Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-05
rhous hts and work for January.

With the beginning of the new year
 let every farmer try and make it an inn
 provement on the last year. There are
 an infnity of good resolves to be made
 such as more thorough culture raising
 better, stock, producing at home every
 thing needed on the farm, practiclng more rigid economy, making home life more attractive, to which should be add
 ed rigid adherence to the cash system,
 the one thing essential to real prosperity
 and genuine happiness.
 This is a good time to have everything
 in readiness for the next seasons crops. Winter blowing should be continued whenever the condition of the ground
 will admit and pushed until the last fur row is turned. Land deeply plowed in fall and winter is half cultivated for the spring and summer crop.
 All land for corn, except new ground, should be plowed deep early in the fall
 or as soon thereafter as it-can be done. The time to cultivate the corn crop is before it is planted.
 Repairs in fences aed farm buildings
 that have not received attention should be completed at once, so as to have all of these out of the way when farm work begins.
 Down timber in the fields should be cut into logs rolled in piles and burnt or otherwise removed. Stumps should be taken out. A 2-inch augur hole bored in the main body as deep as may be re- quired and filled with kerosene will read fly destroy them in dry weather. Stock of all kinds should be kept off the meadows when the ground is soft and wet. Colts and calves only should be al- lowed in the meadows at any time dur ing winter and early spring.
 Watch the compost-heap, and see that
 1t receives everything that will increase its size and quality of contents. When the ground is firm haul out and dis tribute over the meadows and wheat fields all the barn yard manure not need | ed on the garden.
 Winter is the best time for looking af- ter the orchard. Remove all dead timber and unsightly and superfiuous hmos. Replace dead fruit trees with young ones of best varieties, and protect them from stock and rabbits.
 Damp, wet lands may be greatly inn proved by ditching and understanding, which every farmer can do in an mex pensive, and at the same time effective, way A ditch can be cut to the depth regulated by the necessities of the case, filled with stones, when they can be had, to within Is or 20 inches of the surface; or when the stone is not convenient, two straight poles placed in the bottom side by side and the third laid on top of them and covered in the same way, or when blanks are more convenient, three Of these can be used, one as a base and the other two to form the roof In this way any farmer can construct, at small cost, a most excellent and effective system by which the worst wet lands may be re- claimed and made the most productive | part of the farm.
 Do not let the garden be neglected. | Heavy manuring fresh from the barn yard will keep the soil warm, and the | rains will impregnate it with the neces- sary elements of plant food that would l otherwise be carried off by the atmos- | phere and be lost. As the soil of Ala bama and adjoining southern states sel- dom freezes to any considerable depth it will be found beneficial to either turn this manure under with the blow. or what is better, use the spade, and thus more thoroughly amalgamate them. ai.d cause a more rapid combination of the | different clements contained in the soil | and the fertilizer.
 But, above all, don't neglect the gar den, and see to it that it Is supplied with l variety of vegetables for the table ev- i cry day. A good garden. well cultivated l constitutes half of the home living on l the farm.