258 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
Calendar of Operations for Sept. 1858. 
[We note down sundry kinds of work to be done during 
the month, not so much to afford instruction to practical 
men. as to call to mind the various operations to be at¬ 
tended to. A glance over a table like this will often sug¬ 
gest some piece of work that might otherwise be forgotten 
or neglected. Our remarks are more especially adapted 
to the latitudes of 38° to 45° ; but will be equally applica¬ 
ble to points further North and South by making due 
allowance for each degree of latitude, that is, earlier for 
the North, later for the South. 
Explanations.—/ indicates the first; m the middle; 
and l the last of the month.—Doubling the letters thus: jf, 
or mm, or U, gives particular emphasis to the period indi¬ 
cated.—Two letters placed together, as fm or ml, signifies 
that the work may be done in either or in both periods in¬ 
dicated ; thus, work marked fm.. indicates that it is to be 
attended to from the first to the middle of the month.] 
Farm. 
The early harvest over and late crops not yet matured, 
the interval should be spent in getting in the Winter grain, 
securing a large quantity of muck or other fertiliz¬ 
ing materials, and making some permanent improvements 
upon the farm. 
Agricultural Exhibitions—Read the remarks on a fol¬ 
lowing page, and by your presence, wholesome counsel, 
unproved stock and farm products strive to make them 
vhat they should be. 
Barns and Hovels—Make early preparations to build 
-aiough of these to accommodate all the stock next Win- 
ler. 
Buckwheat—Cut, f, mm, as soon as it will answer. If 
1 -ft too long, muchgrain will be lost in harvesting. Cradle 
s id bind, rather than mow it, and thresh as soon as it is 
c irted in, saving the straw for bedding. 
Bushes—Continue to “ grub ” or “ whip,” If, m. Clean 
o t hedge rows and till the soil now worse than wasted. 
Butter and Cheese making are supposed to be going on 
b iskly in-doors. September and October are the best 
n mills for laying down butter for Winter use. 
Cattle—Supply with the soiling crops, turnip and beet 
ti ds, cabbage trimmings, &c., as the pastures fail. A lit- 
tl i sugar cane or corn stalks fed to milch cows will show 
g od results in the quantity and quality of milk. Give 
f II feed of grass and other green crops to fattening cattle, 
i i flesh can be made much more rapidly now than during 
■ ild weather. 
Cellars should be thoroughly cleansed, ventilated and 
whitewashed before receiving the Winter fruits and veg¬ 
etables. 
Corn—Select the earliest, most prolific, and best for 
seed, tracing up by a few husks and hanging in the loft or 
granaries. Cut and shock as soon as ripe, or upon the 
first severe frost. The grain will be heavier, and the fod¬ 
der much better than when exposed uncut in the field to 
alternate storm and sun, frost and heat- 
Cisterns—Construct during the month for household and 
barn use, unless already well provided with water. 
Draining—Follow up briskly before heavy Autumn rains. 
Remember that low marshy lands are doubled in value 
by draining. 
Eggs—Now that they are plenty put away a quantity 
for Winter use, either in salt or lime water. 
Fences should be carefully watched now that the pas¬ 
ture feed is short and the corn field looks tempting. 
Forests—Continue to cut away, ff, those intended to re¬ 
claim for tillage. 
General Improvements—Clear meadows and other lands 
from stones putting them into permanent fesces. Cjtia. 
up the hedge rows and bushes encroatL&g on the tillage, 
train that bog swamp, which has produced only frogs and 
flags, piling up sufficient manure from it to dress your 
;orn fields next year. 
Fowls—Keep their roosts dusted with plaster, and bar¬ 
rel the home-made guano for another season. Read di¬ 
rections for putting down eggs on another page. 
Grain and Granaries—Continue the directions of last 
month. 
Hemp and Flax will need harvesting, mm, 1. 
Hogs—Commence early to fatten, and keep yards and 
pens well supplied with manure materials. They may do 
much toward paying for their fattening by the manure 
they are capable of making at this season. 
Manure—Apply the directions of last month, and col- 
leut a large quantity for another season, as well as to use 
on the wheat and rye now being sown. 
Muck—Dig and cart or pile up, ff, m, until the rains 
drive you from your “ claim.” Store a large quantity 
under cover to use in the stables next Winter. It will 
PAY. 
Pastures are now getting short. Feed all the garden re¬ 
fuse and green crops to make good the falling grass. 
Plow grounds for Wheat and Rye, ff, turning the soil a 
little deeper than formerly. Subsoil for these crops if 
possible. 
