Year: 1866

From the Detroit Tribune, lst.] q
Rural fairs for Acknowledgements


turnI and Horticultural Notes and


Suggestions for thc Month. =
November is sometimes regarded as the
gloomiest month in the year, but in the
United States it is not accompanied with
those leaden skies, choking fogs and
drizzling rain which makes the month
wear such a somber aspect in Great Brit
ain and Ireland. Here the forest is not
vet entirely disrobed of its many-colored
mantle. The ripened berries sparkle
like rubies.. and the bright and balmy
skies are still unclouded. November
was called Wint nondth by the ancient
Saxons, from the gales of wind so pre-
valent at this season of the year, which
obliged them to lay up their keels on
shore, and refrain from venturing on the
ocean till the advent Of more genial
weather in the ensuing spring. 1t was
also called Blot mondth, or bloody month,
from the custom of slaughtering, at this
time, great numbers of cattle to be salted
for winter use.


Buildings of every kind should be put
into proper repair before winter, begin
ming with the dwelling and ending with
the piggery and poultry-house. Between
these there is wide range for occupa-
ton during October and November.
There are few dwelling houses so perfect
as not to require some repair or improve
ment, and not many barns, stables, byres
and sheep-sheds but may be made more
comfortable for stock, and put into bet
ter shape for ecouomizing fodder or
making manure. Very few farm-yard
buildings are so arranged as to afford
sufficient light, ventilation and warmth
to the stock which are wintered in them.
If warm sheds are not provided for stock
in cold weather, they will consume largo
quantities of fodder, without improving
their condition, the additional forage
being needed for producing heat.


Cellars are useful apartments in
houses, but sometimes they become u
curse rather than blessing. They are
often the receptacles of foul air, which
occasionally escapes and penetrates to
every part of the house. 1t is custom
airy with some people to store vegetables
in the cellar, and among them are some
that decay and produce gases detriment-
al to health October is a suitable
month for making a thorough over
hauling of the cellar, giving it COM
plete ventilation and perfect cleans
ing. The application of whitewash to
the walls and ceiling will be an i'm
provement, and if there are any foul
smells arising from drain or sewer, the
leakage should be stopped, and chloride
of lime applied as sweetener. All
perishable vegetables should be stored
in pit or root-house, and not in the
cellar.


The economy of fodder should COM
mence as soon as the wintering of stock
begins. Large quantities of various
kinds of forage are wasted annually by
being trampled on by horses, cattle or
sheep. 1t is good plan to chop hay,
OF corn stalks and straw for cattle and
horses. Corn stalks are generally too
coarse to be acceptable to stock. They
should be chopped, steamed and mixed
with small portion of corn meal gruel
to make them palatablc. 1t is almost
impossible to get hay, straw or corn
stalks chopped by manual labor; hun
dreds of farmers have commenced the
winter with a full determination to
feed with chopped forage, but some
thing always occurs to interfere with
the chopping-the machine gets out of
order, there is not time for the work,
&c. 1t is the better plan to run the
stalk cutter 10y horsepower, and chop n
large quantity at one time. This should
be salted. to preveat fermentation, but
if the fodder is properly cured there
will not be much need of this.


Experience is an austere teacher but
its lessons are seldom forgotten. 1t is
said that they have the extraordinary
power of being able to make fools wise.
Every farmer should keep regular ac-
count of his expenditures and receipts,
that he may be able to tell whether he
has gained OF lost by the transactions Of
the year. Farmers seldom succeed as
spectators. The most sagacious and
successful men Ego with the times" and
sell their produce when it is ready for
market. Every kind of grain loses
nearly one-fourth its weight by being
kept until spring. Hay shrinks enor-
mously, wool considerably. 1t is better
to do all the marketing in the fall and
and winter, that there may not be loss
of money by shrinkage, and loss of
time in the spring, when every minute
will be precious, or at least ought to be.


A man may derive much benefit by
making a good use of his eyes. He may
see what fool he has been in not doing
things the right way, instead of endeav-
Oring to save money and time by half
measures. Millions of dollars are lost
annually by defective system of hus-
bandry-the soil not being prOperly
prepared for the crops. Immense sums
are lost by sowing deteriorated seed
breeding from inferior animals-wiuter-
ing stock badly-neglecting to furnish
shade in summer and shelter in winter
for cattle, hogs and sheep-allowing
stagnant water to poison the soil and
damage wheat, corn, and other cereals.
OverStocking pastures is another source
of loss to the farmer, for the grass being
eaten too closely, the roots are exposed
to sun, and become so parched as TO be
unable to produce good crop.