The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-10-17
Farm Work for October.

forward steadily with all your available
force until the entire crop is secured
The negroes are not going t" d" much at
picking when the weather becomes cold
and incle,uent; therefore, beware of the
heavy fall rains, and get all the lint into
the Gin House in dry, bright weather.
Then gin, press and bale in the best man.
ner, and send to market while the roads
are in good condition. Save your best
cotton seed carefully what you do not
! need for the future crop, you will for
manure. Protect all from the weather
which will destroy half its value even for
| the manure heap.
Corn sh uld nf W he gathered, and put
away in airy. rat.proof, and tEiefpro f
cribs, with tight, sound roofs. Save
your Bread Corn" in the shuck, to
guard against the ravages Of the weevll.
Feed your working and fattening stock
generously and regularly, bit do not be
lavish or wasteful. You can save from
one-third to one-half of your c,,rn, hy
grinding it into coarse meal and sprink-
ling it over cut feed and. for fattening
hogs and other animals, there is marked
economy in cooking the meal and feeding
in the form o. thick por,idge or ''mush."
A plantation mill worked by horse
power will soon pay for itself in saving
toll, and in many instances the gri>t could
be ground while hauling to and from the
mill.
Cow Peas are very valuable for milch
COWS; and, if ground up with corn, equal
parts, and fed to working stock, they
will increase the muscular power Of the
animal greatly. They. should be put up
in the pod 10 protect from the weevil.
Pack them away dry; one hundred
pounds in the hull will makea bushel of
seed.
Sweet potatoes must be dug the latter
part of this month, or as soon as the
vinesare slightly wiIted by the first frosts.
To determine when your potatoes are
fully ripe, dig several in different parts Of
your field, break them, and if, when dry,
the fresh broken part is white, the potato
is ripe, and should he dug at once; but
If the broken part dries off dark, the roots
are not yet fit to be gathered in. Il will
be safest, however, as general rule, to
dig just as Soon as vines are nipped a lit
tie by frost. -lfyets spsit until tire frost
kills the vines, it freezes and chils the
earth to such depth that it causes many
of the potatoes to rot. Commence dig
ging at this point as early a. the Goth Of
the month. and earlier or later AS you
are North "r South. In saving your po-
tatoeS for the winter, make up your
''bankS" on dry place, where the water
cannot settle, putting up 25 to30 bushels
in each pile or bauk. Reject all roots
that are Gu, or bruised in the least. 1t
is good plan, after digging the potatoes,
and summing them fnr short time, to
put then. into, Diles, cover them with
their own stalks or litter. and 1t them
90 through the cheating" process befnre
''bankiug" ?" up" The hanks should be
protected bv a shelter Of plank> or boards,
against the he w rains ofwinter. 1.-THE
Potatoes are allowed to go through the
cheating" before ''hanking," it will not
be so necessary to leave any ''chimney,
or hole for ventilation, at the top Of the
bank-but all may be covered up at
once with dry pine straw, corn stalks
and thick coating "fearth.
Tfthe vines are pulled as early as the
goth of the no' III they can then he cured
like the pea vine, and il put up mixed
with straw when partly cured will afford
excellent food for stock.
Grass and Hay.-There are some kinds
of late native grass that may be worth
gathering, to help out yonr winter sup.
plies Of long forage. Tfp"SSible, cut all
such grass while in .bloom, and do not
allow it fully to ripen and dry up, or
your Hay will he Of very lltsle value.
Late sown Peas Tor Hay, must be cut
and cured before frost. Dry them one
or two davs carefully, handling as little
as possible then pack in rail pens, pass
ing rails or poles through from side to
side, to keep the layers Of vines open and
separate, and admit air between them.
"Crab Grass" or "Crowioot" may be
mixed with Pea Vines. partially cured,
then put up with good, sound wheat OF
oat Straw, for rcugh. winter forage. All
such rail'rens as We allude to, ard all
fodder stacks, St,oult: he roofed or COY
eredover with boards, or heavily matched
with refuse straw or hay. Pindar Vines,
if carefully cured, uake pretty good fod-
def. All long and coarse forage should
be cut up before feeding.
Turnip seed may yet be sown, to make
green's; and the regular crop Of turnips
Should he carefully worked, and the