283 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
Orchard and SI atrscry. 
The gathering of fruit has so much poetry about 
it that it can hardly be called labor. The trees are 
loaded with their ruby aud golden treasures, the 
ripe consummation of the season's growth. The 
fruit has worked into its very texture all the glo- 
rious sunsets of the past summer and is waiting to 
be plucked. But our Chief has put a veto on all 
fine writing ; here, like Gadgrind, he is for facts, 
and though a tempting subject, we must leave 
the sentiment thereof to the enjoyment of the 
reader, while we go on with our very matter of fact 
Calendar. — In picking fruit, whether for keeping or 
for market, too much care can not be observed. A 
bruised fruit will soon rot, hence the necessity for 
hand-picking all that can be reached by any kind of 
ladder, and the use of some kind of a fruit gather- 
er for those which can not be secured in this way. 
A home-made fruit picker was figured in the Sept. 
Agriculturist, and others have been given in former 
numbers. Fruit, after being gathered, exudes its 
superfluous moisture and undergoes what is called 
sweating. It may be put in heaps under the trees, 
be spread on the barn floor, or be placed in barrels, 
not headed up, till sweating is completed. Pick 
in dry weather, leaving the later sorts until frosts 
come. Fruit, to keep well, must be kept as cool as 
possible without freezing. After sweating is over, 
barrel up, and leave the barrels under a shed until 
quite cool weather, and then remove to a cool aud 
well ventilated cellar. In barreling, use no packing 
material, but have the barrel so full that it will be 
necessary to press down the head by means of a 
lever or screw press contrived for the purpose. 
See illustration in " Basket." Select the fruit for 
marketing, have the barrels of the same quality all 
through, and correctly mark the name of each sort. 
Winter pears may be treated the same as apples. 
Now is the proper season for planting all kinds 
of hardy deciduous trees and shrubs, except stone 
fruits. The old axioms have to be repeated. Plant 
trees ; don't buy of peddlers, but of reliable nur- 
serymen ; and prepare the soil well. If the site for 
an orchard is damp, it must be drained. Manure, 
plow and subsoil. Some one has remarked that he 
would " in setting out an orchard, however large, 
make but one bole, and that would be over the 
whole orchard " — meaning thereby that the whole 
soil should be well prepared. Nurserymen should 
give equal care in setting them. The hole should 
be abundantly large to receive the roots ; prune all 
rnangled roots with a smooth cut from below out- 
ward and shorten in the top from one third to one 
half. Set carefully, putting the best soil around 
the roots and work it well in among them, letting 
the tree be ou a very slight mound so as to allow 
for settling to the general level. Carefully label 
everything, aud besides make a record or map so 
that the name may be ascertained should the label 
be lost. Planting may commence as soon as the 
leaves begin to fall freely. It is sometimes neces- 
sary to remove good sized trees, in which case 
great care must be taken to get up all the roots 
possible, and it is well to set the tree in the same 
position with reference to the points of the com- 
pass, as it stood before. 
The nurseryman will now appreciate the benefit 
of ample preparation for the fall trade, in having 
labels, stakes, and all the materials for facilitating 
packing at hand. In taking up and heeling-in 
trees to supply orders, use the greatest care to 
keep the sorts distinct. If there is none of a par- 
ticular variety in stock, never supply its place with 
another kind. Fair and conscientious dealing will 
build up a business, while the reverse will ruin one. 
Cider. — In some places cider will be madethe last 
of the month, though it is generally left until later. 
Use sound apples and leave the pulp 24 hours be- 
fore pressing. Put the juice into clean aud sweet 
barrels and set in a cool cellar to ferment. 
Drying Fruits. — Apples, etc., may often be prof- 
itably dried for home use or for marketing. Shal- 
low trays, with slat bottoms made of lath, answer a 
very good purpose. These may be set upon two 
rails supported at a distance from the ground and 
are very readily moved at night, or in case of rain. 
