Alexandria Gazette

From the American Farmer.

WORK FOR OCTOBER.

As before our next number will have been issued, October, with all its pressing demands upon the husbandman, will have been ushered in, we take time by the forelock, to remind our readers that it is time to be preparing for the toils of that month, as they are no less numerous than important, both as regards the present and the future. In all the operations of the farm, like those in every other department of human callings, the interest and well being of individuals, as well as those of the community at large, are best subserved by timely attention to the discharge of those duties which from time to time are devolved upon us by our pursuits. Indeed, so far as the business of agriculture is concerned, promptness in action is often indispensable to success, as the delay of even a few days may be productive of serious and irremediable injury, at least for the season. Reminding you thus briefly, of the necessity for doing things at the right time, permit us to point out such objects as should command immediate attention. We will begin with those

ON THE FARM.

Wheat—Presuming that you have been sufficiently careful of your interest to prepare the ground you destine for your wheat crop, and assuming it as a fact, that it is ready for sowing, we will remark to you that the sooner the better you commit your seed to the earth, as by a timely sowing, you may enable it to escape the rust next summer. Perhaps you may say, that by too early sowing, you may subject it to the ravages of the Hessian fly; but with a full knowledge of that evil, our judgment tells us. that we would rather run the risk of that destructive enemy, than to encounter the danger of having our harvest destroyed by the former, by throwing the ripening of the grain upon that period of the summer so prolific in the generation of rust, owing to the then existence of those physical causes, believed by so many as the promoters of that disease. If by sowing two weeks earlier than usual, we can prevent the assault of a foe so disastrous in its consequences. prudence would certainty dictate that we should at least make an experiment with a part of our crop. With this invocation to early sowing, let us say a few words with respect to the Preparation of the Seed. Before sowing, the seed wheat should be, first, well washed in clean water, the grain to be thoroughly stirred with a birchen or other broom until the water ceases to be discolored; it should then be put in a soak of lye made of ashes, stale urine, salt or lime water. While in either of these soaks. the grain should be stirred; so as to give the faulty grains a chance of floating; all grains which float should be skimmed off and given to the hogs, as they are defective. and would not germinate. After the seed shall have remained in the soak for 12 or 24 hours, it must be taken out as wanted, dried with salt, plastered ashes and sown soon thereafter as possible There is no danger of the germinating powers of the grain be. ing injured, while it remains in the soak, but the farmer must be careful to take no more out each day than he can sow, as we have known its vegetating powers materially in. jured by remaining over a day or two un. sowed.
The strength of the soak should be tested in an egg; whenever it floats an egg. it is strong enough. By washing, soaking, and sowing, as we recommend, you will be sure to save your next year's crop from the smut, while the seed will imbibe enough of the stimulating principle from the saline mix. ture in which it may be soaked, to give it a prompt and vigorous growth and expansion of the root at the onset.
The seed should be ploughed in three or four inches deep after which we would re. commend that one bushel of plaster, five of salt or top of spent ashes, to the acre, be sown thereon, which should be harrowed in then let the field have water drains run through it. so as to lay the wheat up in dry beds of proper widths, and finish by rolling a. cross the drains so as to give them a facing to resist the washing of the rains.
Quantity of Seed per acre.—In considera. tion of the great loss by winter killing and spring sowing, we think it unsafe to sow less than two bushels to the acre, as any land calculated to grow a crop of wheat is competent to sustain the plants which will spring up with that quantity of seed, Indeed. we have come to be persuaded that one cause of the smallness of our yields, arose from the want of a sufficient quantity of seed to cover the ground to the ex. clusion of weeds. which we all know is sure to spring up and occupy every spare inch of ground.
Rye—if there be any who have delayed sowing their Rye let them get it in with all possible despatch, and be sure to plough in the seed, harrow, drain and roll it as we have advised for wheat.
Quantity of seed per acre.—Less than Four pecks to the acre should not be sown, and five would, at this late period prove the better quantity,
Fall Ploughing,—if you have any stubble or clayey ground that you intend for spring crops. be sure to give them a good deep ploughing this fall; so soon as you get through with your other more pressing work. Exposure to the frosts of winter, and its alternate thawings and freezings, tend to mellow and change its texture and put it in good condition for spring cultivation; to destroy worms and insects; and by this means. you will have so much work done when the spring opens. and be, of course, prepared to devote more time to those other demands which that busy period of the year never fails to bring with it.
Hogs—Put your hogs that you intend. to fatten and kill into the pen early, as they take on fat much better when the weather is warm than when it is cold. If you have plenty of mast, you may permit your hogs to re. main out until they are consumed. Before confining them in pens, have as much mould hauled from the woods as will. cover the bottom of your pens ten or twelve inches deep, as your hogs, before killing time, will convert every pound of it into good strong manure, and thus increase your ability to improve your land next spring, and, of course, to increase crops.
Attention to matters of this kind is indispensable to the character of a good far. mer, and we indulge the hope that you will improve our suggestion.
If you have pumpkins to begin your feeding with, let us advise you to have them cooked. By so doing, you will vastly increase their nu. tritive properties, and save your hogs from being scoured. If you are prepared for it, add a little meal and salt to each feed of pumpkins. as these will not only add to the acceptableness of the mess, but to its fattening quality.— Let your hogs be fed regularly at stated hours, give them clean water thrice a day, and salt them twice a week, the salt to be mixed in meal: Provide each pen with a rubbing post, and see that your hogs be well bedded with leaves, twice a week, and that their old beds be each time thoroughly cleaned out. Dry, warm sleeping births, and clean litter, are essentials in the fattening process—essentials, unfortunately, too little attended to. Twenty hogs could convert fifty loads of leaves into good manure. Besides what we have stated give your hogs charcoal twice a week.
