The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-11-16
DAILY PRESS,
Monday Morning, November l6, 1863.
Work for Farmers in Novem,..

| ~NNA~S,
none Of which the thrifty cultivator will neg
lect. Like a good housekeeper he will find
something to do every day--something neces-
sary to be done-and done, too, at the proper
time. In order to make the most of time it
must be taken at the forelock, and when so
taken, there is generally enough of it for all
| practical purposes. The farmer who suffers
his work to drive him instead of driving his
work, is always in hot water Thus driven
into corner, he knows not which way to
turn, nor what to take hold of first, the nat
ural and inevitable consequence is, he seldom
takes hold of anything, or, if he does lay his
hands upon anything, he seizes the wrong
end OF 1t and his work drags him along. and
after many struggles he usually comes out at
the little end of the horn.
Now what can the farmer do in Noyemberp
What ought he to do in this month which so
strongly foreshadows winter? 1t is fair to
presume that his corn is in the barn, his root
crops taken care OF, and his potatoes dug, and
yet we have known farmers so thriftless and
careless OF time that they were Obliged to use
the crowbar or pickax to get their potatoes
out OF the frozen ground. Every farmer who
plows his acres in the tall reioices over it iu
the spring, and he who has not done it suf-
fers his work to drive him in sowing and
planting time which is a very precious
season. But the cultvator should
know that some kinds of soil should not be
plowed in the fall. Wet, heavy grounds ought
not to be so plowed, for, if they are, the au-
tumnal rains will make beds of mortar of
them, and the soil settles down hard, and the
labor of plOwing is worse than lost.
Dry, warm lands and sandy soils ought to
be turned over in the fall, not only TO expedite
the springs work, but also for the benefit of
the land and for giving the insects ami worms
fair chance to freeze to death. Another
thing may be done this month. Top-dressing
is good husbandry, and where the fields are
level manure may be hauled upon them in
the fall and spread to good advantage. Such
dressing on grass lands works WELL Spread
this month, the manure has time to settle
down about the roots aud to penetrate the
soil where it is needed. There is no fear of
injury from evaporation, and no fear of waste
from washing where the land is level. We
do not recommend this process on the side
OF hills and near brooks or ravines, for in
such cases the best elements of the manure
will be washed out and conveyed to places
where it will be lost. The exercise of little
common sense will tell every farmer when to
give top dressings in the fall in order to reap
the most profit from them.
Now after this manure is hauled out and
spread-upon the land, the places it occupied
may be very proftably filed with muck and
loan and even dead leaves wi | do much
good. There is more virtue in them than
some farmers dream of i'll their philosophy.
Farmers must save all the manure they can
about their buildings and not let particle be
lost. And how about the hog-pens? Don't
these need some repairs to make them warm
and comfortable through the winter? Hogs
will be neat, if you will only give them q
chance to be so. See to it that they have
rooms where they can sleep comfortably,
| grow fat and grunt out their deep-toned graf
| itude to him who tenderly cares for them.
Give them good beds, and collect all the dry
leaves you can for that purpose; for thus
used, they will make most excellent manure.
How about your farming tools? Are they
scattered about your door yards and exposed
to the weather? If so, you will suffer much
loss With such usage they will soon decay,
and new ones must be purchased to supply
their places. Don't let your carts, wagons,
plows and other farming implements remain
out OF doors exposed to the weather. Put
them under cover when not in use, not only
in the fall and winter, but in all seasons of
the year. The farmer must have suitable
places for all these things, and they must lie
in their places. Some farmers leave these ar
ticles just where they last used them, and
sometimes they remain there all winter. But
such negligence is very far from being good
husbandry.
| Have you raised any calves and colts the
past season? If so, see to it that they are
well taken care of. Much depends on this.
We have seen these young creatures, many
times and often, standing and shivering in
the barnyards and beside fences, and their
owners quite Indifferent. The fact is, it used
to be a sort of rule among farmers, severa
years ago, to keep their colts and calves ou
doors in the winter for the purpose of tough
ening them. But greater mistake cannot
well be made. Such wlntering stints theil
growth, and they will never make such noble
horses and good oxen and cows as they woulC
if properly housed and fed in the winter sea
son.
True, these young and tender animals ma,
live through their first winter, but the col,
weather and poor feed give their systems sucl
shock that they never get over it in afte
Lille. Such treatment is very bad husbandr,
and very Improbable, besides being a sin AM
a shame. The practice is too common ever
now when farmers are more enlightend anC
intelligent than they were in the last genera
tion, to let their colts hunt for themselves a.
long as the fields and pastures are bare. Bu
that is bad management
We believe there is not much gained by
letting stock roam over the fields and try to
pick up their own living just so long as the
ground is not covered with snow. Frost-bt
ten grass does not afford much nourshmen
to cattle and horses. Such food does not pre-
pare them very well for the rigors of the win
ter. The farmers don't gain anything bu
lose much by such management. What tn
creatures thus grub up late in the fall don
do them much good and greatly Injuries thu
I fields and pastures. Tine soil needs tor a win
ter covering what the cattle and horses thu
orub up. Farmersl do not be afraid of feed
ing your stock too early. Think not you are
saving any thing because the SHOWS dom
come early and your cattle can get their Ev
ing away from the barn. Depend upon it
gou lose instead of gaining by such manage
ment.
AGRIcoLA.
Farming In New Brunswick.
MR. EDrroR,--I was in st. John few
weeks since and in the market one day saw
a noble looking farmer. asked him how fal
he resided from the city, He said about fifty
villas He told mo that last xaar he had ar