The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-12-11
FARMERS COLUMN.
Hints for Dcoember work

From the american AgricuituriSt for Dec. 1.)
The days grow shorter, and reach their
shortest duration, while the evenings are
longer and longer. The time is favorable
for looking backward in thought. Fore
thoughts are good in their time, but AFTER
thoughts, though often less honored, are
worth a great deal more for shaping the
future.
Liue iStock.-As the season advances the
live stock require increased attention; not
only arc they more directly depended upon
our care, but they are subject to discomforts
from exposure, which seriously interfere
with the profit Of keeping them. OF all our
domestic animals the pig is the most sensi-
tive to exposure to rough weather, poultry
next, in this orders fowls, ducks, geese, and
turkeys, the last often doing better when ex-
posed than If sheltered. Next to fowls,cows
then, working oxen and young cattle; next
horses, which are used, unused horses, and
sheep. or these last the long. wool breeds
are most sensitive to cold storms and snow,
but close-heeced breeds will stand almost
any amount of cold if they have enough to
eat, sheds to 60 under, and shelter from
driving storms from rain and snow.
Horses, if we'll fed, usually feel bright and
lively in winter, and young horses are, for
this very reason, more easily trained, than
when the weather and running at pasture
makes them dull. Whenever horses are
used SO as to warm them up at all, blanket
them as soon as they stand still, if only for
two or three minutes, those two or three
minutes are sometimes enough to give a
chill, which may end in pneumonia, or
other serious troubles. Grooming slves feed,
and also promotes health in horses, and
should never be neglected. 1t will probably
pay even to groom boarding horses, and it
will certainly pay the owners TO stipulate
that their horses should be groomed daily.
Blankets, except mere busters" are worse
than useless in stables; they make the horse
tender, and more likely to take cold when
brought in hot. Litter very freely if you
have the material; straw, leaves, swamp
hay, etc.
Mich Cotos.-These ought to be well fed,
and cleaned by card and brush, daily, if
possible, otherwise twice week. They
should be milked up to within four weeks Of
calving. It is great temptation to dry off
a COW so as to save the labor of milking, and
not alone will hired men do this, but the
farmers themselves, generally, do it; and
think that they save good deal in feed and
labor, while in reality, with young cows,
they impart habit of going dry early,
which will last them as long as they live.
The better milch cows are fed, the better re-
turn they give, but feed judicously.
Sheep are peculiarly sensitive to good
treatment. A good shepherd isalways gen
tie among his sheep. Ewes which are to
lamb early ought to be by themselves and
have better care as their time approaches.
Feed few more turnips and give them n
little more liberal spriukling of corn meal
and bran, or oil cake.
Pigs Nearly double the feed will be re-
quiSed to keep pigs!fiom going back, alter
really cold weather comes on--say, when
| tie ground freezes. II is then best to kill at
cnce. Every farmer ought to be able to kill
and cut his own pigs. Butchers are often
very rough and brutal. This is not neces-
sary. Many farmer who kills his own pigs
does so because he wants the job kindly and
hunanely done. He actually thrusts the
knife as if he loved the victim. Feed soak
ed corn, that is, corn which is covered with
as much boiling wafer as it will take up in
"a hours. This is better for either fattenng
or store pigs than coarse meal, unless the
latter be thoroughly cooked.
| ORCHARD AND NURSERY.
Apples-This has been great apple year,
and immense quantities fave been shipped
to various parts of Europe. This trade is
now 50 well established that in planting, the
American orchardist should have the foreign
demand in view. Apples for shipping
should be those that bear transportation,
and also those that are in favor abroad such
as the Newtown Pippin, spitzenberg, Bald
win, etc.
| Fruit in tie Celiar.-When the fruit cellar
is separate from the house it should be kept
just above the freezing point; such cellars
do not require ventilation. Cellars under
liviug-rooms must be ventilated, otherwise
the gassSs given off while the fruit is ripen-
ing--and too frequently decaying-will en-
danger the health Of the inmates There is
demand for special care in this matter, at
the present time, because the fruit has been
80 abundant that there is an unusually large
amount stored in the cellar. If the house is
so constructed that an opening can be made
from the cellar into a chimney, ventilation
may be very completes an opening which
can be closed at pleasure should be made to
admit air from without when desirable.
Manures.-By many the orchard is ex-
pected to yield two erops-one from the trees,
and another more directly from the soil, as
it may seem. 1t is useless to expect the best
fruit from trees that are robbed of their nut
riment by growing crops. Ordinarily,
when the trees come into bearing, they
should have the land to themselves. II
circumstances make it necessary to grow
some crop between the trees, both the crop
and the trees should be manured. Well rot
ted manure is best, and when spread let il
cover the whole ground and not be heaped
about the trunks of the trees where there are
no small roots to make use Of it. Winter is
an excellent time to spread the manure, as it
can be drawn upon sleds which more readily
pass under and among low trees than a
wagon. A dressing Of lime will often be OF
great benefit TO an orchard.
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