Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1880-10-20
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THE BREAKERS BROKEN.
Hints for October Work.

r Hints for October Work.
Buildings. month offers the most
favorable time usually for the painting
and repair of farm buildings, and putting
them for the winter. A great part Of
this work may be well done during this
month by the farmer and his boys.
Implements, put away for the winter,
should be painted or protected in some
way from the action of the air and |
moisture. Paint or varnish for the wood
work, and varnish of two-thirds rosin !
and one-third mutton tallow is excellent
for protecting iron and steel. ~-
Top Dresang.-Bone dust or "tankings,"
or some fertilizer in which the nitrogen is
not in the form of ammonia, and not SOL
uble, is the best for late autumn applica-
ton to grass or grain. Such a manure
has some immediate effect, yet is not
washed away in solution by heavy rains,
but shows its potency in the spring.
Fodder Corn, which, of course, was cut
|
was lost, should be handled much in the
same way. AS soon as the stalks are
sufficiently dry, and the weather so cool
that danger from moulding is past, put it
up in small bundles, and set these together
in large stocks in the field, bound securely
at the top.
Cider-The best cider is made from
late ripening, sound fruit, and in cool
weather when the fermentation is gradual
Many early apples may be worked up
into sweet cider and sold as such or made
into vinegar. This is one of the best
methods of turning to account fruit that
would otherwise be lost-American Agri-
cutafist for OctOr6er.
Ploving for Spring CIops.-This may be
done at any time now, where the soil is
not too light, and not likely to wash dur
ling the winter. The ground should be
left rough tobe subjected to the fullest
action of the weather, freezing, thawing,
wetting, drying, etc. Should crop of
weeds come up, it will very likely pay to
harrow and plow again.
Lioe Stock-A little extra feed brings
cattle and horses to the beginning of
winter in good order. The tops of car
rots, beets, and turnips may be fed to
good advantage, and there is great deal
of sweetness in the October pasturage.
Where much corn is planted, there will
always be soft ears and ''nubbings'' which
are best fed to horses and pigs.
Step.---This month we speak for March
lambs, Halffed sheep are often run into
market from sections where food is
scarce, and it pays well to secure such to
feed for the winter, turning them off fat
in the spring The feeder should be sat-
is6ed. if, by so doing, he works up his
wheat straw and corn into manure, get
ting pay for his grain and cash outlay,
and that only. -.-
- Weeds IN Grass Land may be very easily
seen and destroyed this month by the use
of the ''spud," a broad chisel-blade at
tached to handle like that of spade or
", long-handled shovel, having a spur upon
it for the foot to aid in thrusting it into
. the ground A boy with an instrument
of this kind can rapidly clear grass land
4 OF buttercups, daisies, and a multitude of
{ other biennial and perennial weeds.
Ridge PlO,oing of stiff clays is often of
great benefit. 1t is done by turning the
burrows two and two together, so as to
leave the land uniformly ridged. The
ridges must run up and down the slopes
otherwise, in heavy rains, water will be
held by the ridges until it breaks through
somewhere, when there will be danger
= Of a "wash-out.". This system of winter
following involves blowing again in the
spring, but shows its good effects in the
t crops.
!; Corn HuStang, by which we mean the
t stalks after husking (not the leaves of the
corn merely stripped off, should be bound
in bundles, probably best done with will
low withes, and stocked up so as to shed
] rain. Large stocks, well set and firmly
bound may be left in the field until needed
for feeding, without injury to the fodder.
In fact, it is often brighter and better
when treated in this way than in any
other In stacks, or in sheds, is is likely
to heat and mould, unless it can be moro
thorough ly dried than we can be sure Of
having it. -..u...Io,. ...t.,...
Aples.-The practice Of picking the
fruit and putting it in heaps for a few
days until the skin toughens, before bar
> relling, is good one. Put the fruit into
the barrel with care, shaking it down
half full, and again when full, SO that the
apples will fit closely when the head is
pressed in. by means of the lbarrelling
press The opposite head should be
marked as the one to be opened, This
season of abundant apples it will not pay to
market any except the best fruit, and that
in fine shapes Dry second.ratel fruit Oh
h make it into cider .n'dai,rlnHt ~.
Water.--If pure water does not flow al
the barn, look into means for securing it.
Barn-yard wells are convenient, but often
dangerous tonthe chealtho if not of ami,
mails, certainly of men, who, may drink
- at them. If the water from some spring
can be led to the house and barn, by al
means bring it down--ase plain iron pipes
a or enamelledl conesr+ not "galyanized'