Potatoes—Dig as wanted for use or market ; but the 
Winter crop Is generally better in the ground until cool 
veather, unless the field is wanted for Winter grain. 
Root crops are growing rapidly this month. Keep the 
ground well stirred with the cultivator and horse or hand 
hoe, and suffer no weeds to grow in the rows. 
Rye—Sow, ff, m, if not done last month. 
Sheep-Guard against prowling dogs, keep supplied 
with salt and rub tar upon their noses to keep away the 
Cephalemyiaovis or bot-fly whichbreeds worms by deposit¬ 
ing eggs in their nostrils. 
Soiling Crops—Cut and feed as wanted, ff, m. Any re¬ 
maining should be harvested and cured while the weather 
is still favorable fordoing so. 
Stone Fences or Walls—Build these during the leisure 
of this month, to use up the stones and make a substan¬ 
tial fence at the same time. 
Sugar Cane—Continue to cut and feed, ff, m. The main 
or sugar crop should be harvested as soon as the foliage 
is killed by frost. 
Timber—Complete cutting this month in preference to 
leaving it till Winter. 
Timothy—Sow, ff, m, with Wheat, or by itself for a fu¬ 
ture grass crop. 
Turnips—Thin late sowings, feed early ones and keep 
all well hoed. Sow more of the quick growing varieties 
on vacant ground, ff. 
Weeds—Throw to the hogs or add to composts before 
they ripen seeds. Keep yards and manure heaps free 
from them. 
Wheat should now be put in as early as may be, on 
deeply plowed and finely pulverized soil that has received 
a good coating of manure. Many complaints of winter- 
kill are owing to late sowing. The growth is not suffi¬ 
cient before Winter sets in to protect the roots. Where 
it can be done, use the drill in sowing. 
Orchard and Nursery* 
Gathering early fruits, pruning, washing and digging 
about the trees will constitute the principal labors in the 
orchard during this month. The Nurseryman is still en¬ 
gaged in 
Budding late growing varieties, especially peaches. 
Insert the buds low according to directions given on page 
161 of volume XVI. Use every precaution to obtain shoots 
from genuine varieties, and mark the rows with the name 
or number of the kind used. 
Examine all buds inserted three or four weeks ago and 
if they have failed, insert others of the same kind. Look 
to bandages, and unless strips of old cloth were used which 
rupture by the growth of the tree, loosen the binding or 
slit it with a knife, if the union is firm. 
Evergreens may be moved, m, 11,but Spring is a better 
time. If pruning or shearing is requisite the present is 
the most suitable time. By no means trim an evergreen 
to a naked stem as you would a deciduous tree. The 
knife should only be used to remove dead branches, and 
to clip the ends occasionally to form a pyramidal or cone 
shaped head. 
Fruits—Gather early varieties with care, picking by 
hand. Do not wait for Bartlett and other pears to soften 
upon the tree, but pick just before they ripen and allow 
them to mature in the market or on the fruit shelves. 
Late fruits should remain on the trees till next month as 
their keeping qualities would be injured by early picking. 
Grounds for Fall and Spring Planting—Prepare during 
the leisure of this month. The soil which is to produce a 
crop of trees should be heavily manured previous to 
planting. 
Hoe Nursery rows still, to prevent late weeds from 
seeding the ground. A cultivator, plow or horse-hoe run 
bew.ctu the rows frequently, will do most of the work. 
Insects—September is the very best time to dislodge the 
borer. Examine each tree, especially those of few years’ 
orchard growth, and with a whale bone probe, finish his 
career. Read article on page 243 August number. 
Labels—Procure a good supply for marking young trees 
set or sent out in the Fall, when you will be too busy to 
prepare them. 
Layering—Continue, f, m, as directed last month. Se¬ 
lect wood of the present season’s growth. 
Manures—Prepare a good supply of stable manure, 
muck, ashes and lime for both orchard and nursery. 
Pits or Seeds of Stone Fruits-Collect and plant at 
once, or put in boxes of earth and expose to the weather 
till late Fall or early Spring. 
Planting— Prepare for, 11, and early bespeak good trees 
from the nurseryman himself rather than from an agent 
or tree peddler. 
Pruning may very properly be continued during this 
month. It is much better to do it now, in this and northern 
latitudes than defer it until Spring, that worst season for 
pruning. 
Records ot both orchard and nurseries should be kept in 
a book for the purpose. In cutting scions and buds for 
propagating, and in taking up trees for setting out, loo 
much care as to variety can not be used. In addition to 
labelsor stakes, have a book record of the kinds. 
Seed Beds- Do not allow them to become overrun with 
weeds in the latter part of the season. 
