CALENDARIAL INDEX. 



\2M 



fl. Arable Lands. (4925.) 



This is the chief season for sowing wil tvr wheat, whether on 

 naked fallows or after clover, tares, rape, or early crops of peas 

 and beans. Potatoes are generally not taken up till the end 

 of the month, in which case the sowing after that crop is later. 

 (5015.) Sow tares to stand the winter (5257.)j and grass seed, 

 for permanent pasture ; or a hay crop next reason will succeed 

 on good soils, if sown before the middle of the month. {55713.) 



7. Fences (2960.), Roads (3523.), and Drains. 

 (4213.) 

 Routine operations of mending, &c. as before. 



8. Orchards (4079.) and Hop-grounds. (5997.J 

 Qatihex fruit* lor immediate sale,, the keeping sorts not being 



yet ripe. [4085.) Walnuts for pickling not later than the lir-,t 

 week. (410*.) 



Hop-picking and drying) in the districts where this plant is 

 much cu.tivated, is the great business of the month. (<i036.) 



9. JVood-lands and Plantations. (3906.) 



Routine operations as in the two or three preceding months 

 Plant evergreens during the three last weeks, and deciduous 

 trees the last ten days. {3937.) 



OCTOBER. 



1. Calendar of Animal ed Nature round London. 



In the first week: the red-wing (Turdus iliacus) arrives. 

 Snakes and vipers bury themselv.. 5. 



Second week: hooded crows (CiSrvus Cdrnix) and wood- 

 pigeons (ColumbaPaliimbus) arrive; hen-chaffinches (/-ringilla 

 cceVebs) congregate, and prepare for migration, leaving then- 

 males in this country. 



Third week: the snipe (SceUopax GalHnago) appears in the 

 meadows. Wild-geese (A % nas sylvestri=>) leave the fens, and go 

 to the rye-lands. 



Fourth week; the tortoise (Testudo grseVa) begins to bury 

 himself in the ground; and rooks visit their nest-trees. Some 

 larks (jflaudae) sing, and the woodcock (Scdlopax rustfcola) 

 returns. Spiders* webs abound. 



2 Calendar of Vegetable Nature round London. 



In the first week: strawberry-tree ( /Trim t us t/*nedo), holly 

 [Plex iiquifolium), China hollyhock {/ticea chinensis), and 

 China aster (.l'ster chinensis), in bloom. 



Second week: catkins of some species of Salix formed ; leaves 

 of the asp almost all oft"; of the Spanish chestnut, yellow ; of 

 the sugar-maple {A % cer saccharinum) scarlet; of the common 

 birch, yellow and gold; and of the weeping- birch, gold and 

 bright-red coloured. 



Third week: Clematis calycina in flower. Some horse-chest- 

 nuts and acacias quite denuded of leaves. 



Fourth week: various plants, especially annuals, continue 

 in flower. Leaves of marsh-elder (Sambueus K'bulus), of a 

 fine pink; of stag's-hom sumach, of a purplish-red; of the 

 American oaks, of line shades of yellow, orange, red, and 

 purple. 



3. Farm-yard. (2902.) 



This is the season of rural plenty, affording an opportunity, 

 both to men and animals, for laying in a large stock of health, 

 to enable them to support the severity of the coming winter. 

 Operatives should now buy in their winter stores of potatoes, 

 fuel, ccc. and ridge up their garden ground, not under crop, 

 for the winter. 



Corn crops being generally in the rick-yard by Michaelmas, 

 and the root and herbage crops not taken being at or near 

 maturity, the lirst of October is the most suitable season for a 

 farmer to take stock and ascertain his annual profit or loss. 

 Michaelmas being also the most general term of entry and 

 removal, especially in the case of arable farms, is another 

 reason why agricultural accounts are conveniently made up to 

 this period. (4S83.) Examine your household accounts, and if 

 your expenses have exceeded your income, or even come up to 

 it, look over the particulars with your wife or housekeeper, and 

 see on which you can retrench. This is an essential process for 

 all who would proceed in life with any thing like peace of 

 mind, or the permanent respect of their neighbours. (4921.) 

 Remember that very small indeed is (he net income of a rent- 

 paying agriculturist. 



Michaelmas is also the general term for hiring farm-servants 

 by the year; but the seldumer agricultural operatives are 

 changed the better, unless in the case of senseless, indolent, 

 or viciously inclined persons, who degenerate unless frequently 

 removed. 



