Nevada County picayune., 1886-01-07
Agricultural Column.
Farm and Gardt work for Janu.
 Gry.

lHt lStl ulSl S Wolh is iSNci tohN The past has its lessons. the pres edt its duties, and the future its promise. We have harvested the hopes of a year ago, and, thankful for the plenty with which we are surrounded, we plan for another seed time, and tillage time. and harvest, hoping to avoid errors, to increase thrift, and to have a bet ter balance sheet to show for 'S6, than we cun do for 'S5. We, as farmers, have encountered low prices. and do not forget that for articles which we must purchase. we pay even less in lropoltin. We study how to lessen the cost of production, while we increase the product without exhausting the soil Here, since the handmaid of the best practice, comes to our aid, and inasmuch as science is gen eral, CT rather universal in It's ap- plication, its advantage to each one, is in proportion to his ability to apply it to his own needs. The best practice exemplifies the h.h- est science. and it is no small part
 of the province of an agricultural paper, to present science in the details of the results of the best
 practice. In these "hints about
 work" we are obliged to say, do
 this and do that, thus and so, with
 little explanation of the reason.
 These will be found from the time
 to time, fully set forth in other
 pages.
 A large part of the best farm
 ing lands of this country are deep
 ly blanketed with snow. As a
 rule, it's beneficent eAe cts arc best
 seen when it lies for months upon
 the ground "The poor mans ma nure,' it has been called, for it holds the ammonia of the atmos, phere, and the eNhalation of the ground. until it melts, when it i'm parts them to the soil. Besides, it protects the grass and grain. preventing the leaving action of the frost. the washing away of the fine soils by many rains or thaws, and the blowing away of the same by the paevalcnt high winds When tho snow is temporarily gone, and this is not seldom Tn some sections, the frost is some times entirely out of the ground, and blowing may be done with profit if there is no more impor tant work to do. Every turrow turned, is just so much gained with spring work, which will be sure to press. On level ground, not subject to washing, manure may be profitably hauled out upon land to be plowed in spring. and either spread, or left in large or small heaps, according to whether 1t is we'll rOtted or not. Laid up in large heaps, fermentation will very soon, and by April it will haze becom fine, and easy to spread evenly. This, of course. involves double carting, but if the second carting is to be done by the manure spreader, and .he field is a considerable way from the stables, labor is greatly facilitated. Zine manure, spread .hinly and evenly uhon moving md pasture lands, even upon the snow, will have an excellent effect. Coarse manure is best when thor. ,ughly composted, with either ,eat or swamp nuke, or even with 'oil, as it be almost entitely hom- ,geneous by the first of May.
 At the South, oats may be sown, md potatoes planted throughout | hat entire section, where it is not : likely that the ground will freeze iard again. The days grow daily ! onger, and though hard frosts nay come, the warmed earth will . lot freeze deeply-Ameriean Az 1 ieultafist.