Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-05
AGRICULTURAL.

CLOSING UP THE FALL WoRK.-The Barn.
On account of the drOuth this season,
feeding of stock has commenced unusually
early. For the same reason, farmers have
had good opportunity to get their feeding
arrangements in first-rate order. Now is
the time. if it has not been attended to be-
fore, to fix up the sheds, and racks, and
boxes, so as to keep the animals from the
storms,,and save the feed from waste. Have
the divisions of the yards all complete, so
that each class of stock can be kept by it
self when desired, as each class may require
different treatment.
Horse Stables should be looked to, SO
that the animals may be protected from
air draughts coming directly upon their
bodies and especially upon their legs, and
yet allow of pretty free ventilation above.
They should not be dark, as this Injuries
the eyes of the horses. If you have not
plenty of straw for bedding, go to the saw
mill and haul in lot of dry saw dust.
This will save straw and make an excel
lent bed, and at the same time form lib
eral and cheap contribution to the manure
heap, and if the cattle in stable should have
little bed for their fore parts, it would
pay in the same way, as well as add to their
comfort. 1t is mighty hard, especially for
working horses and oxen, to be obliged to
lie upon the soft side of a plank after a
hard days work. or at any other time;
only see how stiffly the poor things get up
in the morning. after you have got out from
your comfortable feather bed and straw
bed, and then they are so much cleaner.
Are the Farm Tools all picked up and put
under cover from the storms? We verify
believe that throughout this region of
large and loose farming. the farm tools take
more damage by exposure during winter
than by use during the rest of the year.
To leave wagons standing out, or at best
under the shade of a leafless tree; harness
hanging in a shallow porch, where rain
and sun and wind rOts and hardens the
leather; plows, cultivators, etc., turned up
in the fence corner, moving machines rusu-
ing and rotting on the damp ground, and
such like carelessness, is poor practice,
when days work in providing a dry shed,
and gathering up the tools, would save a
hundred dollars damage on large farm,
every year. Take out the knives from
mowers and reapers, grease the steel and
iron work on these and other implements
coat of paint or oil upon the wood work
all around, will also be good economy, and
be more serviceable than if put on next
spring, just before you want to use the
tools.
COVERING STRAWBERRIES IN WINTER
A correspondent OF the w estern Rural con-
.demns the practice of mulching strawber-
ries for winter protection. He covered his
bed with stable manure for the double pur-
pose of protecting g the plants from frost and
enriching the soil-supposing the early
spring rains would leach the manurial SUBJ
stance from the mulch before it would be
necessary to remove it. AS a matter OF
course the plants were smothered.
1t he had given the bed dressing Of
wood ashes after the fruiting season, al
the rate of three pecks to the square rod
and late in the fall, after the ground was
frozen two or three inches, light cover
ing of clean, coarse straw, evenly spread,
he would have saved his plants, and with the
additional qualification of an abundant
crop of fruit. With this kind of treatment
we have never failed in having the plants
come out green and vigorous in the spring,
and followed by an abundant crop of fruit
Most cultivators of the strawberry have
erroneous ideas as to the real necessity, OF
object OF winter protection. Their aim is
to save the plant from the effects of frost
when in fact frost works no detriment at
all to it. For winter safety, all the plan,
needs is protection from the sun, and the
ing and thawing.
After the bed Is once frozen it should be
Kept in that condition until spring. when
as much of the winter covering as possi-
BILE should be worked in around the plants
where it not only serves as mulch to
keep the ground moist and cool, but the
fruit clear of grit. There is no fruit thai
can be grown with more certainty or less
trouble than the strawberry. A very little
of the right kind of care is all-sufficient to
ensure a good crop annually.-Ioaoa Home
stead.
PRESERVATION OF EGGs.-"Le Better" 6
French paper, recommends the following
method tor the preservation of eggs. Dis
solve four ounces of beeswaX in eight
ounces of warm olive oil, in this put the
ip of the finger and annoint the egg all
round. The oil will be Immediately alb
sorbed by the shell. and the pores filled uI
with wax. 1t kept in cool place, the
eggs after two years will be as good as il
fresh laid.