Insects. — Crush out the borer. As leaves fall, co- 
coons and clusters of eggs may be readily seen. 
Labels. — Examine to see if they are sufficiently 
distinct, and renew all those which will not last 
another year. Keep also a record by which the 
tree can be identified should the label be lost. 
Manure. — This is the secret of good crops of fruit 
as of other things. Spread a liberal coat over the 
surface as far out every way as the roots extend. 
Ornamental and Shade Trees. — These are planted at 
the same time and with the same care as fruit trees. 
Autumn planting of evergreens is not commended. 
Seeds. — Collect tree and shrub seeds of all kinds 
and plant or keep in boxes of sand until spring. 
Kitchen Garden. 
The growing season is over, except for some later 
things, and the October sun is ripening up the 
melons, squashes, tomatoes, etc., and giving the 
final growth to those crops which are to be winter- 
ed or withstand the early frosts. There is an 
abundance of work to be done in the garden. The 
ripening products are to be harvested, the tender 
things are to be put into cold frames, the half hardy 
crops of spinach, etc., are to be covered with straw, 
salt hay, or other litter; and more than all, the 
ground is to be prepared for next year's crops. In 
stiff soils especially, we can not too strongly re- 
commend the practice of throwing the earth up into 
ridges, either by the spade or plow, according to 
the size of the garden. Earth thus weathered be- 
comes, as an old gardener once said to us, "as soft 
as silk." We recently passed by a garden culti- 
vated probably by some squatter in one of the 
newest blocks of N. T. There were beds of spin- 
ach, lettuce, leek, etc., and not a weed to be seen. 
Certainly one who owns his land can afford to keep 
it in as good a condition as that of a mere squatter. 
Even at this season let the garden be free of weeds. 
Artichokes. — Give a winter protection of straw or 
litter, and bank with earth in all northern localities. 
Asparagus. — If plants are at hand, make a new 
bed. Work in a plenty of manure, at least two 
spades deep, and set the plants 3 inches below the 
surface, at least a foot apart each way. On growing 
plots, cut the tops and dry and burn them. Give a 
liberal coat of coarse stable manure all over the bed. 
Beans. — Last month's Agriculturist gave direc- 
tions for drying Limas. Don't forget to do it. 
Pick and salt string beans — they make good pickles. 
Beets. — Pull at approach of frosts ; do not cut tops 
too close; dry a little in the sun, place in the cellar 
and cover with sand or earth to keep from wilting. 
Cabbages. — Plants sown this autumn may be trans- 
planted to cold frames. The" late heading kinds 
may be left out until hard frosts. Preserve through 
the winter by replanting in a dry place and cover 
with straw and a board roof; or place two rails 
over a furrow and set the cabbages head down, 
throw on some straw and turn a furrow toward 
them; or cover the heads with earth by means of a 
spade. They winter well by being planted in a cool 
cellar, not under the dwelling rooms. 
Cauliflowers. — These will winter well in the cellar, 
and those which have not formed heads will do so, 
if the seed was of good stocks. Young plants, put 
three in a quart pot, are kept in a pit until spring. 
Carrots. — Harvest same as beets ; feed the tops. 
Celery. — Coutinue to earth up until hard frosts. 
When necessary to give winter protection, take up 
aud stack in a bed about two' feet wide, bank up 
with earth, and protect with soil and board roof. 
Sot-Beds. — Provide rich soil for early spring, un- 
der a shed, or where it will be in condition to use. 
Lettuce. — Sow seed in frames; transplant to them. 
Onions. — Those late sown require winter cover- 
ing. Some sow this month and cover the patch 
with litter; they start very early in the spring. 
Parsnips. — Dig a supply for winter use, and keep 
covered with 6and or earth, leaving the main crop 
to be dug from whenever the ground is open. 
Tickles. -Continue to lay down in salt, encum- 
bers, imperfect cauliflowers, green tomatoes, etc. 
