The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-11-08
Farm Notes.

Don't allow your stock to subsist too
long on frozen grass; better buy hay in the
spring. 1t is poor economy to grub the
fields and scrimp the cattles feed.
Remember that the wings of turkeys,
geese and chickens should never be thrown
away. They are excellent to clean the
hearth or stove, to dust furniture, but best
of all to wash windows, because the cor
ners can be easily and perfectly cleaned by
them, leaving no lint behind rs when
cloths are used.
-Underdrains should receive attention.
We are likely to have heavy storms at this
season of the year, and the drains should
be prepared to do their work efficiently
A few hours work given to the drains will
often prevent serious injury to them which
would necessitate much labor and expense
to put them in order
The barn will need little repairing
with the approach of winter weather.
Cracks and crevices where the cold winds
can blow through upon the cattle should
be stopped. All defects in the floor should
be mended at once before any of the stock
suffer injury therefrom. Many other things
will be found requiring attention.
Young trees, whether planted this fall
or last spring, will be benefited by having
the earth drawn to them in the shape of a
mound or cone, twelve to eighteen inches
high. The soil should be free from sods or
litter, be compacted firmly to prevent
washing by rains, and the surface made
smooth. A mound of this kind will pro-
tect the trees from mice, and be of great
service to those newly planted, in enabling
them to resist the action of the wind.
The conditions required for keeping
fruit are uniform temperature, as low as
may be, without freezing and dryness.-
The cellar of the house should not be used
for storing large quantities of fruit, if it
can be avoided, and if used, there should
he ample ventilation to carry off the car
bonic acid given off by the fruit in ripen-
ing The temperature of $50 to 400 is best,
and when the thermometer shows above
400 the outer air, if colder, should be adj
mitted. Apples, properly picked and bar
relied, need not be disturbed until wanted
for use or sale. Store pears in boxes or
drawers, where they may be occasionally in.
spected, rs they often rpen unevenly.
Market gardeners and foriculturists
seem to be the only cultivators vino bave
properly appreciated the uses of dead
leaves. There is scarcely farm which has
not an abundance of them; they lie in
fence corners and hollows, gathered there
by the winds, and with little trouble could
be stored near the stable to bed the stock
in. When dry they soon become fine and
then are excellent absorbents. They con.
tain large per cent. of the mineral ele-
ments of plant food, larger indeed than any
other vegetable matter. AS protection
to trees, shrubs, berry and currant bushes,
and grape vines that need protection, they
are the most ready and effective means we
have at hand. In places where the wind
drives, cover them with little soil; a
dead air chamber is thus formed which
keeps out the frost, and changes of weather
have comparatively little effect. This pro-
lection to the roots lessons the Interrupt
ton to the flow of sap and enables the
plant the better to Withstand the drying
effects of cold winter winds.