The Portland daily press., 1876-11-28
THE PRESS.
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
November Hints.


Much of the needful work to be done in
this last month Of autumn, consists in MAX
ing preparation for winter. Each season has
its appropriate work and some of it may be
delayed without loss-but not so in this
month whatever remainsto be done, must
be done quickly, or it will not be done at all.
The frosts and SHOWS and cold OF winter
brook no delay and wait for no man.
Protection is the special requisite for man
and animals, for plants and trees. for all AMI
NAL end vegetable life; and towards this sin
gle and it is well 10 concentrate all effort.
The physical condition of all the members of
the household should be carefully watched
and every need supplied. In this exceptional
month of mist and rain, when earth and air
alike are saturated with moisture and the at
mosphere charged with malaria, special
care is needed to ward off the subtle typhoid
and diphtheritic agencies, which lie in walt
for the unwary. If the preparation of winter
clothing has thus far been neglected let it be
attended to at once-the warmest under gar
ments should have been worn for month.
able alternatives than long sickness and a
doctors bill; and frequently the choice is
within our reach.
But little time remains to make the dwell
ing secure. Openings in the roof and around
the chimney must be stopped, windows mend
ed, doors listed, and in fact every avenue
through which the cold and storm may enter,
must be closed. 1t is often measure of pos
tive economy, so far as the consumption of
fuel is concerned, to protect the quarter of the
house exposed to the winds By putting up
double windows and by covering the outer
doors with storm porch of some rough or
cheap material. Those persons who are in
the habit of banking up with earth or tan
around their underpinning to keep the frost
from their cellars, will find their last oppor-
tunity during the present mild weather.
1t is however more satisfactory to dispense
with this annual labor by once for all lining
the upper part of the inner wall-leaving an
air space between-and when this is properly
done the rats and other vermin may be at
the same time excluded. There is not much
danger of being too careful in securing win
ter protection for wells and cisterns. Pumps
and pipes that are in the least exposed should
be made absolutely safe by some ample COW
ering.
We recommend all householders as meas
ure OF precaution and comfort as well, 10
examine closely fireplaces, stoves and stove
pipes and see that they are sound and thor
oughly cleansed from SCOT. 1t is an excel
lent plan also to burn out the chimneys be-
fore winter, using hay, shavings or some
other light combustible material, either when
the roofs are covered with snow or when
they are very wet at the close of long rain.
This timely attention prevents all the danger
and disturbance which are very likely to
come at some unreasonable hour, perhaps at
the dead of night or in gale of wind, or
when one is dangerously sick.
1t has been so clearly proved that in order
to increase production and at the same time
economic in feeding, it is necessary that all
domestic animals should be comfortably
housed, that it is hardly required to remind
even close-fsted farmers of their duty in this
respect. Warm, snug barns, and yet well
ventilated and admitting the sunlight, are
needed for the comfort of animals and the
profit Of owners. Probably at the present
day farmers are more remiss in the matter of
water supply than in other respects. Where
it is practcable-and almost every farmer
can have either a cistern, well or acqueduct
connected with his barn or shed -cattle
should be watered without being exposed to
the cold and storm, and the perils of ice, or
the danger of injuries from each other. In
order that all hindrances and annoyances
may be. avoided in mid-winter, frost should be
excluded at the outset, and this may be done
so effectualIy that water will not be frozen
through the whole winter.
Poultry-keeping is usually found to be un-
profitable, from mis-management in the win
ter, no income being received from the hens,
when the cost of keeping is the greatest.
Warm quarters and warm food are the essen
tial requisites for success here. A well con-
structed poultry-hOuse should be one-third
under ground, and banked up on the outside
from the excavated earth while light and
warmth should be admitted by an abundance
quirements have been neglected, special pains
should be taken to secure the necessary de-
gree of warmth in the most practicable way.
Il should in some way be settled, that neither
the food nor water, nor eggs of poultry shall
be in danger from the frosts of winter.
1t is our impression that farmers and gar
deners ordinarily, are sufficiently careful to
provide winter shelter for plants and trees,
to lay down grapevines and the smaller fruits,
and cover them with few inches of earth,
and to protect the strawberry-bed with
light and loose covering of mulch or ever
green branches. We have only single sug-
gestion to make in the direction where there
may be some neglect; young fruit trees re-
quire protection against the depredations of
mice, especially when they are surrounded by
rank growth of grass. A covering of paper,
bark or mating around the trunk, a foot or
two above the roots and extending few in
ches under ground, is frequently found by Or.
chardists to afford complete security, or ell
tire immunity may be obtained, by making
little mound around each root with few
shovels full of sand.
Feeding Grain to Heifers i'm Milk.
As to feeding heifers and yonng COWS
highly on grain, when they are in milk, we
can only say that we have never found any
objections to the practice that more than
balanced the advantages gained. If heifer
gives large quantity of milk, she must re-
quire a proportionate amount of food, and
unless she gets it, she will surely run down
in flesh aud be checked in her growth and
perhaps permanently iDjuIed in her useful
ness as COW.
We have had case the past year which
seems to indicate that young heifers giving
large quantities of milk may be fed we'll, both
with safety and profit. A little grade Jersey
heifer of ours came in last February when