The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-12-06
MASSEY'S VIEWS
rARM WORK FOR DECEMBER.
progressive Fdrmer.)

wake il practical TO DO a great deal
81 work from which the Northern
farme5s are shut out. A letter re-
c-,leu yesterday from a farmer up in
the Adirondack regio OF New YORK,
mar the canada line, says: Every
hing frozen tight here now (Novem-
her 20 for the winter" While we are
having frosty nights and sunny and
Da.my days of Inaian
terraces and D.t,Hes.-Now is the
ZINE. before the soil gets wet, to pillow
deeply and subsoil the hill lands. 1t
would have been better to have done
this earlier SO that a cover crop could
be s0wn, but in a great part of the
G-,:l we may st II be soWn. f no
crop is sown I would leave the clay
SOIL in the rough state by the turning
Dlow. so that the frosts can act better
on it and get it mellow for diSklng
in the spring. Clear up the ditch
tanIs and clean out the bitches and
see that no bank Of earth is left atoms
s.de an open ditch that will proven;
thp water getting into it. Then plan
as soon as practicable to get rid of
all open ditcheS, except a main one,
into Which the underdrains can emp
". know of no farm in eastern
North Carolina where there IS but
one d g Qltch, and into mis- ditch ten
r,.-S OF tiles empty, and tha, level
altu &dh NC oAAS0 AGA ca 49, kAidlA
lii. lea Ianu aruund it. Then in the
Piedmont country the sug 5~estion OF
Dr. Knapp tor thing instead Of terrac-
ing - good, provided il is ac A,In-
IuuIed 10y oeep plowing and a rotation
to bring organic decay IN the So il.
over many a Georgia hillside one
sees lines of Weed-groWn banks, with
Il ditch above that is RAPIDLY De-
coming a gully. If these bitches were
cut to a regular fail ana tiled. or
d aims made with surface TO AK where
1Guoe are loUnL, the terraces could
be rapidly abol1leu and the weeds
too. Eut even WIN thing, you cannol
all at once do away with the terraces
tat should practice a rotation that
VIII ling a SOD OF clover on rho lana
30 turn and hold the SOIL together.
linen, with deep plowIng ana aiih. OIL
ing. a deep bed OF loose SOL VIII take
up the water and the drains VIII car
~ off the surplus, n the soil Will be
IL d NOauItIon To Deter withstand dry
Wedther.
Look After Live StOck.-If you are
making a dairy farm, you should nave
uOlt a silo well dlled with corn silaSe.
ami the work VIII be far more prolt-
able if the cows come in fresh in the
ta4t. So tndt You VIII get the higher
pIice for the products. But do not
imagine that because you have a MID
winter climate your COWS can Stanu
out in all weathers and thrive. A
light and vel ventIlated COW stable ls
a. i.lportant in the South as else
where, though the COWS SHOULD not be
kelt III all tue time, of course, as III
is the practice with some IN the cold
North. a winter pasture OF oats Will
be very useful if the oats are soun
early enough in the fail to max a
good growth. But do not let cattle
OF any sort run in the stalk fiel1s
when the soil is wet. tor the spring
blowing viii be seriously damaged
by their pouching Of the soil. Warm
quarters Tor stock in winter are cheap
er than feed. OF course, in many
sections beef cattle may be fed cut
down corn in open lots cheaply. but
they, too, should nave some shelter
in bad weather. With the farm mules
blows, you will ave to iced a grea,
deal higher to keep them alive, and
pine boards are cheaper than feed.
Put Tools In Slieiter.-Now, too, see
that all the implements are clean and
under cover. 1T IS an aWful waste OF
money to leave valuable machinery
oLt II the weather or he pIows and
harrows caked over with earth and
ru.ung so that it will take time IN
the spring. to get them to runnine
smoothly. Clean them Wen and clear
OH from machinery the ~
oil and dirt and put some kerosene on
them.
Take Care of the Manure.-If you
cut down yOur corn and cured slower
it is a good plan to shred it. You
can then put it in stacks and more o.
the stalks will be eaten, and what Is
left will be IN fine shape for the ao-
sorbing OF and you VIII nave
no long stalks to break pitchforR
handles. But so far as the manure Is
concerned, the best possible way &c
handle it is to get it spread on the
land as fast as possible after it Is
made. | was on a farm in Alabama
some ears ago, where the 1arniel
keeps a good Zeal Of stock, and h
barnyard was dry and clean as a pas,
ture lot, for his manure goes rlgh'
out as made. Manur spread now or
the land will waste less than any
where else, and it Will be especially