,240 



CALENDARIAL INDEX. 



1. Calendar of Animated Nature ro7ind London. 

 In the. first week: the buck (CtJrvus Capr^olus) grunts. 



week: the golden plover { Charadrius pluviiilis) ap- 



pears 



sel\ 



Third week : snails (iimax) and slugs (Hdlix) bury theni- 



Fourth rveek: greenfinches (fMngilla Montifringflla) flock. 

 The winter moth (Geiimetra brumaria Sam.) and the com- 

 mon flat-body moth (Gedmetra appl^na Ham.) appear in 

 gardens about the end of the month. 



2. Calendar of Vegetable Nature round London. 

 In the first meek: a few plants in flower, by accident, cbiefly 



annuals, according to the season. 



Second week : the fungus HeU^lla. mitra appears. Laurus- 

 tinus in flower. 



Third rveek : Chimon^nthus firkgrans in flower. 



Fourth rveek : some primroses show flowers at this season ; 

 and some plants, unnaturally in flower, still continue if the 

 weather is temperate. 



3. Farm-yard. (2902.) 



Wintering cattle are now introduced to the straw -yards ('2902.) 

 or hammels ('2831.), and others to stalls for feeding or fatting. 

 Live stock in general ought to be kept in good condition at this 

 teason, otherwise they are apt to fall oft' towards spring. 

 Threshing goes on at intervals to supply straw. (3198. and 

 2773.) 



4. Livestock. (6216.) . 

 See Farm-yard. 



5. Grass Lands. (5643.) 



Manure in dry weather (5782.) ; turn the water on meado-w 

 adajited for irrigation (4387-) ; destroy ant-hills (5773.) ; drain 

 by surface gutters, or other means, where that operation is 

 requisite ; cear out water furrows for the same purpose ; admit 

 cattle and horses only on the driest pastures ; see that sheep 

 have shelter, and especially Dorset ewes likely to lamb next 

 month. 



6. Arable Lands. (4925.) 



See that water furrows and drains run unobstructed ; plough 

 aiKl cart out manure, as weather and other circumstances 

 permit. 



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

 (4213.) 



As in last month ; and see that they are in effectual repair, 

 and fairly used. 



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

 Complete the operations of last month, where interrupted, 



deferreil, or neglected. 



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



As in last month, excepting when the weather is unfavour- 

 able. Felling all kinds of timber and coppice not adapted for 

 barking for the tanner, may now go on freely. (4044.) \\'illows 

 for baskets may be cut over (4042.), and baskets, hampers, 

 crates, and hurdles, made by the woodman and hedger. 



DECEMBER. 



1. Calendar of Animated Nature round London. 



The mole (Tajpaeuropae'a) throws up hillocks. The De- 

 cember moth (Eriogdster pdpuli Sam.) appears about the 

 beginning, and the yellow -line quaker (iVoctua flaviUnea 

 Sam.) about the end of the month. 



2. Calendar of Vegetable Nature round London. 

 Some of the last month's plants continue in flower, according 



to the weather. 



3. 4. Farm-Yard (2902.), and Live Stock. (6216.) 



Threshing, and otherwise preparing corn and straw for the 

 market, and the use of the working, fattening, wintering, and 



of live stock with food, and cleaning and littering them. 



ting stock should be particularly attended to, especially house 



lamb (7227.) and calves. (6855.) 



The' supply of turnips for cattle and sheep is liable to be in- 

 rrupted by ^ .~ .. .. , . 



tity (^420.), , 



Where oil cake, rape cake, or dust (6094.), brewers or distillers* 



terrupted by severe frosts, if the precaution of housing a quan. 

 tity (5420.), or setting them (5421.), is not taken ' " 



grains (5112.) are used, supplies must be secured ; and where 

 hogs or cattle are fed on meal and water mixed and soured, a 

 quantity must always be kept in mixture ; as a week or ten days 

 in temperate weather, and a longer period during frost, is re- 

 quisite to induce the fermentation- 



5. Grass Latids. (5643.) 



See that they are not poached : that water furrows, gutters, 

 drains, and ditches are in repair; and where manuring is prac- 

 tised, cart it out in frosty weather where there is no danger of 

 injury from the feet of horses or cart-wheels. Unless labour is 

 Tery cheap, carting earths or earthy composts on grass lands 

 will not pay the expeiises ; they produce more effect on arable 

 lands. 



