The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-12-03
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
Many Kinds Of Spring Work
that Can Be Profltably
Done in the Fall.
Tho Skill Of the Plowman, and the
Desirability Of Reviving the
Flowing Match.
Preparine Tor spring.

Il ~S~AA@sy Va AsoSAS4A4S sAAo
! Flowing Match.
/ Preparing for Spring.
During the latter part of the fall
agricultural writers give farmers &
large amount of advice about making
preparations for the approaching win.
ter. They direct them to put not only
their houses but their barns in order
They recommend them to stop up all
the cracks in all the farm buildings, tc
provide litter for bedding their horses
10 haul all the manure from the feeding
yards to the fields, and to obtain .
supply OF fuel and place it under cover.
All this advice is very good, but per.
haps there is no great occasion fol
| g wing it year after year. Farmers
generally have sufficient forethought to
make suitable provisions for IL season
that is likely to be very stormy and
cold. Those possessed of suitable
means generally have comfortable
houses and very fair shelter for their
stock. Ii they have cellars. they ordi-
narily store them with potatoes and
garden vegetables. They commonly
slaughter hogs, cattle, and sheep, and
cure their meat before very cold wealth
er occurs. With rare exceptions they
are pretty well prepared for winter
before it arrives. They are in condi-
on to enjoy rest and take comfort at
| the close of the years labors.
II farmers are negligent in the fall,
1T is the matter of preparing for the
"oming spring and summer. Many of
then DO not appear to appreciate the
fact that in this latitude the fall is the
most favorable season for doing most
kinds of work, while the spring is the
least favorable. The weather during
September, October. and the early part
Of November is generally fine. The
temperature allows men and teams to
work with comparative little fatigue,
the ar IS lnvigorating, and good food
is abundant There are few insects to
trouble horses, and they are in con.
dition to work steadily The ground
IN most fields is in an excellent state to
be worked. 1t ls not full of water, as
it is likely to be in the spring. The
weather in spring is likely to be treach-
erous. Rains very often interfere with
all the calculations of farmers. In
many cases they can not work in the
fields more than three days in the
week. Rains delay plowing and seed
ing, and the low temperature prevents
the moisture from evaporating. Dur
ing some springs and on farms indif-
ferently drained it is impossible to do
really good plowing on account of the
condition of the soil.
The success of any years farming
operations very largely depends on the
amount of work that was done the pre-
vious fall. If all the land intended for
field crops was we'll plowed the previ-
GUS fall the prospect for having the
seeding and planting done at the
proper season will be good, even if the
weather in the spring is quite unfavor-
able. If the ground is prepared in ad-
vance. there will be fair days enough
to allow the seed to be sown. Most
land intended for producing small
grain is, in this latitude, plowed during
the previous fall. Many farmers also
plow the land intended for corn at the
same time If the weather is favora-
bic in the spring they replow it, and
by so doing insure better pulyeriza-
ton Of the sol. If there is much rain.
however. they work the surface soil
with cultivator and plant their corn
without replowing. In many parts of
the west very good corn is raised on
ground that was plowed during the
previous fall. If the land was covered
with snow during the winter, the soil
will not be very compact and the culti-
tator or harrow will put it in good con-
lltlon for planting to corn.
There is much work aside from plow-
ing ordinarily done in the spring that
can be done in the fall to excellent adj
vantage. All the tolerably fine manure
about the farm and in the feeding pens
can be drawn to the fields. where it will
be wanted. The very coarse manure
can be placed in heaps, where it will
decompose. The ground between
grape-vines and berry bushes can be
spaded up and treated to liberal sup
ply OF well-rotted dung. The aspara-
gus and pie-plant beds can aslo be put
IN good condition for spring. The
land devoted to garden purposes can be
cleanscd of rubbish and we'll manured.
The drippings of cattle and horses in
pastures can be broken up and scatter
ed over the grass. By doing this work
in the fall the manure will be of great
advantage to the pasturage next season.
If the drippngs remain in compact
form they will be of no value to the
grass and may be positive injury.
New fence can be erected to as good
advantage in the fall as in the spring.
If the posts are we'll set, the frost is
not likely to throw them out of posi-
ton, and wire offers little resistance to
the high winds.