The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-02-04
THE FARM.
Hints for February.

ness are COIN Deuuacle, Ooc ehOulu manu-
haste with caution.
LOOK AHEAsi-A farmer should always
think in advance of his work. The whole
plan must be laid out In the head, before the
hands sre put to il. There is time yet left
for thinking over what should be done IN the
next two or three busy months.
YoUSa CHICKENS Fairly chickens which
can be reared easily il proper care is given,
may be kept in glass covered coop pro
iecied at night by covering with straw. Ii
severe cold is feared, heat a couple OF bricks
hot in the oven, wrap them in piece OF
carpet. and pot them in the coop. A large
can or Jug OF hot water is also q very good
warmer.
SpRTSs WHEAT.--ln many localities spring
wheat will succeed il il is sown early. Open
weather this month may permit plowing
and sowing, although the under soil is stu
frozen. cold spell may freeze the ground,
or cover it with snow. but the seed is safe,
the work is done; and one may rest con-
tented while others are grumbling.
CAB6ASEs LIVERY farmer should raise
cabbsges, both early and late. For early
kinds, the seeds should be sown in hot
bed this month, unless plants started last
fall have been kept through the winter In
cold-frames. 1t Is not a waste of manure
to use i, for hot-bed as it will be all the
better for application in the garden after 1t
has served this purpose.
HAULING OUT MANURE-While the ground
is hard or covered with snow, the manure
heaps can be hauled to the fields with the
least trouble. Those who have protted by
our hints for the past few months, will have
the manure in good condition for hauling
out now; Others will have it lying around
loose and frozen, and consequently useless
for some time yet.
BOXES N WINDoWs-Is an excellent way of
starting plants for early setting, though it
must necessarily be on small scale. For
small garden good supply may thus be pro-
cured. In sowing the seeds avoid putting
them in too deep-s half inch Is ample for
all. and less depth is better for the small
seeds Press the soil closely around the
seed.
TIN FINEsr MANURE is made by turning
the heap over twice. To do this, begin at
each end of the pile, and throw off the
manure to distance OF three feet, building
up the new heaps, and placing the coarsest
manure in the center. Then proceed until
two heaps are made. These will soon heat.
and a month or so afterward the process
may be reversed and the two heaps made
into one again.
VERNLN The poultry house. if closely ex-
Amined, may be found to swarm with lice.
a gray mealy powder may be seen on the
rOosts, in cTevices and in the corners and
joints OF the building. Take common
SQUIRT can filed with kerosene oil and jeot
the oil into every creyice about the hOuee
Repeat this process If il is found necessary,
and very soon the fowls will be free from
these Insect pests.
KEEP rILE Coon CALVES As the COWS come
in, the best of the heifers may be selected
for raising. There can be no better way to
improve the stock of COWS than 70 use good
bull and keep the best calves, well feeding
and caring for them until mstured. After
ao1o in ho
made for breeding, and only the best re-
tanned. In few years the value of dairy
COWS may be doubled by this careful prBctice
OF selection.
GRAss.-In the North is not male ss ayaila
bic as it might. An opinion prevails that
grass lands can not be kept IN permanently
good condition. Yet there are in many
localities plots and tracts of grass that al
very old and show no signs OF failure. What
has been done once in this way can be done
again. A permanent pasture or meadow is
invaluable. Why can not we try 20 make
and keep them This is q subject worthy
the most careful study.
PRUNING Large branches may be cut
away from fruit trees in Mild weather. a
saw should be used for this; and the cut
smootbed and covered with paint or melted
grating wax. The objects in pruning an
old orchard, are to remove unhealty
branches and to thin the tops of the trees.
opening them for the access OF sunlight and
air. In case trees have grown one-sded,
they can often be brought into good shape
again by judIcious pruning.
TREE PLANTISG.-The work of selecting the
trees for planIiOg should be done at once,
that the nurserymen may have the orders IN
hand, and I'LL them promptly. Do not buy
OF tree peddlers, unless absolutely known TO
represent reputable nursery. Most of them
are frauds, and their statement of the value
VI new and high sounding varieties are
fiction. Should the trees be nOzsn when
they arrive, place them a cool place 10
thaw slowly.
FowLS-Will need the best food If eggs are
desired. Wheat stepped in boiling water,
and given hot, and hot baked potatoes
crushed with a mesher are as good food as
can be gwen; water slightly warmed with q
small quantity of sulphate OF iron ,copperas)
in IT, will be useful. Allspice mixed with
cornmeal mush is an excellent condiment.
and by no means costly. Lsudanum IN 10
drop doses has been found a remedy for the
cholera, or poultry intestine, fever, which
has destroyed so many l0cks-
GEESE AND DUCKs.-These are profitable
birds in some cases, and may be kept where
there is cheap grazing. Half a dozen geese
will soon fill good sizsd feather bed or q
pair OF pillows The white ducks are, per
haps, equally useful in this way. Both OF
these will now begin to lay, but must be
closely watched, and kept up at nights, or
they will drop their eggs abroad. The eggs
should be gathered and kept in a cool, but
not cold, place until they are wanted for
setting.
VALUES AK INCREASING Every relic OF
the long continued depression-the seven
lean yesrs-now happily gone by, is passing
away. Prices are advancing, and every pur-
chased thing costs considerably more than a
year ago. The farmer who values his land
and stock may Justly put up the figures from
- to % per cent. His inc ome must be made
to increase in proportion, and this must be
done to a great extent by increasing in every
possible way the productive value OF his
property.
THE C4sKER WORE On mild days the
canker worms may make their appearance,
and the females, which are wingless and
always crawl, must be prevented from as
cending the tree and depositing their eggs
The devices for efscting this are numerous;
they generally consist in placing some bar
rier around the trunk which the insecis can
not pass. Some have cutters of oil, others
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