1236 



CALENDARIAL INDEX. 



Wliere thera are water-meadows, the ihecp and lambs will 

 have been fattening on these during the whole of the month, 

 an immense advantage to a farmer. 



Poultry of most kinds have now hatched their broods, and 

 require looking after, to see they do not injure one another, nor 

 are attacked by stronger enemies. 



5. Grass Lands. {J)Qi3.) 



8ee that the fences are kept up, and the gates regularly shut 

 and fastened ; as cattle newly let out are very apt to wander, 

 and more ready to break through fences than when the herbage 

 is more abundant. 



Water.meatlowt (4371.) are generally shut up for hay about 

 the end of the month, the ewes and lambs being then turned 

 on young artificial grasses, or common provincial pastures, in 

 a sufficiently for vard state. 



Mowing-meadows of the common kind (5768.), and clovers, 

 and mixed grasses for hay, should be hand-picked, bush- 

 harrowed, and rolled, early in the month, and then shut up for 

 the scythe. 



6. Arable Lands. (4925.) 



Finish sowing all the spring corns (5080.), peas, tares, lu- 

 cerne (5574.), saintfoin, and all other herbage, plants, and 

 grasses. (5643.) 



Summer wheat (5004.) may be sown during the whole of the 

 month, also barley in late situations (.5080.), peas for late pod- 

 ding, and under pe<:uliar circumstances, tares for cutting green 

 in October and November. 



Mamifactorial plants, as woad, madder, flax, hemp, mustard, 

 &c.; oil plants, as rape, poppy, and such plants as are grown 

 for medicinal purposes or peculiar uses in domestic economy, 

 as rhubarb, liquorice, buck or beech wheat, cress, &c. may all 

 be sown or planted from the middle of last to the middle of this 

 month. The first week in AprU will, in the greater number 

 of seasons, soils, and situations, suit the most of them. 



Carrot (5443.), field beet (5482.), parsnep (5417.), and Swed- 

 ish turnip (5409.), if not sown the last week of March, should 

 be finished during the first ten days of April. A bed of Swedish 



turnips should be sown in the garden for transplanting in the 

 field by the end of the month, or the first week in May. 



The last fortnight of the month is the best season for planting 

 potatoes (5316.) ; in the earliest situations this is soon enough 

 for a full crop ; in the latest, the middle Of May will answer 

 better. For very early crops for the supply of summer markets, 

 dry rich sheltered fields may be ])lante<l in March. In the 

 moors of Scotland they often plant rn June, and still have a 

 crop ; there the potato" is alike obnoxious to late spring and 

 early autumnal frost. 



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

 (4213.) 



All these should have been put in order before, so as to leave 

 the hedger of the farm (7714.), and the labourer of all work 

 (7711.), time to assist in getting in planted crops, as potatoes, 

 cabbages, &c. in the fields, cropping the garden, mowing, or 

 otherwise dressing the orchard, shrubbery, lawn, or such orna- 

 mental or enjoyment ground as the farmer indulges in round 

 his house. 



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



In some cases fruit-trees may be so over-run with insects 

 towards the end of the month as to make it worth while to bum 

 wet straw under them ; but this rarely happens before the 

 middle of May, and even then farm orchards may almost always 

 be left to the birds and v/gour of the trees. Hops are generally 

 poled in this month, and the ground between the hills after- 

 wards stirred with the cultivator or nidget as it is called in 

 Kent. (6026.) 



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

 id pruning of deciduous trees 

 'eek of the month. Afterwards the planting 



and pruning of evergreens may commence ; first the common 

 pine and fir, and afterwards the holly, yew, and other forest 

 evergreens. (3937-) If these cm be watered, and staked, so 

 much the better. Barking oaks may in some warm situations 

 be felled the last week of the month, but May is the more ge- 

 neral time. (4050.) 



MAY 



1. Calendar of Animated Nature round London. 



In the first week : the titlark (^laiida pratensis) sings, the 

 cuckoo (CiicuLus candrus) is heard; the gudgeon (Cy'prinus 

 G6bio) spawns ; the redstart (A/otacflla i'hceniciirus), swift 

 (HirtindoX'p"s), whitethroat (il/otaefUa Sylvia), and stinging- 

 fly (C6nops calcitrans) appear. 



Secoiut week : the turtle-dove ( Columba Tlirtur) coos ; the 

 red ant (Formica rubra), the laughing wren (JtfotacfUa Currdca), 

 the common flesh-fly (Mflsca vomitiria), the lady-cow (Cocci- 

 ntUa bipunctata), grasshopper lark (^laiida Loclistae vocis), and 

 willow-wren (JWotacflla oalicaria) appear- 



Third week : the blue flesh-fly (ilfiisca vomit6ria) appears ; 

 black snails (H^lix nigra) abound, and the large bat appears. 



Fourth week : the great white-cabbage butterfly (Paptlio 

 brissicae) and dragon fly (Libellula 4-maculata) appear ; the 

 glow-worm shines, and the fern-owl, or goat-sucker (Caprimnl- 

 gus europaeSis), returns. 



