MIDLAND COUNTIES' ALMANAC, AND RURAL HAND-BOOK FOR THE YEAR 1866, BEING THE SECOND AFTER BISSEXTILE OR LEAP YEAR, God speed the Plough, and bless the hands That till the fruitful earth! There's not on this green land a gem So bright as honest worth. Let those who plough the emerald sod, Look up with hope, and Providence PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM R. NEWCOMB, STAMFORD; SOLD WHOLESALE BY SIMPKIN MARSHALL, & Co., LONDON; SAMPSON, YORK; JARROLD, NORWICH; MINSHULL & HUGHES,,CHESTER; OLIVER & BOYD; J. MENZIES, EDINBURGH; HODGES, SMITH. & Co.; M'GLASHAN & GILL, DUBLIN; 1866. JANUARY. 31 Days. 1 M Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn are Morning Stars. Full Mn. 6h. 48m. morn. 2 Tu Length of day 7h. 52m. 3 W Linnets congregate 4 TH Redbreast's song com. 5F Clock fast 4m. 54s. 8 22 9 29 9 31 9 55 35 10 21 38 10 44 Morn. I I 6 S EPIPHANY. Old Christmas day 10 7 Sist Sunday after Epiphany 11 8 M Plough M. Fire Insurance due 9 T [Last Qr. 9h. 37m, after. 10 W Aconite peeps 11 TH Hilary Term begins 12 F Twilight ends, 6h. 16m. 13 S Cambridge Lent Term begins 14 2nd Sunday aft Epiphany 15 M Oxford Lent Term begins 16 TO New Mn. 8h. 37m. after 17 W Laurustinus fl. Furze fl. 18 TH Old Twelfth day 19 F Skylark's song com. 20 S FABIAN 7 I o 4211 32 2 8 55 8 Rises.. 1 8 8 1 4 0 D. H. M. [January. GENERAL MONTHLY NOTICES. Farm Management for January. See Page 102. Cows and Dairy Management. Cows to calve in March should receive better treatment; mangold-wurtzel should be given. Add to the food of those about to calve turnips or other nutritious food, care being taken that no frozen roots are given. Cows should be under shelter. To those which have calved give steamed turnips and chaff with their other food, which should include good hay. Bruised furze will be found an excellent auxiliary at this season to the generally reduced stock of fodder. Cows which are inclined to give milk nearly up to the time of calving should be milked clean every time the dairy-maid performs that operation. Great injury is done to the animal, and unjustifiable loss sustained to the master from bad milking. The Piggery. Fattening pigs should now have a liberal supply of meal with their roots, and their styes kept clean and well littered. The refuse of the dairy is more valuable as food than is generally supposed. Twenty cows will afford enough flat milk for ten bacons and fifteen porkers in the year. In summer they may be fatted on milk alone for porkers, and larger pigs of 10 to 12 scores may be fattened in the winter on milk, beans, or meal. The Poultry Yard. Blunt the spurs of old cocks taking care that they do not bleed, and keep the birds from severe cold after the operation. House and feed well, and keep them carefully within bounds. If the fowls ask for food when you think they have had enough, give it them, for they are now entirely dependent on your bounty. Let the eggs be brought in before they get frozen, and if those of choice hens are to be saved for setting, watch them to their nest, and bring the eggs in while warm. Go round often and see that the stock has water. Turkeys may still range the fields, but should be confined in bad weather. Geese beginning to lay should be supplied with abundance of feeding, green food and water. Ducks now begin to lay. Collect the eggs of ducks and geese, and bury them in dry sand until the time of setting. |