Seeds of Nursery Stock—Gather as they ripen, and, as 
nearly all of them require planting in Autumn, it is better 
to put them in at once, or place in boxes of earth and leave 
in the open air. 
Weeds—Systematically keep them from growing in the 
nursery or about orchard trees. 
KitcEaen and Fruit Garden. 
The season thus far, and especially during August has 
been very favorable for garden crops, and the cultivatot 
is still gathering the fruits of his toil with a plentiful sup 
ply of vegetables now ready for market. 
Blackberries—Cut out old canes which have perfected 
their crop of fruit. 
Cabbage and Cauliflowers—Sow, ff, m, for early Spring 
use to be pricked out in a cold frame during the Winter. 
Use the plow or horse hoe among late field cabbages, and 
keep free from weeds. 
Celery—Earth up in dry weather, ff, m, and 1, as needed 
taking care not to bruise the stalks. 
Cold Frames—Get these in readiness, with the sashes 
in order, and arrange them for use, 11. 
Corn—Late plantings are now yielding a full supply. 
Dry a quantity for Winter use. 
Corn Salad—Sow, ff, m. 
Cucumbers—Gather pickles, f, m, before they are in¬ 
jured by the frost. 
Grapes are ripening and may he made into wine, m, 11. 
Gather with care and put some away for Winter. 
Hoe growing crops often, especially late turnips and 
cabbages. 
Hops—Gather, ff, m, and house the poles for another 
year. 
Kale—Sow, f, m. 
Lettuce—Sow, ff, lor late Fall use, and, mm, for cold 
frames. As it bears but little frost, transplant to the 
frames, 11, if the weather is cold. 
Manures—Begin to collect a goodly supply for next 
Spring. Muck can scarcely be too highly estimated for 
garden use when composted with other manures. 
Mushrooms—Collect spawn, and other materials, ff, m, 
and make beds, in, 11. 
Nasturtiums—Gather and pickle, ff, m. 
Onions—Sow, ff, m, for Spring sets, and early use. 
Parsley—Sow, ff, m, for Spring use. 
Potatoes may be dug, 11, and stored for Winter. 
Radishes-Sow, ff, m, for Fall, and 11, for Winter use. 
Raspberries—Cut out old canes that have done bearing, 
and house stakes for another season. 
Rhubarb—Seed may be sown, ff, m, or left until Spring. 
Now is a good time to put up a quantity in glass jars oi 
air tight cans for winter use as described elsewhere. Se¬ 
lect the latest growth of the Linnasus variety. 
Seeds—Collect as fast as they ripen, and keep unmixed 
and well marked. 
Spinach sow, ff, and thin out, m, 11, for standing over 
Winter. 
Strawberries—Plant, ff, m, if the bed was not set out 
last month. Water them unless the ground is sufficiently 
moist. 
Tomatoes—While abundant, put away a large quantity 
in cans or bottles for Winter use. 
Turnips—Keep late crops well hoed, running a small 
plow or horse hoe between the rows often. 
Water newly planted seeds if the ground is dry and early 
vegetation is desired. Otherwise they may remain for 
weeks without coming up. 
Weeds—Keep down and prevent their sowing seed for 
a future crop. 
Winter Cherries are now daily ripening and falling upon 
the ground. Collect often for use, and put away a quan 
tity of the latest growth with the hull on, in boxes for 
winter use, covering with cotton to exclude air. 
Winter Cress—Sow, ff, m. 
FI©wei* Garden and Fawn. 
These grounds should still present a fine show of late 
Summer and Autumn blooming plants which need fre¬ 
quent hoeings, occasional waterings, and a careful re¬ 
moval of weeds. Many of the plants which were, brought 
from the Parlor, Green and Forcing houses, and'either 
transplanted into the border, or plunged into the earth 
without removing from the pots will need returning as the 
cool nights of Autumn approach. Attend also to some of 
the early flowering 
Annuals, the beds for which may be prepared on a warm 
border. After thorough manuring and deep working- 
trenching if possible—sow Centurias, Clarkia, Collinsia, 
Coreopsis, Mignonette, Phlox, Scabious, Sweet Alyssum, 
&c., which will, with a little protection, stand the Win¬ 
ter and come into early bloom in the Spring; or some ot 
them may be set in pots and placed in the house for Win¬ 
ter flowering. 
Biennials and Perennials—Fibrous rooted plants maw 
be divided and reset, 11, the better to establish themselves 
for early blooming another season- 
Bulbous Plants—Prepare grounds and put in, ff, m, 1., 
