Connecticut western news., 1881-12-21
WORK ON THE FARM.
REASONABLE HINTS.

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 There is work that is important at this season which may be done when blowing cannot. The looking after the small repairs that are needed upon every farm, or upon every set of farm buildings, before winter sets in. Very few of us can spare the time in the busy seasons to get hammer and nails or the other tools necessary every time we see some little place that is out of repair, and if we can take few days now and do them thoroughly we may make up for some of our little neglects in past | times.
 A latch broken from door; gate off it's hinges or nearly so; loose board upon the side of some building or along some fence; a square of glass gone from some window; a broken bolt in the mow- ing machine; broken strap in :he har- ness; these, and such things as these, are but trihes, and when first noticed we can let them go, "make them do" as | they are until we are not in such hurry; but we are apt to continue to let them go until the trouble spreads and we cannot make them do any longer Perhaps it would be better if we would attend to all such things when we first notice them; but we do not, so let us take a little time now to make up for past carelessness.
 Then we need to bank up our build ings to keep the frost out, unless they are so built as not to need it. Piggery, hennery and stables need it as much and perhaps more than dwelling houses. Then let us see whether double door here and double window there will not I pay we'll for themselves by keeping out cold weather. Extra fuel in the house, extra grain in the stables, piggery and poultry house, are certain to be needed to keep life and healthy, thrifty growth, in their inmates, if the temperature falls in the building as rapidly as it does out of doors in December day. Let us, therefore, try to so arrange our buildings that they may be as near wind and weather proof as we can convenient ly make them, if we value the health and thrift of those who live in them. | Another job now will be the covering of the strawberry beds with light coat ing of mulch of some sort, Horse ma- nure, straw, corn stalks or pine limbs make about as good mulch as we can find for this purpose. Iprefer the two latter, as being less likely to fill the land with weed seeds. The horse ma 1 nure does not hurt the strawberries, l suppose, but I prefer to give the land a good dressing of it before the plants are set, and in the first seasons hoeing l can nearly destroy the weeds that spring up from it, then mulch with that which will not supply more weed seeds and manure with good artificial fertilizer, also free from seeds.
 Forest leaves are apt to pack toe closely over the plants, for which reason I do not like them unless I have time to pack them in among and around bed o1 young plants without covering the crown of the plants. Then put the limbs ol corn-stalks upon them and they will dc very well, and they may be allowed te remain on the ground in the spring te enrich the ground.
 But around young trees there can be no better mulching than 8 good coat o forest leaves. live would mulch ou1 trees in the fall with liberal coat o leaves, put on soon after the ground freezes, We should not lose so many O. them from winter-killing, as they would make a much better growth the nex season. There can scarcely be better fertilizer for growing trees than would be found in the decaying leaves and thu leaf-mold of our hard wood forests. have been pleased this fall to set many farmers gathering and drawing home leaves from the wood, as well a. shaking up the accumulations under thu shade trees around the house. Many have done so that I never knew to dt . such work before. Good advice ani good example has not been lost on them I prophesy that their stock vii
 winter better this winter than ever be fore, because of the comfortable bed they will have, and their crops vii be better next year than usual, becaus' of the better value of the manure the, will make by using the leaves for bed
 ding.