CALENDARIAL INDEX. 



1239 



fi. Arable Lands. (4025.) 



This is the chief season for sowing winter 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.), and grass seed, 

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

 on good soils, it sown before the middle of the month. (5553.) 



7. Fences (29G0.), Eoads (3523.), and Drains. 

 (4213.) 

 Routine operations of mending, &c. as before. 



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



Gather /rutVj for immediate sale, the keeping sorts not being 

 yet ripe. (4(J86.) Walnuts for pickling not later than the first 

 week. (410-2.) 



flop-pickiiia and dryinfr, in the districts where this plant is 

 much cultivated, is the great business of the month. (6036.) 



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



Routine operations as in the two or three preceiUng months 

 Plant evergreens during the three last weeks, and deciduous 

 trees tlie last ten days. (3937.) 



OCTOBER. 



1. Calendar of Animated Nature round London. 

 In the first meek: the red-wing (Turdus tliacus) arrives. 



Snakes and vipers bury themselves. 



Second week: hooded crows (Cdrvus Cdmix) and wood- 

 pipeons(Colilmbai'aHimbus)arrive; hen-chaffinches (Fringllla 

 coeMebs) congregate, and prepare for migration, leaving their 

 males in Uiis country. 



Third week: the snipe (ScCilopax Gallinkgo) appears in the 

 meadows. Wild-geese (^'nas sylvestris) leave the fens, and go 

 to the rye-lands. 



Fourth rveek: the tortoise (Testfido graaVa) begins to bury 

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

 larks (^laudse) sing, and the woodcock (Sc<51opai rustfcola) 

 returns. Spiders' webs abound. 



2. Calendar of Vegetable Nature round London. 

 In the first week: strawberry-tree (.4'r!iutus l/'nedo), holly 



(i'lex ^quifblium), China hollyhock (.41c6a chin^nsis), and 

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



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

 of the asp almost all off; of the Spanish chestnut, yellow ; of 

 the sugar-maple (/I'cer sacch^rinumj scarlet; of the common 

 birch, yellow an ' .- - - 



bright-red colon 



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-e!der (Sambucus B'bulus), of a 

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

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

 purple. 



3. Farm-yard. (2902.) 



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

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

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

 Operatives should now buy in their winter stores of potatoes, 

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

 for the winter. 



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

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

 maturity, the first 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. (4883.) 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 the net income of a rent- 

 paying agriculturist. 



Michaelmas is also the general term for hiring farm-servants 

 by the year ; but the seldomer agricultural operatives are 

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

 or viciously inclined persons, who degenerate unless frequently 

 removed. 



4. Livestock. (6216.) 



Cattle and sheep not sufBciently 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 com may be used. 

 Ihe same observations may be applied to hogs, i;phich 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 teams which have been soiled during summer, may now 

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

 (6752.) 



5. Grass Lands. (5643.) 



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.), parsnep* 

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

 housed, and the ground sown with wheat. This griiin (5001.), 

 rye (5069.), barley (5080.) in some situations^ and tares (5257.) 

 may still be sown in the miider 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 (7695.), 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 mpre 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 

 7704.) See that water furrows and drains run freely, and that 

 fences and gates are in repair. 



7. Fences (2960.), Moads (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 (7S09.) well deserves the study of the more southern 

 agriculturalist. Roads and drains may be 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 {dry 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. ( 1834. and Encyc. of Gardcninj^, 2a 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 

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

 roles removed, and the latter stacked till next spring. (6047.) 

 Young hop. plantations may be formed (6005.1, and the .oil 

 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 5 

 better for transplanting all kinds of hardy shrubs. 



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

 ration preparatory to planting, as wel' as theoperatjon itself, 

 may go forward. 



NOVEMBER. 



4 K 4 



