The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-12-20
DECEMBER ON THE FARM

operations are concerned. Inc reason
for this, however. lies not in the fact
that the weather is particularly cold,
or that the rainfall is excessive, for
neither is usually true; but q It
follows closely the close of the active
harvest season. 1t is a time when all
nature seems to get into d SOUND sleep,
from which she may not awaken for a
period Of three months or more.
II is very natural for the farmer
and gardener to relax somewhat the
strenuosity Of effort and gather
strength for the conflicts and acticities
of another season.
Moreover christmas ZONES but
once a year" and it comes in Decenl-
Der. n children are already full Of
who are but children Of q larger
growth-are beginning to feel young
again in view OF the holidays that
will practically cover the last week or
the month commencing. as they DO,
on Sunday and closing on Sunday, the
first day OF January.
In the upper and middle sections #
the South, little or nothing can be
done in the way of planting OF seeds,
either in field or garden. It is rather
q time Of preparation for the paintings
that come later. When residing onmy
farm / learned to consider December
as the real! beginning o the year that
was to follow. and actually formed the
habit o hiring farm laborers and con-
tracing with tenants to begin and end
with this month.
Tne fall SO far has been SO dry that
IN many sections but little fall plow-
ing has been done. This work should
be pushed to a conclusion before the
winter ain shall nave set In. and
the ground become soaked With mois-
xure until too wet for the plow. This
applies both to farm and garden and
st >nn
pIowing and subsoiling. Doubtless
many failures to benefit by deep
breaking and subsoiling are due to the
fact that the work was done in the
middle or late spring when the ground
was too wet.
month of heavy rainfall GA inches
is the average for Griftin). but a little
ain goes a long way when the sun
light is so short and the darkness
SO long. Just now most soils are IN
the ideal condition for deep blowing
AID ubsoiling where it has not al
really been done. a few comparative
~ light rainfalls, however, may sink
owl and waterlog the subsoil so that
u would he worse than useless to
put a pillow into il.
do not like to plaw under a clean
surface and cave nothing to bind the
soil together on the hillsides. 1t is now
Orumon to advise the sowing Of sons
kind OF cover crop for this purpse. as
we'll Is t take up and hold the un-
used soluble plant food that may have
accumulated in the soil since the last
crop was matured and harvested, and
/ have often approved of 1t. At this
late date, however, rye Is about the
only plant that may be expected 20
accomplish the object. II own nOw
the seeding should be quite heavy,
fully twice as much as if the sowing
had hpen done in September or t1c-
tober.
1t is a good time to haul out manure,
spread it and plow it under. If not
desired to broadcast the manure bed
ding burrows for the next crop may
be opened and the manure be listed on.
Al any rate it should be covered into
the soil. not necessarily deep, but so as
to be kept moist all the time.
December in the Garden.
Very little or nothing at all, in the
way Of planting seeds may be done IN
the garden excepting in the extreme
South, where most of the hardy veg-
etahlc seeds may be soWn for early
crops, such as cabbage. carrots, rad
ishes, marrowfat and other late yari-
cites Of garden pants.
But December is the time, or a ON
tinuatior OF the time for getting the
stable on to and into the
ground with the same caution as to
p~loWing the soil when too wet. A well
regulated garden. however, requires
twice as much rain to put the soil out
OF condition for pillow and spade as
would be required in the ordinary
field. Moreover, the garden IS usually
OF such limited area that ADVANTAGE
may be taken Of u day or two be
tween times when the soil may be in
good condition for the work.
Stable manure is great for making
n garden soil quickly. but when one
has to buy the manure from q livery
stable he mast take the risk OF get
ting his garGen stocked with seeds Ct
Objectionable and peStiferous weeds
ana fungus spores. The danger, how
ever, is not 50 serious as one would
imagine, sine" most Of these weeds
such as Johnson grass and nutgrasS-
may be destroyed when they firt ap-
pear from the seed about as easily a.
r~1.ih-SrASS or cfDMfONt.