Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-02-07
A0ttCultutal.
Hints for February Work.


wheat and the clover. If sown alone, IA
peck of seed to the acre will not be too
much.
Winter Wheat--Last season the bare
ground, deeply frozen, was al injury to
the wheat, while this season the deel
snow gives occasion for fear. Now the
farmer must look TO the outlets for water
from his field so that the ground may moi
be flooded when thaw comes. If it is in.
tended to top dress the wheat or rye, this
should be pos poned until it is probable
that the manure would not be washed
away with the melting snow. Such con.
lingences as this prove how much better
it is to have the wheat crop MANFRED be-
fore winter sets in, or before it is sown.
Spring Wheat. - In districts where
spring wheat can be grown it would be
well TO remember that this grain, ut pres
cnt, brings comparatively high price.
Where everything is favorable, us much
lard as possible should be prepared for it.
A dressing of one hundred and fifty pound,
of nitrate of soda, upon clean corn stub.
bic, either fall ploughed or poughed early
in the spring, would make good prepare
ton for this crop.
Mdnatre.-The manure from the stables
and sheds should be piled us it is hauled
out. A square, compact heap, kept well
built at the sides, and flat on the top. will
retain sufficient heat to resist frost, and
manure will rot rapidly in the coolest
weather. Fresh additions on the top will
soon heat, and by and by the whole may
be turned over and rebuilt, the outside
portions being placed in the center of the
new heap. Managed in this way the ma
nure will be in excellent condition for
use in the spring. If free from long
stalks or straw, the manure will be fine
and well rotted.
H}b C0VS.-Cows that are to come in
carly should be dried of in good time. 1t
is not economy to milk COWS as long as a
few pints may be drained ont of them
The drain on the system in nourishing the
calf is enough for The COW to bear. II the
COW is copious mixer, care must be ex-
ercised in feeding, lest in the new flush of
milk garget may occur. To avoid this
feed low, give no corn meal whatever, and
it is safest TO give nothing but hay and
some roots. There need be no apprehen-
sion if a large heavy udder is not shown
before calving. 1t will be the safer, and
the flow of milk may easily be encouraged
when the calf is week or two old, and
danger of inflammation is passed.
The Cdrd.-A pair of cards ought to be
kept in every COW stable, and they should
be frequently used. Cattle that have been
purchased have sometimes been found
lousy, but after few applications of the
card, dipped in kerosene, the vermin dis
appeared. The carding, and brushing af-
forwards, should be done before the milk
ing. There will be no complaints then of
specks in the milk In place of the brush
brisk rubbing with II handful Of cat
straw will give good finish to IL carding.
HorSeS,-Idle horses may be kept in IL
straw yard with an open shed for shelter
A few ears of corn, given daily, will keep
them in good condition. Brood mares, al
least, shodld have us much exercise as
this. Horses kept in stables should he
well curried and brushed A sharp curry
comb is n nuisance in stable, and makes
many nervous horses fractions and irlila-
BILE. The sharp teeth may easily be rub
bed down with II file or a milestone. To
clean curry-comb, dip it into solution
of common sal-soda, rinse it about short
time, and then wash it in hot water
When the coat begins to shed, a pint of
lnseed-cake meal may be given to each
horse with benefit
Fattening Cattle.-A change of food
will be of great help in quickening the APP
petitcs of stabilized cattle. A pint of mo-
lasses, mixed with a feed Of cut straw and
meal, will be taken very readily. This
may be given once a day, and one or two
ounces of salt with an alternate feed.
Roots, sliced and sprinkled with either
cotton or lnseed cake meal, will be very
healthful. A few apples will be useful
tween meals. A pound of meal stirred
in the drinking water will help. BY va
rying the food in this way one can hardly
over-leed fattening stock so as to pail the
appetite.
Sheep, feeding for the butcher, can prof
itably consume, according to the size,
from one to two pounds of grain per day,
with hay, straw, and six to twelve pounds
of roofs. 1t will not pay, as a rule, to
keep fattening sheep TO save the fleece af-
ter they arc ripe for market. The value
of the pelt always enters into the price
given by the butcher, and TO feed sheep
two months to save the value of the pelt,
and then find this deducted from the
price OF the sheep, is not Il pleasing sur
prise, Fat sheep generally sell best this
month Or early in March.
Lambs, Every lamb of the right kind
now appearing, if within three hundred
miles OF New York, may be made, by
proper management, to be worth, three
months hence, So or more in the market.
The essentials to success are the right
kind of Sheep to have lambs early, and to
feed well until ready for market. Dry,
warm quarters for the ewes are indspen-
sable.
Store sheep can be wintered VERY well
on straw, fed twice II day, with some roots,
pound of hay and II pint of grain be-
tween the morning and evening feeds.
No grain or roots should be fed until the
morning feed of straw has been eaten
clean.
SaH.-A lump of rock salt kept in n
shed Or under cover, where the animals
can lick it at will, is the safest way to give
this necessary condiment-given to excess
it is hurtfu, especially to pigs.
Pgs.-Dry, warm, well-ventlilatcd,
clean pens or yards are necessary for sue
cess in raising swine. An unhealthy
sameness of food, all corn, Or all whey,
no roots too much wet, damp and filth ;
perhaps too close in breeding, all result in
disease, which in time becomes constitu-
tional. Provide brood sows with warm,
dry pens, with plenty of bedding of cut
straw. Feed corn meal, bran and man
gels, turnips or potatoes, and apportion
the different kinds of food with regard to
the condition of the soWs.
POultry.-Some of the hens that have
been laying will brood this month. Pro-
vide a warm place for them, where they
will be quiet and undisturbed. A sunny
corner in warm stable will do very well
for the chicks next month if the fowls are
of hardy breed. These early chickens
will make early market birds, and the
pullets will lay early.
Seed.-Provide all seed that NAV be
wanted at once. Choose those kinds that
have been carefully grown and free from
weeds. Order corn, oats, clover, timothy
and other grass seeds and garden seed at
once, to be on hand when wanted.-Aneer-
Jean AgrtcalturiSt,