Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-09-09
A9rituitmral.-
September Oh the Farm.

Although not the busiest month of the year
on the northern farms, there is still enough
important work to be done to occupy our whole
time and attention.
Sowing down grass land should be attend
ed to. lt is important that the land be in the
best possible shape; there is nothing that we
dislike so much as rough, slovenly surface.
We believe in working off the stones or bu-
rying them and rolling or scrapiDg the land
until it is as smooth barn floor. OF
course before the land is seeded it has been
thoroughly drained the day for cold, I'M
nOurlshIng soils 10, we trust, gone by.
In sending early apples and other fruits to
market too much care cannot be exercised in
picking and handling them such care is OBJ
served with winter apples. because they are
TO be kept over, but fall varieties, becar
they 10 meet an early market, are hand
led carelessly and packed in any condition,
so that they are sent to the dealers and con-
sumers. This policy is bad one. for in the
warm weather of September and October, the
bruises soon show themselves by discolora-
tiOns and rOtting patches, and the result is
that the lot, showing SO many disfigured
ones, is Obliged to go for much less price
than parcels of fruit which have been picked
handled and forwarded with greater care.
Too much attention cannot be devoted to
this important item.
Ii is a good plan to pick up the wiudfalls
in the orchard every second day and run them
through the cider mill or give them to the
swine by this means broods of cCdling moths
will be prevented from doing damage on a
subsequent crop. Instead of pasturing the
aftermath many farmers let it get to fair
height and then cut it, feeding as a green
feed to the stock in the barn at night. OF
course this plan is not pursued where the
growth Is sufficient for a crop of rowen, but
nf ha ipfn rbar
lands are injured seriously by beng obliged
to bear a crop and then feed close to the
ground the cattle which should have other
pasturage.
The dead vines of the potatoes show that
the tubers are ready for digging; if the rot
is in them, and they are destined for an ear
ly market, have them out at once and for
ward but if they are to be kept over we
lean 10 the opinion that they had better rot
in the ground than in the cellar.
Select your seed corn, choosing the ears
growing on the best stalks, and those which
have filed up earliest and best. 4 great i'm
prOvement may be made in the home seed by
attention TO these little details. When the
seed hills are selected, mark them in some
way that they may be known in harvesting
We have heard arguments pro and
relative TO the righteousness of topping
the corn, but we believe in the theory that
of the plant mains inta ct. We prefer to
cut the stalks at the ground, thus securing
a better quality of grain, although the fod-
der is probably little inferior TO that made
from the tops alone
Continue the war against the weeds; go
through every field cultivation. with hoe OF
scythe, and leave none standing; the seed;
ripening in this month will do as much mis-
chief as if the weeds had continued stand
ing all summer.
Keep a supply of muck and refuse vege
table matter always in the pigpen; the
swine at work there animals on the
farm that can pay their way better tn ar
these, and the work they do tells in many
ways. 1t Is not too late to white tur
nips, and a crop of them coming in when
the feed is failing is very acceptable lit
tie extra labor in the fruit garden now will tel
In next years crop. Cut out the old stems
and wood of the currant, black berry an,
other kindred fruits, ahd keep the grount
around them clear of weeds the amount o
nourIshment which these pests take from tn
sill would support twice the crop which i
Is required to furnish. Keep the strawberr,
beds open and clean and allow the runner
no liberty, but cut them back rigidy. Thi
month is the time which we prefer for set
ing out new beds. 1t is a waste of time tc
start bed any soil but that which i
warm and mellow and well drained. Goo
corn land is good enough for strawberries
but it should be in several years careful til
lage and weeds should all be worked out
This is of primary Importance, for the grea
item of expense of strawberry culture is il
keeping down the weeds.-plos.2s,aS,