Fhuharb. — Make new beds, setting the crowns 3 
feet apart. Cover old plants with plenty of manure. 
Salsify. — Treat the same as directed for parsnips. 
Spinach. — The late sown must be thinned to 6 
inches, and hoed and weeded until hard frost, then 
cover lightly with straw or litter until early spring. 
Squashes. — Gather and house as soon as ripe, as 
they are injured by a slight frost. If sudden frost 
is indicated, gather in heaps and cover with vines. 
Sweet Potatoes. — Prevent the vines from rooting, 
by moving them occasionally. Dig as soon as frost 
kills the tops. Dig on a warm day and after they 
are dry pack in cut straw, handling very carefully. 
Tomatoes. — A slight covering put over the partly 
ripened fruit will keep off early frosts, and often ' 
help secure a larger crop than without this care. 
Can or bottle a full supply, and make catsup. 
Trenching can well be prosecuted this mouth. 
Winter Cherries. — Gather as they ripen and pre- 
serve, or keep in the bulbs, for winter eating. 
Frsnf Garden. 
When there is sufficient room there are many 
reasons why a separate spot should be devoted to 
small fruits. The ground is to be deeply worked 
aud manured, and all hardy varieties may be plant- 
ed as soon as the leaves fall. 
Blackberries. — Enrich the ground with muck or 
leaf mold, and well decomposed manure, and set 
at least 6 feet apart each waj', or in rows 8 feet 
apart, and 4 feet in the row. It is well to lay down 
the canes and protect them with a light covering. 
Currants and Gooseberries. — Transplant. See note 
on varieties on page 267 (Sept.). Take cuttings of 
strong wood of the present year's growth, six inch- 
es to a foot long, cut out all but two or three of the 
upper buds, and set them in good soil with these 
buds just above the surface. Set 6 inches apart 
and crowd the soil firmly around the base of the 
cuttings, cover with litter when cold weather comes 
on. They will make good plants next spring. 
Dwarf Fruits.— These are the only kind of fruit 
trees for which there is usually room in the garden. 
Dwarf pears and apples maybe planted in autumn. 
Cherries and peaches are better left until spring. 
Grapes. — Pick as they ripen. Those intended to 
be kept should be fully ripened and packed in small 
boxes deep enough to contain" two layers, and be 
kept in a cool place. Plant new vines. Very far 
north, pruning and laying down may be done this 
month. See wine making on page 294, and look 
over our notes on varieties given from time to time. 
Strawberries. — Note directions for planting in Aug. 
and Sept. Agriculturist. Procure a supply of cov- 
ering material ready for use when cold weather 
comes on. Leaves and straw are most suitable. 
New beds may be made nearly to closing of ground 
by frost. It is desirable to have the plants get 
established in the soil before winter, ready to start 
into growth at the opening of spring. In this lo- 
cality w r e have had very good fruiting beds the 
next spring from large, vigorous plants, set as lale 
as Oct. 15, but this is not always to be looked for. 
Flower Garden and tnivn. 
This is a most favorable month for making im- 
provements, laying out uew walks, preparing lawns, 
setting trees, and all work of construction. Chry- 
santhemums, Dahlias, and late blooming plants 
should still make the garden attractive, and neat- 
ness of keeping be continued. Place tender plants 
in-door before cool nights check their growth. 
Bedding Plants. — It seldom pays to take up old 
plants of Verbenas, Petunias, etc. New ones to 
winter over should have been provided for by cut- 
tings. It is not too late even to start them now. 
Bulbs. — Nothing is more attractive in spring than 
a show of Hyacinths, Crocuses, Tulips, etc. This 
is the time to plant them. Set in rather sandy 
ground well manured, putting the large ones three 
and the small ones two inches deep. Before the 
ground freezes, cover with coarse manure. 
Chrysanthemums. — Leave some to make the bor- 
ders gay until hard frosts; pot others to bloom 
iu-doors. They will wilt a little at first, but soon 
