The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-12-11
NUMBER 5.
farut apS GarSttt.
FARM NOTES FoRDECEMBER.

pTUNlSiOl pIOulpbly, JldC IL o L ii IL 9,
whether stock or crops, may suffer from
the pinchings of jack frost, or, worse
| still, from chilling storms of wind, rain
or snow. One days exposure to a cold
rain will take away the profits of
| weeks good feeding, and COW giving
milk will show in the falling off of her
daily flow $50 experienced dairy people
| tell us) the cost of such exposure. The
COW is not singular In this respect--she
suffers under general law.
STOCK YARD.
For reason above suggested, give the
stock-yard special attention, having a
place tor everything, and everything in
| its place. All cattle should be now in
good condition. The rich pasturage of
the fall months, the temperate weather
and exemption from flies and other an
noyance, give them opportunity for
their winter preparation. This thrifty
state gives great advantage in the WIN
tering, and with it it is simply shameful
to have them come out in the spring
poor, hide-bound, with hollow horn and
other evils of poverty and destitution.
cows.
Such cows as give milk must have COM
Portable stalls, entirely protected from
the weather, and be ted with corn-fod-
der, clover hay or other good proven
der, with meal and bran, and roots of
some kind. The profit in milk will be
proportioned to the quantity of good
food digested. Care must be taken
here, however, that on any change of
food it lie not over-done as to quantity,
but that the increase be gradual, up to
the point of greatest profit. TO adjust
this nrOnarly nppds cara md p0ufiOO
CALVES.
See that these are carried through the
winter, not only with their lives, but
| thriftily and in growing condition.
| They need not be fattened or forced,
but they should have reasonable in
| crease of bone and flesh from three
months feeding, and go out to pasture
| in spring with life and spirits enough to
make asprofta5le run through the sea-
son of grass.
WORKING OXEN.
| These should have seperate feeding
| place, and due and regular supply OF
food. There should be no opportunity
for their interfering with other cattle,
| or being interfered with.
HORSES AND MULES.
When these have regular work they
| must have, of course, regular attention,
not only as to food and water, but
| grooming and stabling, Especially is
t needful to rub and dry them off, and
clean their legs and feet of mud, &C.,
when they come from work. Boxes in
stead of stalls, with pair of work hors-
es to each box, would be great i'm
| provement.
| SHEEP.
Sheep have better health for free
range of the pasture grounds during
good weather. This gives them, how
e, er, a dstate for their dry food, which
should, therefore, be of such quality as
to tempt item. Itis found good econo-
my to give small quantity OF grain
| daily, if done with proper Judgment
A shelter must be provided for bad
weather, and when the severity of win
| ter comes on it is we'll to contine them
here until they have had their morning
| feed.
The stock hogs should be sufficiently
| fed with grain to keep them in good Or
| der, and should have dry beds and COM
| Portable shelter apart from other stock.
| Especially keep them away from heaps
of MANURE, which give them cough and
disease OF the skin if they sleep in them.
CORN CROP.
The crop of corn should be got into
| the cribs as early as it can be done, and
the shucks put away tor the use ofwork-
ing oxen or other cattle. tits matter
of convenience and very consistent with
prudent management to measure the
corn with care as it goes into the crib
and keep account of what comes out,
TOBACCO.
The preparation of the crop for mar
ket will be now begun and carried for
ward as the weather allows. Press of
other work often leads the planter to
postpone stripping until a later period,
and with tull crop this results in
| throwing too much OF the work into the
spring, and interference with the inn
| portant work of that season.
Look we'll to the proper assortment
of qualities, and see that neatness is OBJ
| served both in tying and handling, that
| the bulks are laid we'll and the stalks
| thrown well up into a corner OF the
house, and not thrown out into the rain.
MANUREs.
Use now and at all times such mate
rial as can be commanded, in making
compost heaps for necessary purposes.
BE sure, especially, that there be abun-
dant coarse matter to mingle with the
manures of every descriptions.
FLOWING.
Take any opportunity that may offer
to plow such land as will profit by ex-
| posure to frost, as clay and old sward.
| A II such work done now puts forward
| the spring work in tins important par
| ticu!ar, and in wet springs. as the two
just past, may expedite very much the
planting of the crops.
| FENCING AND GATES.
| Get together, as opportunity offers,
material for fences and gates, to be got
| in readiness for use during the winter.
! Put good gate wherever needed.
| CURING MEAT.
| As this is the season OF hog-killing
and ofputting up other meats for future
use, the following recipe will be found
| convenient to such as have not a suta-
| BILE one on hand. It is Of the best quail
ty:
pecks of fine Liverpool salt and four
| pounds of saltpetre. Put neither pep
per, sugar nor .molasses with the fore
going. Pack in a cask, the bottom of
which must be perforated with holes, to
allow the drip of bloody water to pass
| off. Let it remain three weeks, and
then smoke every morning with green
hickory wood, having the fire as far
away from the meat as practicable, SO
that the smoke may cool before reach
ing it.
Another receipt, perhaps equally
good, prescribes 8 pounds of salt, 2
ounces of saltpetre, l y ounces of pot
ash, pounds of brown sugar, or quart
of molasses, and one ounce OF red pep
| ner. to be dissolved in five @allnns of