The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1876-01-26

| TO secure success IN the workshop, the
mandatory, and the eounting-house,
it is no less so for the same purpose on
the farm or in the household. DAYS
are usually counted by working hours
everywhere except on the farm. The
artisan, the accountant, the banker,
the mechanic, and even the day labor
er, well knows how many hours consti-
tute day. But the farmer least Of all
computes time in this way. This is one
of many failures upon the farm which
can only be obviated by the owner him
| self becoming exemplary as to system.
At no time in the year is it better to
begin methodical labor and plan than
in january. Once begun, and laid out
for the successive months, these plans
can and will become quite feasible, and
their adoption more natural and easy
than their rejection.
First, then, every farmer should at
once look to his fencing, and where
tenants are employed they should be
counselled and advised on this subject,
and not forced. The compulsory pol
icy is disagreeable, futile, and will pro-
duce failure.
Manure should be hauled out, spread
and covered. Thrown in heaps to.be
leached by wind and rain, it will
scarcely pay for the trouble of hand
ling. But covered either in the drill
or broadcast, it will decay into mould
and become plant-food in seasonable
time. Cotton seed had better be. rot
ted in the manure heap than taken to
the field green in January. Sheep
and COW lots should be ploughed every
week to prevent baking by spring winds,
if not soWed, as they should have been,
in small grain in the fall. No stock
should be allowed to remain exposed to
wintry weather in pens at night, nor in
daylight If the weather be wet. Food
fedto the cattle, sheep, hogs, or plough
stock under shelter during foul weather
in the winter time, is strict economy !;
and provender thrown on the ground
to be trampled under foot. Gas is too
often seen in the SOUTH is shameful
extravaganza. Stables, cow houses,
and stock lots, should be well Uttered
this month. Much manure made In
this way in January and February will
pay to be put under cotton in March
and April.
Let every farmer see to it, that his
wife's garden is looked after in Janu-
airy. Blacken the earth with manure,
and plough or spade under. As soon
as a day can be had when the land viii
work easily, SOW in drills bed of
spring turnips and a bed of English
peas. Cover the rows of peas with
cotton seed to prevent the earths freez-
ing. They will die and become plant
food to the growing crop. Fork over
and broadcast the asparagus bed with
salt. Plant a few rows of parsnips
and carrots, and towards the last of
the month SOW onion seed and plant
onion buttsns and q few rows Of rad
ishes. Lettuce viii do well, unless
February is a very cold month. Irish
potatoes may be planted In January, if
litter is at hand to cover the bed a foot
deep or more after planting.
Orchard and shade trees should be
trimmed and transplanted, as also all
kinds Of. berry roots and cuttings
Experience teaches us that fertilizers
had better be scattered for. summer
crops at the time of sowing the seed.
Broadcasted upon small grain in Febru-
ary just after d rain, they win pay BET
ter than if sown with the grain.
Small grain Of all kinds, unless the
warm month of November and part Of
December made it stool out so as to
completely cover the ground, will be
benefited by being narrowed with a
tWo-horse iron-toothed harrow. Pies
pilates sown ahead of the harrow will
be nicely covered.
These hints, Of course, are depend
ent upon many contingencies. If
January should prove to be, as it often
is, d very cold, frozen, wet month,
much that Is here suggested must be
postponed. lie labor cannot be had for
January, the chances must be faken for
future effort. But all things working
well, there is nothing suggested above
that cannot and should not be done,
and well adone, in January.-RgGl
Cdrol5nian.
REST FOOD FOR SWINE.
What would be considered the best
food for swine In summer would not
answer the same purpose in winter.
In summer, such food should be given
as would keep the animal III an inn
proving condition, and would cause it
to Law on little fat, but not so much
as to cause It 70 suffer from the heat, as
i tat porker undoubtedly does. Cool
ing foods, such as plenty Of youngcloyer
and bran and middlings slop, IS what
wesuse much Of, not forgetting to give
regular and abundant supplies Of fresh,
cool water. In putting up swine for
exhibition purposes, we have tried
many different kinds Of food for the
fall exhibitions, but have foundnoneso
desirable Is slop made of corn and
oats ground together, one-third Of the
former, BY measure, to two-thirds Of
the latter. One Of the best nays to
prepare II Is toscald it at night and feed
next morning; put on the mass only
anounh hotwater TO thoroughly nlOisten
it, and then cover up the barrel tight
80 1t can steam well, and make the mass
mellow and nice by morning. If il #
found undesirable to scald It, moisten
the mass with water and then put in
one or more pans of sour milk thick
milk OF clabber-t0 cause it to sour by
the time it Ii used. We use both or
either plan, and find them both good.
!