Connecticut western news., 1876-02-04
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD,
Winter Flowing.

 Flowing land in winter for spring props is attended with advantages of which the thoughtful farmer will not fail to avail himself. Water in plowed ground, on becoming frozen, exerts a powerful force in disintegrating and mellowing the most tenacious clay soils, and is almost invaluable to the farmer who knows how to use it to the most advantage. It hastens chemical action ln many ways. On congealing, the water in mineral and organic substances is expended, and combinations inimical to decay are often broken up and de- stroyed--as in the case of an apple or potato after being frozen. Ice that will burst an iron pot will meet with very little difficulty in disintegrating and comminuting the most obdurate soil, and thereby assist in it's improvement. Flowing increases the capacity of soils to hold water, which, becoming frozen, expands and commutes it into infini- tesimal fragments, and is therefore it's most efficient pulverizer. And thus re- suits are obtained from the blowing and freezing which neither alone could secure.
 In the preparation of land, therefore, for next seasons tillage the advantages of winter blowing are most decided. Of course lands which are so steep as to wash badly should not, under most cir oumstances, be plowed in the fall for winter, but when there is necessity for doing so, the hillside blow should b. used, and the furrows so directed that the washing rains or melting snows can do them as little damage as possible. Another great advantage of fall or winter blowing is that two or three inches more depth of scil can be thrown up than in spring blowing, the frosts of winter so mellowing the raw, cold sub soil as to render it's incorporation with the surface soil an easy matter.
 It follows, then, from these facts, that whenever the ground is not too wet particularly where there is large spring crop in view-it is best to command the services of Jack Frost in comminuting and preparing the soil. ready for an early start in the spring. This great mechani- cal assistant costs nothing, and is always on hand, if the land has been plowed in time. It is these natural forces that the farmer should study to utilize to the best advantage, whether they be solar light, heat, descending rains of spring, summer and autumn in bringing down the enriching stores of plant food from the atmosphere, or the hard freezing weather of winter. The deeper the earth is stirred, and the more its particles are comminuted, the more rain it will absorb and hold, and consequently the more of those enriching stores of plant food contained in the atmosphere are brought down and secured. The joint action of the blowing and freezing of the soil is therefore of more value than is generally understood or appreciated.
 Clear Up the Rubbish.
 implements and articles, and the flag ends of everything required about a farmers premises are left to lie about, occupying the ground year after year, wherever they happened to be left last, it is impossible to keep such premises free of burdocks and other weeds. There is no excuse for these nuisances about the farm building, of the accumulated lumber of 8 thousand years" occupying ground which should be made the most slightly and productive of the farm. It is, no doubt, unproftable also in every man, not having any wood lot on his
 
 cord, sold his premises, and told the purchaser, among other things, that le had his man work two days to cut and carry off the burdocks from the house lot, so that he could turn his sheep into 1t. The new conner found firewood enough, by clearing up the grounds of haystacks and timbers, old cherry trees hof 10 dIiapidated fences and outbuil dings, for family to use for half a dozen years. And after clearing this ground he found it the richest and best on the farm. The best thing one can do with worn out i'm plements is to put the wood of them into the woodshed for fuel, and the old iron into the workshop to repair other tools with. But for the rubbish that is con, stantly coming to hand about every farmhouse, we would have three places where we would dispose of everything of the kind. An out-of- -the-way corner between the shed and the barn, will re ceive all broken crockery and glassware the old tin and sheet iron, and all cast aways. Everything of wood, little ol big, if sound enough, goes to the wood pile, but if decaying must go to the com post heap in the barnyard with all the refuse from the garden, from cleaning up the yards, the cellar, the woodshed barn floor sweepings, the coal ashes frozen potatoes, and all such things which if collected and given ittl' dressing of lime and plaster occasionally would yield the farmer fertilizer wortl more than all 1t had cost him during tn year in keeping all tidy about hi premises.
 Protecting Live Stock.
 The farmer or raiser of live stock wht does not keep his animals from losing fat and flesh during the winter months is not an economical manager. When ever COW or horse has been exposed tx a cold and wet storm large quantity O food is consumed to generate anima heat. If the supply of food is insuf6 cient the fat that has been secreted il the system will be employed to keep tn beast warm. Bears frequently retire t, their winter refuges rolling in fat. Bu when gentle spring returns their fat i all gone, having been consumed t, maintain the heat and life of the animal during cold weather. Cows and oxe often come from the pasture field at tn close of the growing season in an excel lent condition as tc flesh and fat, bu before the winter is half gone they ar spring poor, having used up nearly a their fat to keep their bodies comfort ably warm. .....,..
 Every intelligent farmer will adm that keeping neat cattle on tallow rathe than fodder, meal and comfortable shed or stables is most improbable and e7 pensive mode of maintaining live stoc in cold weather. Let any one view tn
 subject in it's true light and he will { once discover that it is extremely ba policy to allow animals of any sort
 draw even small portion Of nourisl