The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1862-12-03

SUNDRY PREPARATION FOR WINTER
Before the earth freezes, let little mound
of earth be raised around the body of eve
ry fruit tree, for the purpose Of protecting
them from being gnawed by uice when the
ground is covered with snow. ..s
The philosophy Of this practice is, when
the mice form their roads and runs beneath
the snow, when they arrive at the mound OF
earth, the will always pass around it., and
not touch the tree
Plow gardens before the ground freezes /;
and where there is not sufficient room for q
team to work with plow, let the soil be
thrown into ridges with spade.
Let shelters be erected for domestic ami.
mails, and see that old ones are put in order
before the snow falls. One driving, pelting
torn of rain and snow will dissipate sew
eral dollars worth of mutton or beef even
in one day. :. a1tu
See that cave troughs on the barns are in
good order, so that they will carry the wa.
ter away from the yard. .0...
Let the fine manure Of the barn yards
he collected in heaps with broad hoes be.
fore snow falls and let the yards be well
Uttered with straw, for the comfort Of ami.
mails and for making manure.
Make new racks, and repair old ones, for
holding fodder for both sheep and cattle,
so that they will be in r. adiness when cold
and stormy weather comes on.
When domestic animals are passing from
pasture to fodder, the change is so great as
to affect their health, many times very Sc.
riously; and they frequently becone spring.
poor before their owners are really aware OF
it. This Is particularly the case with milk
COWS at the beginning of winter. Let each
one have few quarts of meal and wheat
bran daily, until their bowels have been
thoroughly prepared for dry fodder. And
If it be Scalded with hot water, and fed to
them lukewarm, it will increase the flow oil
milk to good degree.
Let fattening swine have clean and dry
apartment, comfortably warm, for no ami
NAL will take ON fat we'll when il is exposed
to chilling winds and to wet AMI cold ex.
posnres.
At this season Of the year, most farmers
are fattening a beef or two and many
Zines they are old cows, whose teeth are
very poor, and the grain which is fed to
them is corn in tn. ear. An examination
Of their ordure will show that a good pro.
portion of the grain which they consume
nourishes them but little more than the
same amount Of gravel stones would, were
they taken into their stomach. 1t would
he better policy to give even one fourth Of
the grain as toll, and have the grain ground
than it is to feed it whole.
Where pumpkins arc abundant, let them
be collected before the frost spells them
and covered with boards or straw, that an.
finals may have them to eat when they car
get no grass. Many farmers feed out theil
pumpkins by the wagon load, when ther'
isa good supply of grass; and when gras!
fails, the pumpkins are gone. Whereas
had they been fed out economically, at tn
time between grass and hay, they woult
supply the wants of animals at a tim
when they are most needed, and thus saw
much fodder.
In short, let everything be done in it
proper time, and everything be put in it
proper place before,
''chilling winter spreads it, azure sky''
Country Gentleman and Cultiuator.