The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-10-29
Farm, Garden and Household,
Kitchen Garden.

young cabbage plants grown from seed
the last month. The frames should be
a foot high at the back, and eight inches
in the front, and the width of the
length of q common sash, viz, six feet.
Set out the plants two to three inches
apart each way, putting them down to
the leaves cover in freezing weather,
but not before, as the object is to keep
them dormant.
Treat cauliAowers in the same way as
cabbages.
Finish earthing up the celery, bank
ing the earth well up to the stalks,
nearly to the top of the leaves. In cold
localities it may be stored in trenches
the latter part Of the month.
Some of the hardy varieties of lettuce
will winter over in the open ground, if
covered with leaves or litter. For early
spring use the plants should be set in
the cold-frames the same as cabbages.
Divide rhubarb now if new beds are
wanted, as the plants start so early in
the spring that they cannot be handled
so easily. Give a heavy dressing of
good stable manure to old or new beds.
Sow spinach for spring crop early
this month. Thin out the late fall
crop, and on the approach Of freezing
weather give thin covering of marsh
hay.
Out squashes on the approach of
frost, and allow them to lay two or
three days in the sun, covering with
the vines at night. In handling, take
care not to bruise or break off the
stems, as this will often produce decay.
Store in dry place, where there is no
danger of frost.
After the first frost has wilted the
vines of sweet potatoes, dig and allow
to remain in the sun until dry. Those
wanted for winter should be packed in
barrels with cut straw, or dry leaves,
and stored in place where the tenn
perature is not below 600.
Have the root cellars, bins, barrels,
ETC., ready for storing as soon as the
weather makes it necessary to hurry up
the work. Pits in the open ground
answer for storing large quantities
the pits should be two and half to
three feet deep, three feet wide, and as
long as needed. Between every two
feet of roots space of six inches should
be left, as this will allow the section to
be taken out easily without exposing
the rest. Fill the sections with roots
to the top Of the ground, cover with lit
ter, and on the approach of cold
weather cover with earth, giving slant
enough to allow the rain to run off. Of
course such pits can only be made IN
dry ground where water will not settle
during the winter.
Flowing and draining may be done
now, as ground thus treated in the fall
will be ready to work some days earlier
in the spring.
Save everything that can be con-
verted into manure, and collect leaves,
leaf-mold, and whatever other absor-
bents can be had easily. Cart to the
field when the teams can be spared, and
place in piles where needed.
On the Farm.
If no accounts have been kept upon
the farm, it is good time now to be-
gin. Make map of the farm, no mat
ter how rough it may be. Measure
every field as near as possible. Per-
haps this may lead one to see the ad-
vantage of having fewer fences, and
straight ones. Number or name every
field, and oblige everybody about the
farm to call each field by its number or
nauae when speaking Of it. Paste a
copy of the map of good size upon the
inside of the barn door. Start the ac-
counts with the fall seeding, wheat or
rye, and charge every field with the
work, manure, and seed put upon it.
One will be surprised to find what
crops cost, if the market value OF labor
and manure are included in the esti-
mate. But it is this which will open the
eyes of farmer to the needs of his
business. He then becomes business
man, and works on the only correct
principles.
A list should be made of all work that
must be done, and that which naay be
done. Fix time for doing that which
must be done, and stick to it. Do that
which may be done in the intervals.
This is how leisure is made. This is
what is meant by looking ahead. There
is much now to be looked to ahead. It
is needless to point out what these
things are. No man is true farmer
who is ignorant of them, but many
farmers fail to think of them in time.
We do not pretend to tell @ farmer
everything that he must do, or how he
must do it, our object is rather to re-
mind him of many things that are fire.
quently forgotten until it is too late.
Pastur,ns Orchards with Sheep,
Having q small orchard of about
sixty trees, I have for about three years
past pastured it with six or eight sheep,
for the benefit of the trees. Last year
being a non bearing year in this State,
/ had more apples than all my neigh
bors together. My practice is to pillow
shoal alternate years, in order TO dis
turb the surface of the ground, and not
cut the roots too deeply, which [ con-
slider to be against the longevity of the
tree, and SOW down to clover-the sheep
kept in another feeding lot until after
haying, when the clover roots have
gained strength and maturity, 80 that
the close feeding of the sheep will not
kill them. Why l plow so often is be-
cause the tramping of the sheep is apt
to pack the ground round the trees,
preventing their bearing. The sheep
eat all the blighted, windfall apples
which contain the germs of injurious
insects, as soon as they fall from the
trees and they distribute their manure
SO evenly and finely over the ground
that the rains soak it Immediately down
to the fine surface of the trees, causing
them to bear every year. The sheep
should not be kept in too late in the
fall, nor put in too early in the spring