Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-12-04
agricultural.
December Oh the Farm.

and economy 1t i to he presumed that gooc
shelter for stock has been provided befOr
this We have Ofteny taken occasion to show
the close connection bctwecnEthe amount o
food required and the proper shelter Of stock
how certain quantity of food goes 10 keel
uPthe animal heat, and how exposure to colt
increases this amount. and no further argu
,nent is needed To show that an animal OK
posed 70 the weather. must, Of necessity
consume more than one properly protected
But over and above this. the farmer should
bear IN mind the importance of feeding ragu
iarly, in order thlt NJ loss of flesh may o~cIIl
from iretting ard imTatience. and that The
food should bc given in the best condition
Hay and corn slower should be bright and
not Inu-tv. and both are generally fed with
greater economy when cut. The shorter the
latter corn stalks are cut. the better. rs
they viii be more completely consumed and
be far less troublesome in the manure
When feeding ont the poorer qualities Of hay
some roots VIII BIZ relishcd and help keeT
stock in good condition.
In most IF our country barns there viii
generally be found plenty Of ventilation, hut
where this Is deficient some means must be
provided To secure it. Foul air Is not to be
tolerated in the stables where stock Of and
kind l. kept. ID cnnnot be taken into the
lungs with tut positive injury. and if an ami
NAL Is Confined - Il for any length Of time,
disease must follow as a matter of course
Sheep require more or less freedom. and a
sheltered pcl into which they NAV run when
ever they like, Is better than Il close cJntine-
ment. They generally Do better when fed
some grain daily in winter, but the quality
may TIE small. not exceeding helf pint Of
cora day. or half that quantity 10 lambs.
The English tUruiTs may &c fed out liberal Y
now, ut least once Il dtv. Pure water should
be provided NJ I'll times for ali kinds Of stock.
10 is good time to top dres. any low "a
claimed lands with sand or clay. The sur
face, when frozen hard enough 10 bear the
team. i less liable 10 injury. and great deal
OF work Of this kind NAV lie done to advant-
done ut other seas ms. Many farmers after
retaining swamp or bog and getting it
into English grass seem to think their WORK
Is ended But 50 far as our ob-erva ton has
gone, these lands pay quite rs well for
little attention as any other, and certainly a
good top dressing Of sand. gravel or clay,
must improve them permanently. Of course
a good compost would be better than either
sand or clay. and if Won have the manure to
spare. haul it ont and spread it evenly,
whether il be on low or high lands Now Is
the time il it has not been done already
We know farmer whose moving lots con
sst in rart Of reclaimed land. and in part of
81 gravelly or sandy loln. He has plenty Of
muck that came from the bitches when he
drained the meadow. and plenty of clay in
the dcpres>ipns or holl3ws in his pastures and
elsewhere with sand in abundance. These
give him tie means Of Improvement to an
unlimited extent, and sc does not fail to avail
himself of them. One year he hauls cIav in
large quantities to his baravard and INTO tie
barn cellar to be mixed with his manure and
u absorb AMI retain the liquids Of the stable.
Sand IS used for bedding also. and a large
quantity of 1t stored away for winter and
spring use where it may be kept dry All
the manure made from these substances goes
on 70 the reclaimed meadow AMI it il constant
Iy improvnz it. The next year muck i
hauled instead of the sand. and muck is used
IN the yard. in the compost, in the cellar and
IN the stalls Some cay goes into the yard
also Ihe manure made from these sub
stances finds its wdv t. the upland n0winrs
and they re constantly growing better. 80
the lDwlanis and the upands are dressed
the cay AMI slnd improving the
meadows. TIE muck AMI clay improving the
uplands- That farmer doesn't complain
that farming doesn't pay. He raises grass
and stock and sees the moneg in IT, He
studies economy in little matters IF he roes .
down u the meadows with load &C clay o-
sand compost he loads back with muck. T.
he goes to the village with n load Of hay. lie .
loads back with manure and 50 o.
Now i the time, TO, tp cover the Garth
around the roots Of trees. either witt manure
IT with oil hay or rrlw- Peach trees treat
ed IN this way are prevented fr1l pr-iin
their buds too early in ~pr NJ. S-r1 whorrv
beds covered now viii b. prevented from -
Jury by the frequent alterations of ta-nn.ra-
ture, freezing and t'awin- II Is better t.
cover them after the groai J.. fr5z.u r,-o ar
three inches In depth. than earlier. 1t T. na-
generally the cold or low temperature Jiret
injuries half hardy plants Or trees, - much
rs the frequent changes t. which they are
subjected i covering Of leaves IS excellent
for strawberry and other garden plants
Collect an Abundance Of them also for the
yard and the stables. They make the best
Of manure.
If the snow holds of, some work may still /
be done in cutting bushes upon the pastures
and along tie walls. 1t Is kind of work .
that Will pay sooner or later. in the improved
and looks Of the farm. One farmer /
Of close observation and long experience. told |
us some time ago. that he had noticed that
alders and some other kinds Of bushes cut in (
the month Of Dccember, did not start NJ
again in the sprin-, A. they would if cut at I
any other season. IT that is 50. it viii nay
u make an effort 10 clear M along the borders
ol meadows and swamps. ID Is worth try
ing anyhow.
the opportunity Of reading and study which /
this season affords Ii is well to cultivate a .
proper appreciation Of the value Of time. and .
M may be Pl0uGhB1qr +