Gathering fodder and tops—Those of you who may not already have pulled your fodder and cut your tops, should rise with to-mor. row's dawn, put your whole force to work to get this done as soon as possible; but let us re. mind you, that after you have done, you must not omit to put them away in such a manner as to prevent their being injured by the weather. And here let us, in advance, tell you, that if you gather your cornstalks after the corn is pulled and protect them from the weather, that they will prove good substan. tial food for your cows and oxen. provided you cut them up If you had the means of cooking them. every ton would be equally as nutritious as a ton of clover hay—indeed, much better for milch cows.
Cattle, stabling and Sheds.—if you are not already provided with a sufficiency of these to protect your stock from the wet, have them forthwith put up; there is nothing like keeping cattle dry and warm: when thus kept, they take less food, and the milch cows will give more and better milk. By the bye, the time has come, when, from shortness of the pas. tures, your milch cows will require feeding, at least at night. If you have pumpkins, deal them out generously to them. By feeding them in your cow-yard now, at night, they will increase your manure, besides going into the winter feeding in better condition.
Pumpkins—These should be gathered be. fore the frost has time to injure them, put a. way in a dry place, and fed out as required.— In gathering and being carted in, care must be taken not to bruise them, by which means they will keep sound much longer.
Fences—Give all your fences a thorough examination, repair wherever they may re. quire it, and thus secure yourself against the 'trespasses of cattle. Recollect that weak fences provoke attacks.
In the Orchard,—As your fruit may be rea. dy, gather it carefully, by hand picking Be careful also, to do this in dry weather After gathering, put it away in some dry, clean a. partment; lay them in heaps each kind sepn. rate to itself. After they shall have lain in heaps about two weeks, and gone through the process of sweating or transpiration, have them wiped dry with a clean cloth, and then put them away.
Your fruit having been gathered, examine your trees. and wherever you find one with rough, dead-like looking bark, or covered with moss, scrape either off, and paint the trunk or limbs of the tree, when thus cleansed, with a mixture of soft soap and sulphur, or fresh cow dung reduced to the consistence of paint with urine You may, if you please, prune now, or leave that till the opening of spring. Should you cut off any large sized dead limbs, saw them off evenly, take a smooth surface with a drawing knife, of the wound, and cover it with a mixture of equal parts of clay, fresh cow dung, and lime, to be made into the con. sistence of mortar, and nicely adjusted over the wound with a linen or cotton covering: small wounds may be simply covered with the mixture
If you design planting out any orchard this fall, it is full time that you had the ground pre. pared by thorough and deep ploughings. Sub. soil ploughing would be best; the ground should also be manured with a compost in which lime, ashes, or marl should form an important ingredient The idea of planting out an or. chard on an old worn out field, is just as mis. taken, as leaving the trees, when planted. without after culture. Fruit trees require cul. tivation as well as any of the grain crops.— The time for planting is just when the leaves fall.
Draining.—This operation can be advan. tageously carried on between this and the set. ting in of frost.
Buckwheat—Cut your buckwheat before the frost touches it. Stack away the straw, with a peck of salt to the ton; be careful of it as it is good hay for milch cows. who eat it with avidity in winter, and tell, by the quality of their milk, that it is not that worthless thing which to many farmers esteem it. Cut at the right time, cured properly, and preserved from the weather it is good and substan. tial provender, and will sustain cattle well.
Working Horse and Oxen, should receive increased attention: be cleaned and well fed. as there is nothing like carrying them in good condition into winter keeping The curry comb and a whisk of straw. will do both good.
Potatoes and Turnips.—See that these roots do not stay out until they are frosted Take them up in dry weather, and be sure that you put them away so that the frost will not in. jure them.
Beets, Parsnips, and Carrots must be ta. ken up in good time, and secured from the frost. Either will keep well in a dry cellar, if a little earth, sand, or straw: be placed over them to keep off light and air.
Cow Yard—Before you bring your cattle into your cow yard. cover it a foot thick with leaves and mould from the woods. In spreading it make the outer edges higher than the middle so as to prevent the escape of liquid manure. If you take this pains, every load of leaves and mould will be converted by spring time, into first rate manure. Besides this, feed your cows through the fall and winter with. leaves, straw, cornstalks, weeds, &c., and endeavor by all possible means to increase your quantity of manure.
Sheep—Forthwith, if you have none, pro. vide your sheep with a shed and yard by themselves. Cover it well with mould and leaves, at the outset, and regularly through the winter supply them with fresh straw from time to time. so that they may sleep cleanly and dry. Pine shatters, as well as the leaves of all other forest trees, are most excellent helps to straw in the sheep fold or cow yard. Recollect that the bet. ter and more comfortable you keep your sheep, the more wool will they give you. and the better will its quality be. Starvation neither makes a fat mutton nor a fine fleece
Transplantation of Trees.—Fruit and or. namental trees should be planted out as soon after the fall of leaves as convenient. A word about ornamental trees. Have you any a bout your house? No. Then let us advise you to plant some the present fall; they at once contribute to the comfort of the family and indicate a rational farmer.
Stables, Barns, Granaries, Chicken houses, &c.—have every thing of this kind thoroughly cleansed, and white-washed before hard weather sets in
Colts and Yearling Calves.—See that they have plenty to prevent their falling off in flesh before winter, and when that comes, give them enough to keep their bones covered, Fat on the ribs. when there is not too much of it. is good alike for man or beast.
As our stroll has probably extended far enough over the farm—if you have no objec. tion, we will return to the house and take a peep into

