Connecticut western news., 1879-11-05
FARM AND GARDEN.
AMONG THE CHICKS,

4b HI OAo0A' HuC4o n OOa1o 10 AOoSO o1 entirely off, or cracks for the winds to whistle through occur from shrinkage, nail on the boards and fill up the in- terstices. A thorough coating of white wash will not come amiss, and nests and rcosss should be thoroughly cleaned. All old nest material is best thrown away and fresh furnished; this gives ample opportunity of lime-washing the nest boxes.
 Tia top of the earth in the poultry house should be raked off and the floor recovered with several inches of sandy grav.sl-. These scrapings, which require to be taken of frequently, ought to be carefully saved, as they constitute one of the most valuable manures of the farm.
 Less attention is paid to the provision of suitable roasting places for fowls than is given to matters of inferior in- portarce associated with the poultry yard. Otherwise model poultry houses not infrequently are wanting in this respect. Two errors commonly con- mitted in this day of heavy bodied fowls are-too lofty perches and perches too small in diameter. Unless the breed is very small and light, perches should be built low for reasons that are obvious. The objection to small perches for heavy fowls is that they are liable to cause the breasts of the birds to grow crooked, which renders them unsightly for the table. For heavy fowls capital perches are constructed of fir or laroh poles about three inches in diameter split into two, the round side being placed uppermost. The birds claws cling to these readily. Piper, who approves of this perch in his Profitable Poultry" !" advises when the perches are of timber that they be made nearly square with only the corners rounded of, as the feet of heavy fowls clasp these more readily than round smooth poles. Care should of course be observed that perches for chickens are not thicker than they can easily grasp.
 It is also time that the chickens are culled over. Make selection of the number desired to keep over for layers and breeding stock from the highest grades of the best stock the yard may afford. All others may be fattened and sold for market as fast as they can be brought to good condition.
 WINTER SQUASH.
 Winter squash is not only more nu- tritious and palatable than pumpkins for ones own table, but also to feed to stock. We have given up raising the latter on this account, and only cultivate the former. It is true we do not get SO large quantity of winter squash per acre as of pumpkins but it is so much less watery, and so much more nutri tious, the better quality moro than com- pensates for the lesser quality. The moment they begin to ripen one ought to commence feeding them, as animals derive greater nourishment from tLem in mild weather, rather than in cold. October and November are probably the best months to feed them ; if delayed till December, and they get frozen, they will do animals little good. It is much more difficult to keep pumpkins and squashes than roots, for they cannot be buried in the ground for preservation like them, and stored in cellar, or any warm place, they are apt to rot fast. We have kept them longest and best in winter, piled on the barn floor or hay loft covered thickly with straw or coarse hay.-[B.
 GRASSES FOR THE FARM.
 As it is with extreme difficulty that farmers can get 0 good catch of clover, because of the drought, which is apt to kill it, the question is often asked, What can be sowed to take it's place Timothy makes Q good substitute, as far as hay or pasture is concerned, but it is of little or no benefit to the land when it is plowed under for crop of grain. June-grass will never do for our climate, as it makes very slow growth, except on the richest of land, where there is no lack of moisture, and then it's good qualities that would recom- mend it for general cultivation are very few. The Kentucky blue grass has not yet been tried by the farmers of this section, so that it's qualities are as yet unknown; but from what we have seen in other places, we are led to believe that this, with orchard grass, will yet be what the farmer will have to use, and these, mixed with little red top, will make sod that will, under reasonable circumstances, stand the drought and prove satisfactory when other grasses fail us. Our farmers have been unfor tunate in the time and manner of sowing their seed. We have by experience be- come convinced that it is best to SOW timothy in the fall with the grain. Some have had the best of luck in putting il in ahead of the drill. Glover will dc better when sown much earlier thar most farmers are in the habit of doing If they would only SOW clover in Marct they would not have one-quarter of tht cause to complain of its not growing When it is sown thus early, it stands better chance to get covered up, ant when this is done the battle is half won as it then grows from the start, and vii generally obtain good root before tn drought of summer begins. Red to] is another species that has been highl. recommended as possessing many quail ties that make it superior to othe grasses on the farm, as it is claime that it is rapid grower under oircum stances where clover or timothy woul