Middletown transcript., 1895-11-23
GETTING READY FOR WINTER.


There is good deal of useless work
done in the late autumnal months, and
a good deal of very important work is
overlooked. 1t is quite useless to spend
time in raking lawns clean of every
dry leaf. Educated or real taste is not
annoyed by these brown litterings.
They are nat ure's gift to us to enrich
the soil and protect the roots of grass
and plants. The mission of the leaves
is retchedly misunderstood. On no
account remove them from about
shrubs and under hedges. They are
sent there to serve both as mulch
and covering. After a winter made
warmer by them the leaves settle
down and add to the humus. To burn
them is outrageous waste.
Where the leaves can be of no ser
vice. as in drives and bitches, let them
be collected for the compost heaps.
Here, mixed with ashes and manure,
they are converted into a very valua-
BILE dressing for the gardens, lawns and
berry yards.
There is not a tree or bush but is
benefited by two thiugs-a mulch
about the roots to equalize the temper
ature and moisture, and wind-break
to cut off the drying winds. No one
can possibly overestimate the value Of
hedges, evergreens and other protec-
tions to the north and west. This is
absolutely the first consideration in
planting fruit or ornamental garden
1t is possible Rby cutting away such
projections to make one side 0f a street
incapable of growing ounces, peaches,
grapes and many choice shrubs and
trees that thrive fifty rods away where
proper care is taken of wind and
weather breaks.
/ should say that good horticultu.
rist never considers anything too hardy
or too safe. Every autumn day sees
little more attention paid to plant and
animal comfort.
Some Facts About Holding Corn.-
In view lof the fact that the largest crop
of corn ever produced in this country
is now being harvested, some practical
facts as TO the advisability of holding
or storing the crop will prove interest
ing. A farmer of Kent county Md.
has published some practical statistics
which may prove useful. He writes:
1.-THE corn, when husked and shelled in
October, weight 225 pounds, and the
cob 125 pounds, November, corn 215
pounds, cob 100 pounds, q loss Of 10
pounds corn and rs pounds cob; De-
cember, 2l0 pounds corn, 90 pounds
cob, loss of 5 pounds corn, 10 pounds
cob; January, 200 pounds corn, 81
pounds cob, loss of 1 pound corn and 3
pounds cob; FEBRUARY, 20S pounds corn,
IS pounds cob, loss of pound corn and 2
poundsicob; March, 206 pounds of corn,
SO pounds cob, loss of 2 pounds corn,
2 pounds cob; April POI pounds corn,
rs pounds cob, loss of 5pounds corn, 10
pounds cob; May and June, Corn. 100
pounds, cob, IS pounds; loss, IL pounds
corn pounds cob. Loss in corn from
October till the following June, Is per
cent, Or 30 pounds; loss in weight of
cob for same time, 46 per cent, or 81
pounds. The following figures are for
a barrel of cob-cOrn during the same
time. In October a barrel will hold
225 pounds of corn, 125 pounds of cob;
November, 246 pounds of corn, los
pounds cob; December, 255 pounds
corn, 95 pounds cob; January 260
pounds corn, so pounds cob; February.
265 pounds corn, IS pounds cob; March,
26S pounds corn, 80 pounds cob; April,
272 pounds corn, Is pounds cob; May
and June. 2s2 pounds corn, 6S pounds
cob. H