THE GARDEN.

Cabbage Plants—Did you take advantage of the timely notice we gave you to sow cab. bage seed to secure an early supply of cabba. ges next summer? If you did. the time has arrived now for planting them out, and mo. reover. der that you may have no excuse, we will tell you how to do it. Manure the ground you al. lot for them with good strong stable manure; dig it deep—the full depth of the spade—rake it fine, so as to thoroughly pulverize the earth. The spot selected should lay dry. Stretch your line across the bed. east and west. with a hoe, make a furrow hill four or five inches high plant your plants on the north side of the furrow about a foot asunder the furrows to be two feet apart. fill up the hollow in the furrow with long stable manure, and the next season early, you may calculate upon a supply of cab. bages. We advise the planting on the north side, because it is less liable to freeze and thus consequently the plants less exposed to being heaved out.
Spinach, Lettuce, and such plants may now be thinned out and transplanted.
Asparagus Beds.—As soon as the stalks turn yellow you must cut them down and dress your beds with a good dressing of rotted sta. ble or other substantial manure. If ashes be added to it, so much the better.
Strawberries.—The roots or runners of this plant may now be planted out in beds, which should be previously well manured, thoroughly dug and pulverized. When winter comes, lay straw through the rows and spread over that long stable manure.
Seed Onions should be planted out.
Horse Radish beds should be formed.
Cresses, Radishes and Lettuce must be sown early. in warm borders
Broccoli.—Your Broccoli Cabbages must if not already done, be hoed up well to stand the winter.
Fruit trees.—Trim such of your fruit trees as may need it, observing to treat the wounds the same as we recommended for those in the orchard.
Currants, Raspberries, Gooseberries, and, indeed, all kinds of shrub fruits, as well as flowers, may now be transplanted. Take care to put a bedding of long manure around the roots. for the double purpose of preserv. ing moisture and winter protection.
Celery—Earth up your celery and place it in a condition for bleaching.
Potatoes, Beets, Parsnips, Carrots, and oth. er roots, must be dug timely and put away ef. fectually.
We have no doubt omitted calling your at. tention to many things requiring it, but as you will doubtless make a minute and thorough personal examination yourself, the omission will be supplied by you, and as we do not like to appear tedious, we will close our monthly conlab.