Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-09-30
Farm ann houssbolO.


The time can never arrive upon farm
when il can be said There is nothing more
10 be done. \ constant succession of
work ever presents itself to the enterprise
ing farmer and now, a. the close of the
year arrives, ard the seasons labors would
matters need attention. which will occupy
the time until the ground is covered with
snow.
The first work that should be done i 10
secure comfortable shelter for the live
stock. Among them should not be forgot
ten the farmer himself and his household.
The Inconvenience and exposures neces-
saTily incident to the winter, may be very
much ameliorated by judcious prepara-
tons around the homestead. \ closed she'd
Tor fuel is ofimperative necessity. \ closed
porch around the kitchen door will be
found great comfort TO those whose do
main is bounded thereby. \ wel-house
should not be forgotten, and close board
fence across the yard, to cut off the north
winds from the rear of the house. will be
grateful addition.
In the garden. the strawberry bed and
the rhubarb roots should be well protected
by thick coating of litter or leaves, and
-ame prepared for a hot-bed in the spring.
An ice-house should by all means be pre-
be collected and kept in dry place for use
as packing. The luxury of plentiful sup
ply of ice during the su miner months, not
to speak Of lis advantage in the dairy, can
the very trifing labor needed to secure it.
Afer the homestead, necessarily follow
the stables. cow-sheds, pig pens and poul-
try rOo>ts. What are wanted here are dry
ness, warmth, cleanliness api ventilation.
Each and all are absolutely necessary TO
the health of the stock and their economi-
cal keeping. Warmth saves feed. 4 few
boards, closing up spaces in sheds through
which the bitter winds would blow and the
sun and rain pc nestrate, might save ton
or more of feed. But warmth should not be
gained at the expense of fresh air or am
pie ventilation. Cold drafts are to be avoid
ed. and abrupt changes OF temperature. A
much larger proportion of sick and ailing
animals owe their diseases to want of shell
ter on the one hand or want of fresh air
aud clean quarters upon the other, than TO
want OF feed. Animals in clean, dry, airy,
well-protected sheds and stalls. are rarely
troubled with ailments or vermiu, anu
thrifty repay the cost OF their care and
keep. Neither should light be shut out
from the stables.
Cattle 90 not thrive so well in either very
dark or very light stables as in those il
which there j. subdued light and 4 few
cheering, health-giving rays of sunshine
Disorders Of the eye are often caused 0y
bringing horses suddenly out of darl
stable into the glaring sunlight when the
ground is covered with snow. The window
OF stables should be 1t the sides. and not
in full face of the animals. 1t will be foun,
also Of great advantage TO make an opel
shed upon the north side of the barn-yard
and facing the south. in which the stool
may air themselves in stormy weather
Preparations for all these necessities OF
conveniences will occupy much of the tim
of the next two months.
But there is also much to do in the fell
during these two months. Probably tn
most important work is the collection G
materials TO add to the manure pile. Tn
most valuable of these materials ar
swamp muck and leaf-mould; leaves anC
hard wood sawdust, for bedding stock
waste from tanneries, wooden mills, brew
cries, and slaughter houses. Seaweed is
valuable fertilizer; wood ashes, vast
lime, plaster from old buildings, leathe
scraps, bones, and almost every refuse ar
ticle add valae to the compost heap, an,
should be gathered from every source
Money and labor thus spent is the mos
profitable investment that can be made
The farmer who hesitates thus to inves
his money makes costly mistake, and h.
who boards the price of his crops and eth
er invests in bonds or loan for the SAX O
the interest. is very poor business man
No investment is SO safe or SO profitable t
the farmer IS that of the improvement q
his own farm.
After these matters are satisfactorily al
tended to, every other day should be de-
voted to preparing for spring. The groun
for oats and potatoes should by all mean
be ploughed. All stubble should be plough
ed under. But this season is peculiarly III
ted for the work Of draining. In the limit
of this article we can only point out wha
may be done, leaving the methods of doin
it for future occasion. Wherever sprinl
breaks out in the Aeld. or spot is over