of the season. The leaves, having
performed their Office for the season, now
fall to the ground, there to supply noursh-
ment for future crops. The earth, hard and
rigid as it now is, is measuring the keen
frosts, in order to throw up It's compact sur
face into light and porous form, when vernal
suns invite the sower again to scatter his
seeds. Nou the process of nature for the re-
newal of her gifts may be more aptly observed
than at any other period. This is the month
then that we should all start in right for the
duties of the coming year. See to it that
you have good winter schools, they should
recur your careful considerations-make them
the best of their kind. See that your tables
are spread with good books and papers for
and apply scientific knowledge to the bust
ness of your profession. Although winter is
the time for him to make preparation for the
coming spring. fthe handle of a pillow hap
pens to be broken, do not wait till the day
comes for using it, before either mending it
yourself or employing some other person to
mend it for you. Winter is capital time to
repair broken tools, and no one can better
appreciate the adage that a "stitch in time
saves nine," than the farmer. See that every
pitch fork has ferrule on it to prevent it
from splitting every rack has all its teeth
in-every hoe is well fastened to its handle,
&c. &C. s
CARE OF STOCK.
Constant and kind care of stock is some
thing like frequent hocing to a corn crop
The hoeing keeps the soil light, and suscep-
table of receiving valuable influence from the
atmosphere, and thus saves manure. So
frequent carding, and careful watering and
feeding, saves hay and roots and grain, and
gives you larger product of milk and flesh
than could be obtained on even larger
amount of feed, without the extra care. 1t
is well to, remember too, that shelter and
warmth supply the place Of food, in some
degree. G~ara G I@
SHEEP. ,-. -r@.E"H
Feed them good hay and roots and see
that they have good shelter.
F. CALVES.
Examine your calves, and see if vermin
have attacked them. If so, little warm
lard rubbed close to the skin about the roots
Of the tail, the head and neck, will soon des-
troy them. Cattle cannot thrive while feeding
little army Of depredators.
Snow.
Bank the house well with snow and the
= &c.
wood.pile win last longer.