Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-06

and from an excellent COW, should be used. a
vast Improvement must be made in our dairy
from them. The same is true OF sheep and pigs.
SBEEP.-Let no sheep go into winter quarters
Infested with ticks II no other method is pos
sible go over the sheep one by one on warm
day, and kill every tick with pair OF scissors.
If boy is given cent dozen for all the ticks
he can find on a score of Sheep he will earn a
dollar or two in day from almost any farmers
flock. II ticks are killed the trouble and eX-
pense will be amply repaid in the better con-
dition Of the lambs by and by. Breeders are
generally more careful in this respect.
EROOD EWES that will have early lambs, are
better in yard and shed by themselves as they
need more generous feeding than those COM
ing in later. Rams and wethers should never
be kept with ewes; they are rough-mannered,
and butt the weaker sheep too much. Sheep
are better on II kept in an open yard and shed
than If penned up too closely.
FATTENING SHEEP.-Sheep that are being fat
tened for market and for the sake Of manure,
need to be fed with great regularity. A varia-
makes them fretful and uneasy, and this causes
loss of flesh and fat. If well Uttered, the ma
nure may be left to collect in the shed until
spring; the solid packing OF the manure VIII
prevent undue heating.
SwINE.-Swine that are fattening will do bet
ter with soaked corn than with dry. Corn
more economical to feed than when ground into
meal. The animals are sooner filed. the food
digestS better, and consequently, the feeding Is
finished more eXpeditiouSly, and feed-which is
money-iS saved
PoULTRY.-vermin are the greatest pest to
fowls. There are worse in the winter than at
other times, because the fowls are confined
more closely, and have not opportunities to
free themselves. Lice may be destroyed by
whtewashing the house and rooStS with lime
wash mixed with carbolc acid. Fleas may be
destroyed by thoroughly greasfng the roOstS.
Clean straw should be supplied to the ness
and glass nest-eggs provided for early layers. A
glass covered coop will be useful for an early
sitting hen and young brood of chickens
SUNDRY MATERS.-A pair of cards and
brush should be in every COW stable, and clean
illness should be carefully observed. thor
Ough carding and brushing will not only in
crease the quantity of the milk, but will add to
its purity Young calves should be freed from
1ermin by applying mixture Of inseed-oil
and kerosene to the parts infested Water
troughs should be emptied and turned over at
night, to prevent them from being frozen up. -:
Tools will be safer when kept In selected
In use will be much improved by soaking the
wood with crude petroleum, and covering the
metal parts with coating OF talloW. IL ac-
counts have not been kept, nor any daily rec
ord of farm work. the proper books should be
procured, and at the beginning of 1880 COM
mencement made. IL is worth the trouble to
know how one stands with himself and the
world.
ORCHARD AND GARDEN WORK.
This month completes the circle of the year;
we leave off, much as we begun, with looking
farmer. works with full faith in the return OF
'.Seed-time and harvest" These always come.
but If their coming is somewhat different from
the manner In which the experience OF previous
years have taught us to look for, we call 1t re-
markable or unusual season, and forgetting
that the great promise has never yet failed, we
are too apt to grumble If it is not fulfilled as we
would have it, The autumn has indeed been
an unusual, but thus far altogether favorable
one. The evils OF the departure from the aver
age season are mainly possible, and may yet be
averted, while the benefits have been numer-
Gus. He must be a moor gardener who has not
Ell the sqhhy days of October and part of No
Nember greatly lesSened the amount OF work
to be done at the opening of spring. The few
snow 1urrieS, and the reports of heavy SHOWS at
the north and west, remind us that the warm
weather, and with it the outdoor work, is now
tthe second week in December) well-nigh at an
end and no doubt this will be read at the cheer
full fireSide. The long-lOOked for opportunity
has come We have promised that we would
look up this, and read about that, and now the
promise to do these when we had time" can be
kept, There is time which may be made most
precious by reading, rejecting, and planning.
There is scarcely special culture, whether of
farm or garden crops, but has one or more
and those.which discuss the principles which
underiie all culture, are many. There are
books and books, but it is rare, indeed, that at
the present day book is not worth all 1t costs,
II not In direct teachings, at least in the Sugges
tionsit imparts and the thoughts it awakens.
Books giving the thoughts and the experiences
OF her books which should be made our COM
panions-blank books in which to record our
own experiences. especially those Which may
be expressed in dollars and cents. book for
accounts and business memoranda is Of no less
value to the gardener and Orchardist than to
the farmer, as the details are far more numer-
GUS and burden the mind. II such book has
not heretofore been kept, make beginning at
once.
ORCHARD AND NURSERY.
APPLES are a short crop; and 1t is all the more
important for those who are so fortunate as to
have them, to keep them properly. The cellars,
II separate from the house, should be Of TEN
perature Just above freezing, and need not be
ventilated. Those under dwellings must be so
constructed that the gases rising from the rip
en1ng 1ruit may pass away, otherwise they will
rise into the rooms above and endanger the
health of the inmates.
FENCES AND GATES should be kept in good Or
der; and there is no better time for making
gates and posts, ETC., in the shop than during
CIoNs are better if cut before they have been
exposed to hard freezing Select the most Wig
orous and well ripened shoots. and tie in bund-
les, label and pack in fresh SaWduSt, or sand If
that can not be had, and keep in the cellar.
MANUREs.-The application Of manure to the
orchard is too often neglected; Use well rotted
stable manure 1t may be drawn on at any
time during the winter, most easily when the
ground is frozen. When spread, it should cover
the whole ground, and not be heaped just about
the trunks OF the trees, where there are no
small roots.
PRUNING of small branches may be done at
any time when the weather is pleasant A
very little time spent on young trees will bring
them into good shape and determine their fu
ture form.
SEEDS Of fruit and Of many ornamental trees.
are best kept in damp sand, or sandy soil, and
should be in place so cool that they can not
terminate.
THE FRUIT GARDEN.
Mild days will give an opportunity to finish
pruning the grape-vineS, currantS, ETC., at the
same time saving any wood that may be needed
for propagation.
STRAwBERRIEs.-Coverw with layer Of straw,
marsh hay, or leaves, just before the cold
weather sets In.
observation-disclosures the tender kinds with
earth.
KITCHEN AND MARKET GARDEN.
COLD FRAMES need daily attention. The Let
tuce, Caulif1ower, CabbageS, ETC., set in them
should not grow; the great danger in winter is
i'll having the frames too warm. They are cola
frames, and only on the coolest days are the
SasheS to be kept entirely and continuously
closed. When the temperature Is 10 deg. the
sashes should be raised slightly, and when 80
deg. the frames should be open.
CELERY in trenches for the winter must not
be allowed to freeze hard, though q moderate
freezing does not injure 1t. The. covering ma
tertal, straw, hay, or leaves, Should be at hand
to put on when needed. A slight covering will
answer until cold weather fairly sets In, but the
winter covering should be about foot thick.
That put in the cellar is more likely to suffer
from heat than from cold. II the temperature
Is too high, the celery will start to grow, and
the stalks will become hollow. Keep the cellar
near the freezing temperature.
CELLARS containing roots must be kept cool.
A thermometer will be found useful In cellar
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