4. Live Slock. (6216.) 



Cattle and sheep not sufficiently fatted on grass or herbage, 

 whether by pasturage or soiling, should now be put on other 

 food, to complete them for the butcher. Oil-cake, grains, tur- 

 nips, carrots, or, in default of these, bruised corn may be used. 

 The same observations may be applied to hogs, which are 

 generally in good condition at this season. (7315.) 



Hog porridge. A mixture of oatmeal and water, or any 

 other meal and water, left till it becomes sour, as practised by 

 the millers in the northern counties, will feed hogs rapidly ; 

 but milk and peas meal make the finest pork in the world. 



The teajns which have been soiled during summer, may now 

 be put on hay, straw, and carrots, or other roots, by degrees. 

 (6752.) 



5. Grass Lands. (5613.) 



Where these are manured, this is a good season for the ope- 

 ration (5782.) ; choose dry weather* 



6. Arable Lands. (4925.) 



Potatoes (5291.), carrots (5443 ), field beet (5482.), parsneps 

 (5471.), and Swedish turnips, may now be taken up and 

 housed, and the ground sown with wheat- This gr.dn (5001.), 

 rye (50G9.), barley (5080.) in some situations, and tares (5257.) 

 may still be sown in the milder districts. Embrace every op- 

 portunity to give the first furrow to fallows (4944), whether 

 for green crops or otherwise. In general all lands that are to 

 have two or more furrows before they are sown or planted, 

 should be ploughed as soon as possible* after harvest ; but not 

 so lands that are to be sown on one furrow, which are better 

 ploughed in January and February. It is a great mistake to 

 suppose that ploughing land in autumn destroys the eggs or 

 larvae of insects (7C95.), or the seeds of weeds; on the con- 

 trary, it may often, by giving them a deeper covering, preserve 

 them better from the winter's frost, or what is much more de- 

 structive, from being devoured by birds. There are few sub- 

 jects less generally understood than the economy of nature in 

 regard to the eggs of insects and worms. (Turn to 7644. and 

 770 1 .) See that water furrows and drains run freely, and that 

 fences and gates are in repair. 



7. Fences (2960.), Roads (3523.), and Drains. 

 (4213.) 



Hedges mav now be advantageously planted (2978.), grown 

 ones pruned (2983.), old ones plashed (2989.), and imperfect 

 ones repaired. (2993.) The Northumberland practice as to 

 hedges (7809.) well deserves the study of the more southern 

 agriculturalist. Roads and drains may he made or repaired at 

 this season, and in spring, with better effect than during the 

 heat and drought of summer. Road materials now bind 

 better, and land-springs show themselves more distinctly. 



8. Orchards (4079.) and Hop-grounds. (5997.) 

 The winter fruits may now be gathered, and either spread in 



an airy loft or upper floor, there to remain till used, or sweated 

 in heaps, to extract a part of their moisture, and then buried 

 in dry sand, or packed in close boxes or casks, to be kept in a 

 cool and dry cellar. (1S34. and Encyc- of Gardening, 2d Edit* 

 2289.) 



Fruits trees of every kind may now be planted (4105.) and 

 pruned. (4111.) 



Hop-picking is generally completed the first week of the 

 month ; and as soon afterwards as convenient, the vine and 

 poles removed, and the latter stacked till next spring. (C047-) 

 Young hop plantations may be formed (6005.), and the soil 

 among established grounds manured and ploughed. (6019.) 



9. Wood-lands and Plantations. (3906.) 



Hedges and plantations of evergreen trees may be made during 

 the first week of the month ; and no period of the year is 

 better for transplanting all kinds of hardy shrubs. 



Timber and coppice may be felled, and in general every ope- 

 ration preparatory to planting, as weT as the operation itself, 

 may go forward. 



NOVEMBER. 



Weather 



at 



London - 

 Edinburgh 

 Dublin - 



Average of 

 the Ther- 

 mometer. 



44 44 

 41 1 

 43 



Greatest 

 Variation 

 from the 

 Average. 



Average 



d ii e 



Barometer. 



29 oS 

 29 638 

 29 71 



Quantity 

 of Kain. 



2-527 inch. 



4-514 



0-394 



REMARKS. 



This is the jrinrf'/ month of the Saxons ; it is generally 

 also cold and moist, and one of the most disagreeable 

 for the labouring agriculturists ; but he ma. console him- 

 self with the shortness of the day, and hail the approach 

 of evening, when he may lay aside his wet dress and 

 fortifv his mind bj converse with books, or enjoy the 

 comforts of his fire-side, and the solace m his wife and 

 children ; reading to or otherwise instructing them, or 

 mending his boots or shoes. 



4 K 4 



