The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-11-17
farm 9otrs.
SUNSHINE FOR FOWL.

SUNSHINE FOL FOWL.
The fact is very suggestive that
the egg supply falls off most rapidly
while the days are shortening, and
smallest always during the months
when the hours of sunshine are the
fewest. No preparation for getting
eggs in winter is complete which
does not provide, besides warmth
and good feeding, a plentiful supply
of sunshine.
A good farmer or householder
will keep an adequate supply Of
fuel ready for use at all times. This
can be done when men and teams
are not otherwise busy, while if only
enough is got for present needs the
supply is sure to give out at the
most inopportune time. Where wood
is used a supply should be cut year
in advance in order to have it thor
oughly seasoned.
FALL BLOOMING Of FRUIT.
1t is are that fruit trees bloom in
even the warmest and latest falls
unless the foliage has been injured
earlier in the season. AS growth
cannot proceed naturally in the eN-
tension of the present years shoots,
the sap starts into activity buds in
tended for next years truiting.
This, of course, destroys the crop
for next year, and usually seriously
Injuries the vitality of the tree.
RATS AND MICH IN CORNCRIBs.
The corncrib should be thor
oughly cleaned of all rubbish, as
we'll aS Of old corn, before new is
put in. The object of this is to de-
stroy rats and mice, which harbor
under such protection, and getting
in a well-filled crib would increase
enormously before spring, with no
chance for destroying them. If we
have not rat or mice-proof cribs, it
is at least an advantage tQ begin
the year with cribs free from this
kind of vermin.
LATE d WITH TIMOTHY.
If the surface is in fine filth tim
othy seed may be soPwn almost
until time for frcezing' up OF the
ground. 1t will be covered suffi-
GENTLY by freezing and thawing of
the soil in winter and without injury
to the seed. 1t is much more hardy
than clover or any kind of grain.
But this late-sOwn timothy will not
be forward enough to cut next sea-
son. With a winter grain crop this
is an advantage, as in too large a
growth of grass the grain is often
Injured.
EXTRA lei % COWS.
AS cold weather approaches. it
will require the best efforts of tar
mers to prevent serious shrinkage
of milk. Some loss is unavoidable,
but if the yield falls off greatly it
shows that the COW gets insufficient
food, and this will make her poor
and decrease her value for another
year. If the COW is with calf it is
not best to give her food for slim
ulating milk flow for three or four
months before her time for caIving.
Trying to get all the profit there is
in a cow in n season spOils her
usefulness for one or two. years
after.
DRAINING SINK-HOLES.
Just before winter farm help may
be hired more cheaply than during
the buster season. 1t is probably
the best time to do odd jobs that
have been neglected from year to
year. Wet places in fields that can
not be got at while covered with
crops may be drained, and if the
field has been cultivated during the
summer much of the work may be
done with teams and pillow. When
the drain is lowered as much as
possible by these means twelve to
eighteen inches additional may be
sunk by hand, and stone or tile laid
for Il water-cOurse. The filling-in
may be done almost with the pillow.
KEEPING WINTER PEARS.
Pears require greater care in
handling and management to make
them keep well than any other