2. Calendar of Vegetable Nature round London. 



In the first week .- G^um urlAnum, Arterai^ia campestris ; lily 

 of the valley (Convalliria majalis), water-violet (Hottbnia pa- 

 Idstris), tulip-tree (Liriodendrontuliplfera), and numerous other 

 plants in flower. 



Second meek: the oak, ash, sweet chestnut (Casthnea v^sca), 

 hawthorn (Afespjlus Oxyacdntha), the common maple (.<4*cer 

 camp&tre), horse-chestnut (.(SS'sculus Hippocdstanum), bar- 

 berry ( B^rieri* vulgaris), and the A'juga r^ptans in flower. 



Third week : the water scorpion-grass, or forget-me-not 

 (Afyosdtis scorpioldes), lime-tree (Tflia), milk-wort (Poiygala 

 vulgaris), nightshade (A'tropa Belladonna), and various Ameri- 

 can shrubs in flower, and rye (Secale hyb^mum) in ear. 



Fourth week : oaks, ashes, and beeches now generally in leaf, 

 and the mulberry (Jlfbnrs nigra) beginning to open its buds. 

 The cinnamon rose and some other hardy roses in flower ; and 

 also the bramble (iifibus frutic6sus), moneywort (iysimhchia 

 Nummularia), columbine (Aquil6gia vulgaris), and various 

 other trees and shrubs in blossom. 



3. Farm-yard. (2902.) 



Feeding and wintering on straw and roots generally ends, 

 and soiling (5542.) or pasturage (5562.) commences, in the 

 first fortnight. Where high-flavoured milk and butter arc pre- 

 ferred to quantity, then pasturage on dry -bottomed uplands is 

 to be preferred ; but where quantity and richnesci is thef^lytct, 

 soiling with clover and tares, and two or three hours' pasturage 

 per day, for the sake of exercise, is the preferable system. 

 Even on farms where there is nothing to mow but old meadow, 

 soiling with that will be found more economical than pastur- 

 ing it. A field of meadow in good heart, mown and eaten 

 green, will, at a rough estimate, produce treble the quantity of 

 milk it would have done if pastured, and four times as much as 

 it would do in the form of dry hay. 



The yards and pits are generally cleared of dung, urine, &c. 

 at this season ; and if no soiling goes on, they should be kept 



clean during the summer, excepting what room is required for 

 the dung of the few stock which are there constantly, as 

 pigs and poultry, or occasioneilly, as horses while harnessing, 



4. Livestock. (6216.) 



In turning cattle to grass, consider the different systems of 

 pasturing (5816.); adopt what suits your circumstances, and 

 pursue it regularlv. See that water is not wanting (o each 

 field (4463.) ; nor shade, rubbing posts, and shelter. (5838.) 



Lean stock are generally dear during this month, from the 

 number of persons who liuy in and feed off on grass. When 

 cattle or sheep are very numerous, they are found to feed better, 

 and do less uijury to the grass, in small herds or flocks, than in 

 large ones. 



Mares may have the horse during the first week, but not later 

 considering "the season of parturition. (6{;37.) 



5. Grass Lands. (5643.) 



As most grasses send up their flower -stalks during this 

 month, it is of importance so to stock pastures, as to eat these 

 down. This is only to be accomplishtd in recently sown down 

 lands by overstocking, and not then completely if ryegrass pre- 

 vails. When grass lands are to be mown, the best crop of hay 

 will be obtained by not pasturing after the middle of April. 

 Some may think that where cattle and sheep are fed till May 

 or June, the stalks left will come in as hay ; but as such fields 

 cannot be mown till the end of .Tuly, the stalks have long be- 

 fore shed their seed and become dry, and so shrivelled as to be 

 unfit for food. 



Where paring and burning are wanted, this is a favourable 

 season. (3209.) 



Water-meadows, having been eaten down in April, are gene- 

 rally watered for the first three or four weeks of this month, to 

 bring forward the crop of hay. (4429.) 



6. Arable Lands. (4925.) 



Summer wheat (5004.) and grass seeds (5873.) may still be 

 sown, but not profitably after the first week or ten days. 

 Swedish turnip (5109.), marvgold, and yellow turnip may be 

 profitably sown, and also early crops of common white turnip 

 where the soil is clean and duly prepared. (5394.) 



The preparation of turnip fallows is the great business of this 

 month, and next the stirring of naked fallows (4944.), and the 

 culture, by horse and hand hoes, of corns and pulse in drills. 

 In late situations potatoes may be planted during the whole 

 month (5316.) ; and hemp_and flax sown during the first fort- 

 night. (5880. and 5922.) Tares for successional supply. (5257.) 



7. Fences (290.), Roads (3523.), and Drains. 

 (4213.) ^ ^ 



Clean young liedge.rows. (2982.) Drains may now be advan- 

 tageously designed, as the springs show themselves more con- 

 spicuously during winter. The rest in this department is mere 

 routine. 



