Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-04-08
A9rieml
Hints about Work,


DOUBLE CRoPPING.-Land to be suited for
raising two crops in one season must be rich
In good filth and free possible from weeds
in fact like good garden. Early potatoes,
peas, onions, early cabbages, or any early
soiling crop, may be followed by cabbages
rutabagas, common turnips, pickles, etc.
Onions Will leave the ground for carrots
which should have been sowed at the last
hoeing between the rows, as directed in a
g basket item,' and cabbages may be set
out before the potatoes are dug.
ANNALS Let stock of all kinds have fire.
quent carding, and some hours of sunshine
daily Only at the South will the grass be
forward enough TO be pastured without dan
ger to the crop The temptation will be
great TO turn cattle upon the fresh meadows
in case forage is scarce, but it will be much
better both for the stock and the pasturage
to feed a month longer, perhaps, on corn
stalks The first lands that are tit to turn
stock upon are unreclaimed boys, where the
coarse grass growing in tussocks has been
burnt off. Such grass is sweet and juicy
early in the spring, and eaten with zest after
the dry fodder of winter, but it soon becomes
wiry and hard and will be refused by the
stock If fed off close when it first starts it
will keep on growing and furnish considera-
bic feed. Nevertheless such land is very IN
profitable property.
HORSES shedding their coats may have
quart of oil-meal fed to each daily with cut
feed peck of carrots. Feed work
horses we'll If kept steadily at work, cal
culate to feed SO well that they will not fall
off at all in flesh. Daily thorough grooming
is worth four quarts of feed day at this
season, even for farm-horses. Mares near
foaling must be well fed. relieved from severe
labor, and as their time approaches given
rOomy quarters in loose boxes. A box 10
feet square is none too large. A slightly
loose condition of the bowels in breeding
animals IL always favorable, and should bs
induced by feeding roots, oil-cake or 1axseed
OxEs.-Feed in proportion for work re
quired, card often, give long mornings, and
chance TO feed but not to fill themselves
Cattle, like all Illuminating animals. eat fast
and do their chewing afterwards. An OK
that Is put TO work with his paunch full of
uDmasticated food Is lazy, at least, and pro-
badly more liable than otherwise to be hurt
by hard work.
DRAINING may often be done in the spring
better than any other season, and spring
draining has this great advantage the fill
ing has all the summer to settle, and there is
much less danger of the surface water wash
ing in and gaining direct access to the tiles
than when the draining is done in the fall
On this account it is advisable to do the
draining on SIDE i1llls, ana Wnere early IN
spring much surface water flows, at the pres
ent season of the year, after the heavy spring
rains have passed.
SHEEP Take extra care of the lambs :;
if stinted in their earliest growth they never
catch up. The flock will need close watch
ing TO see that no ewes become gargety and
their lambs lack milk, that none refuse to
own their young, and that no lambs are hurt
sick. Provide fresh water regularly, if
not constantly, and by no means neglect salt
BUILDINGs.--As soon as the weather is
warm and settled, open and clear out cellars,
both in house and barn. whitewash thor
oughly, stop rat holes and cat holes. Roots
still on hand may be put in barrel or boxes,
that the bins may be cleaned. Outside paint
ing may be done now, and better surface
be formed than if the work be done when
the wood is thoroughly dry so that the oil
will strike in.
BARN-YARD MANURE AND CoMPos1s-Where
manure has any value in the estimation of the
farmers, nobody has enough Nevertheless,
the prevailing notions about it are so crude
that few take the pains they should to in
crease their manure both in quantity and
quality. Manure the land WELL or not at all
1t does not pay to put on sprlnkling and
get half crop. Manure will secure re
ward for labor that can be gained in no other
way the season ny arrange
ments for saving manure, and thoroughly
com posting it with muck. sods, or with other
vegetable matter later in the season. Man
ure for use on land intended for rutabagas,
or other crops sOwed in summer, should be
put in compost heaps and worked over once
or twice before it is used. Poultry house
manure mixed with soil muck should be
frequently worked over, and made fine for
use upon corn in the. hill.
LIQUID MASURE.-The teachings of the
barn-yard, which ought always to flow into
tank especially prepared for them, are
among the most valuable additions to COM
post heap not particle of it should be al
lowed to waste, or wash away when rains
cause an overflow. 1t will pay well to have
a sprinkling cart to cary the liquid upon the
lawns fields, and it is especially useful
upon the garden. During moderate rain,
or showery weather, is the best time to apply
it on all drained soils, where the water goes
through, not over the surface
COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS, Purchase with
caution. Bones as bone-dust are less likely
to be adulterated than as superphosphote
Guano peruvian No. u is a safe article to
buv of an honest dealer, who buys of the
Government agent, The more hands it goes
through the more probability there is of its
being adulteraeed. Fish guano is excellent
and reliable we have as yet learned OF no
frauds connected with it. Castor Pomace is
to be had in small quantities and is excellent
Land plaster is little subject to fraud Leach
ed ashes are often adulterated with coal ashes
but this fraud is easily noticed. Get along
without buying manures, if possible, but if
you sell either hay or straw, be sure to make
good the wrong you do the soil by spending
all you get for manure of some sort, and
keep the soil improving.
SPRING GRAINS Wheat and Barley should
be picked in a strong brine and dried with
L. h.ofora ao1xin1 To destroy the smut