6. Arable Lands. (4925.) 



See that all the modes of drainage are effective. (4278.) 

 Plough and cart out manure according to weather and other 

 circumstances. 



7. Fences (2960.), Roads {3523.), and Drains. (4213.) 

 Plant hedges (2977.) and build walls only in temperate 



weather, as frosty air injures the roots of plants, and freezes 

 humid mortar, thereby effectually preventing its setting. 

 Roads and drains may be made and mended in all weathers 

 that admit these operations. 



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

 Clear old trees of moss or misletoe ; but prune only in mild 



weather. Dig and dung at any time. 



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



Fell timber or copse of sorts not adapted for barking. (4044.) 

 Stock or CTub up tree roots, stacking them for fuel or charcoal. 

 (4068.) Trench, dig, or otherwise prepare ground for plant- 

 ing ; but lift plants from the nursery, and re-insert them in 

 plantations only in mild weather, and when the soil does not 

 poach by treading, &c. The rest as in November. 



Ever^reem, as Mr. M'Nab has ably shown and proved by 

 experience, may be planted at any period during winter, when 

 the weather is mild. He says, " I have planted evergreens at 

 all seasons of the year with nearly equal success, except from 

 the middle of .Time to the middle of August, and even during 

 this period 1 have planted some : but unless the weather is 

 very dull and moist, and even with such weather, it is difficult 

 to prevent the plants suffering considerably, and in many 

 cases it is years before they recover. Although, however, 1 



have planted evergreens ten months out of the twelve, with 



dilference in the success, y 

 over the others with me ; and when there is the power of 



little dilference in the success, yet one season has a preference 



choice, I would recommend late in autumn, winter, or early 

 in spring ; that is, any time from the middle of October to the 

 middle of February, and in general the beginning of this 

 period is the best ; that is, from the middle of October to the 

 middle of December, always providing that tlie weather and 

 the ground are favourable ; "that is, supposing there is no frost, 

 no drying wind, nor much sunshine, and that the ground is 

 not too much saturated with wet, either from continued rain, 

 or from the nature of the soil. One of the principal things to 

 be attended to in planting evergreens is, to fix on a dull day 

 for winter planting, and a moist day for spring and autumn 

 planting. There can be no secret in the proper treatment of 

 evergreens ; if there were, I should say, that it is in preventing 

 their roots becomiiig dry when out .of the earth ; to choose 

 moist and cloudy weather for planting ; and still better, if we 

 had the power, by foresight or otherwise, to secure a con- 

 tinuance of such weather some time after they have been 

 planted." (M'Nab^s Hints on the Planting and General Treat- 

 ment i{f' Hardy Evergreens in the Climate of Scollaiul, S;c~ p. 17.) 

 Mr. Cruikshank has shown that poor waste ground, which, 

 if trenched or ploughed would not bear a crop of grain, will, 

 after being planted and kept under wood for some years, be- 

 come fit for every purpose of agriculture. " On a rising ground , 

 not far from the village of Ellon, a piece of ground of a dry 

 gravelly nature, which has lately been cleared of a crou of full- 

 grown Scotch firs, was trenched in a very partial and imper- 

 fect manner, the roots of the trees beirtg scarcely eradicated. It 

 was then sown with oats, without receiving lime, dung, or 

 manure of any other description ; yet the crop was so luxu- 

 riant, that a great part of it lodged. The following spring, 

 the ground was agam sown with the same species of grain, 

 without receiving any enrichment; and, when harvest ar- 

 rived, the crop was unequalled by that of the richest fields, 

 in a neighbourhood which is generally considered fertile. 

 The experiment was tried a third time, still without manure, 

 and the return was again considerably above an average. 

 The soil, as has already been remarked, was dry and gravelly, 

 and far from possessing any natural qualities that could have 

 been the cause of such extraordinary productiveness. When 

 planted, it had been covered with heatfc, and in that state had 

 not been superior to those waste lands which we occasionally 

 see improved at a vast expense, and which will produce no 

 kind ot crop till they receive a great quantity of manure.** 

 [Crtiikshank'a Practical Planter, S;c?) 



