The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-02-20
February Work and Plans.

TIE last month Of winter has begun for
the northern farmer, while in the Southern
states spring has already opened whatever
is to be done in the way Of preparation car
be no longer delayed. A late beginninl
makes late season, and to regain tim,
lost noN, may be found impossible hereafter
a farmer who ia b. hin hand is arrcy t.
accidents and mi.iurtunes Of the season anC
the results lts,ened by the reason of hi'
own carelessuess On the other hand, th'
forward man gets the benefit of every ad-
vantage, and many advantage, Of the seaso'
safely passed over because he is ahead q
them.
While the ground is hard or covered with
snow, the manure heaps can be hauled to
the fields with the least trouble. Thos'
VINO have profted by our hints for the pas
few months, will have the manure in gooC
condition for hauling out now others VIII,
have it laying around loose aud irt zen, anc
consequently useless for some ime yet.
Manure is made by turning the heap ovei
tWlNts ~ uO luis DtSlu az tuNh Nhu VI wv
pile and throw off the manure 10 distance
of three feet, building up the new heal :
and placing the coarsest manure in th'
centre. Then proceed until two heaps ar,
made. These will soon heat, and a mont
or so afterwards the process may be rever
ed and the two heaps made into one again.
In many localities spring wheat will sue
ceed if it is sown early. Open weather this
month, may permit sowing and plowing
although the under soil is still frozen. a
cold spell may freeze the ground, or cover it
with snow, but the seed is safe, the work is
done; and one may rest contented whit
Others are grumbiug.
Every farmer should raise cabbages, botl
early and late. For early kinds, the seed
should be sown in hotbed this month, un
less plants started last fall haye been KEEP
through the winter in cold frames Direc-
tions for making hotbed will be found uu-
der the "Notes for Kitchen and Marke,
Garden" 1t is not a waste of manure TO
use it for hotbed, as it will be all the bet
ter for application in the garden after it has
served this purpose.
Flowing should be done only when tn,
soil will crumble loosely; when the pillow
smears the upturned surface the soil will be
Injured. While earliness and forehanded-
ness, are commendable, one should max {
haste with caution.
Grass in the north is not made as avail
able 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 are
very old and show no signs oflailure. What
has been done, A permanent pasture or
meadow is invaluable. Why can we not
try to make and keep them? This is sub
ject of most worthy and careful study.
There are localities where it may pay tt
grow small crops cheaply, where one may
skin the land for few years and then
leave it, Just as in some places cattle are
or have been killed fer their hides and the
carcasses left to decay. But every year these
localities are growing more and more distant
in the west, and in time land will be too val
liable to be used in so wasteful manner.
in central and eastern localities the future
prosperity will depend upon the growth OF
larger crops by the expenditure of more
labor on the land. To reach this end will
be the work of time, but it will never be
reached unless a beginning is made and there
was never a more propitious time to begin
than now.
Every relic of the long continued depres-
sion-the seven lean years-now happily
gone by, is passing away. Prices are ad-
yancing, and every purchased thing costs
considerably more than n year ago. The
farmer who values his land and stock may
justly put up the figures from % to 50 per
cent. His income must be made to increase
in proportion, and this must be done to Il
great extent by increasing in every pos
sible way the producing value of his prop
erty.