The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-11-22
'mkt 8Isatm+
MONTHLY HINTS.

Poor, sou corn Will scarcely pay ioh
husking. If it is dry enough to keep
in a stack or barn, better stow it away
stalks and all for feeding out in winter,
In this case it is best to bind the corn
into sheaves of convenient size to pitch
and unload
Seed corn, if not already selected,
should be secured at once. Good sound
corn will be scarce in many sections
next spring. 1t is best preserved by
hanging it up in traces.
Corn stalks should be drawn in as
early as possible after the corn is husk-
ed. Let them be free from external
moisture.
Root crops should be gathered and
slowed away for winter use. Mangels
and other beets should be first harvest
ed, as they are most liable to injury
from frost.
Parsnips may be left in the ground
all winter without injury.
Fall blowing should be continued
until stopped by frost.
Wheat may still be top-dressed with
manure. Many farmers have found
benefit from spreading straw on the
exposed parts of their wheat fields.
Narrowing wheat to kill weeds Is
well worth trying. 1t should be done
when the ground is dry and on sunny
DAYS. 1t will not hurt the wheat, and
while in our own case it did not kill all
the weeds it certainly destroys good
many of them.
Surface draining should be attended
to before the ground freezes.
Undertaking in Winter can be done
very economically, but it is necessary
to prepare for it beforehand.
Weeds and other rubbish on the
sides of stone walls and bitches can
sometimes be burnt to great advantage
during..dry weather in November.
The rushes and coarse grass on
swamp land may be burnt during q
high wind. We have greatly improved
the quality of the grass on such land
bv this treatment. Commence the
work in the morning so that the fire
will be all out before you leave it for
the night. 1t is we'll to burn the grass
near the fences before setting fire to the
main body. Have a bunch or two of
willows with which to beat out the fire
if there is danger of the fences being
burnt.
Stones can be drawn to advantage
in winter; but it is necessary to loosen
them now and place stone under
them to prevent them freezing fast to
the earth
Buildings should be examined and
put in repair for the winter. 1t is a
good time to paint them.
Implements and machines that will
not be wanted until spring should be
washed with petroleum and slowed
away for the winter. Petroleum will
preserve the wood and keep the iron
from rusting.
Manure should be drawn together in
snug pile, and not be left scattered
about the yards. 1t will commence to
ferment, and keep on fermenting mod
erately all winter.
Potato tops should be drawn to the
yards, where they will be useful as an
absorbent and make manure.
Leaves and muck may be gathered
for bedding and manure. Stow them
away under cover where they can be
easily obtained as required.
Fences should be examined and re-
paired A nail in time saves nine.
Cellars should be thoroughly cleaned.
See that the windows fit snug and that
they can be easily opened and shut.
Bank up for winter if necessary. Put
as few vegetables in the cellar as posi-.
BILE, and see that you have the means
of perfect ventilation.
Dry earth is a capital disinfectant.
Put load or two in barrels or in one
corner of the cellar where it can be
obtained as wanted in the winter
Should your cellar be damp in the
spring this dry earth will be useful to
scatter on the floor.
Fattening pigs should be pushed for
ward rapidly and sold as soon as fat.
Try to make them eat as much as they
can digest. Give all the water they
will drink. There is no truth in the
idea, we think, that if pigs have access
to water the pork will be soft. 1t is
not we'll, however,, to mix so much
water with the food as to compel them
to take more water than they wish.
If they have cooked food give them
some dry corn as well.
Young pigs must have warm, dry,
and comfortable quarters and the best
of food If the floors of the pens are
not tight, dry leaves are better for bed
ding than straw, as they will more per-
fectly exclude the cold air
Mich cows should take on more or
less fat at this time. Grass is usually
not very abundant or nutritious at this
season. Give the cows all they will
eat, night and morning, of mixture of
one quart of corn-meal to bushel OF
chaffed clover hay. If they do not eat
more than half bushel each of the
mixture at meal you may double the
proportion of meal to advantage
Moisten the hay and sprinkle the corn
meal upon it and stir until we'll mixed
Grain is now comparatively cheap,
and it is poor economy to feed straw
and hay alone. With US, hay sells for
more than corn-meal. Whatever agri-
cultural writers may say to the contra
ry, our animals would approve of the
plan of selling hay, if need be, and
buying corn-meal. We think the ami
mails are right.
american Agricultural