AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Calendar of Operations for Nov. 1858. 
[We note down sundry kinds of work to be done during 
the month, nofso 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 
nr 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. 
This table will be much fuller, and more important, 
during the planting season when there is a greater variety 
of work to be done. 
Explanations,—/ indicates the first ; m the middle i 
and l the last of the month.—Doubl'ing the letters thus:,/, 
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/m. indicates that it is to be 
attended to from the first to the middle of the month.] 
Farm. 
If the operations calendared last month have been well 
attended to, there is now little left for the Northern 
farmer to do in order to be prepared for Winter frosts and 
snows, which generally come on in November or before. 
In the Middle sections farmers are still busily engaged in 
husking corn, taking care of the fodder, harvesting root 
crops, threshing grain, collecting manure and underdrain¬ 
ing wet lands. Further South, frost has not yet made its 
appearance, and the ripened crops of Cotton and Sugar 
cane are being harvested, and the busy season of 
“ Sugar boiling,” is about commencing. 
Fattening animais, in all latitudes, should now receive 
much attention to prepare them for early slaughter. 
Buildings of all kinds that were not closely inspected 
last month should be looked to now, and made storm and 
cold proof. Painting may very properly be done at this 
season. See directions of last month. 
Cabbages will mostly need housing, or burying with 
roots up, m,l. See article. 
Cattle are now receiving most of their food from the 
barns, and should not be stinted at the commencement of 
Winter. Use a straw or hay cutter, that nothing be wast¬ 
ed. Allow no cabbage or turnip tops to decay upon the 
ground. They make good feed for cattle. Fatten those 
animals intended for beef as early as possible, before cold 
weather comes on. Let all animals be housed during 
cold nights. 
Cellars continue to receive important stores. Arrange 
the fruits, roots and vegetables in a neat convenient man¬ 
ner, and keep the atmosphere dry and as cool as can well 
be maintained without danger of frost. Apples especially 
need a cool airy cellar. 
Cisterns for house or barn purposes may now be built, 
flf, in, if not already done. 
Corn—Harvest and husk the remainder as "early as pos¬ 
sible-before hard freezing. Save seed as directed last 
month if omitted till now. 
Draining is always in season, when the ground is not 
frozen or wet, until all swales, swamps, or low grounds 
are made the most productive portions of the farm. 
Forest Leaves—Collect a large quantity for present use 
iri the yards and stables, and also to dry for Winter bed¬ 
ding. Besides furnishing the elements of an excellent 
manure, they make a better absorbent than straw. 
Grain—Thresh any omitted last month, and carefully 
save the straw for feed and bedding. See that vermin do 
not prey upon it in the bins. 
Hedges—Plant, flf, m, if the soil is dry ; otherwise 
leave till Spring. 
Hogs—Pay particular attention to their fattening, ff, m. 
Have them ready for killing before the cold weather, 
when they take on fat slowly. Allow the male to run 
with breeding sows, 11, if early pigs are wanted. See ar¬ 
ticle on killing hogs on a subsequent page. 
Horses and Mules—Feed with cut hay and straw, ad¬ 
dins a little meal or carrots. Have them well shod as 
icy weather approaches, at the North. 
Ice Houses—Construct, f, m, so as to receive the first 
well formed ice. Descriptions will be found on page 
251, Vol. XVI 
Manures—Resolve to make a large portion of your own 
for another year, rather than pay away money for an im¬ 
ported article. If you have no muck, marl or peat depos¬ 
it upon your own land, buy the privilege of digging upon a 
neighbor’s premises. Keep the hogs supplied with turf 
from the road sides, and leaves from forests. Look about 
for a manufactory of some kind and see if there is not a 
heap of manure going to waste—wool, bones, offal, fish, 
hides, leather, ashes, lime, tan-bark, &c., are all capable 
of being composted and applied to the soil with advan¬ 
tage. See articles elsewhere. 
Muck—Keep yards, stables and pens well covered with 
it, and provide a large heap for Winter use. 
Permanent improvements may now be made to good 
advantage while waiting the approach of Winter. A few 
rocks need sinking or blasting, and stumps taking out. 
| Stones may be picked up and laid into permanent fences, 
hedges cleared up, &c. These labors can profitably use 
up all the spare time. 
Plow heavy lands before the ground freezes, thus turn¬ 
ing up the soil (and grubs) to the influence of frost. Stiff 
clays are better left m ridges for the frost to act upon the 
sides. 
Potatoes are supposed to be in the cellar or pits before 
this. Keep from the light and air as much as possible, and 
as cool as they will bear without freezing. Pack Sweet 
varieties in dry sand, if kept in the cellar. See directions 
of last month relative to burying them in boxes. 
Poultry—Provide them with warm quarters for Win¬ 
ter. A barn or other cellar where they can have gravel 
to scratch in is desirable,allowing them access to the sun. 
Give them animal food, refuse meat, with boiled potatoes 
and raw cabbage. Keep roosts clean and neat. 
Schools are about commencing for the Winter, in many 
places. Have the out door work in condition to spare the 
boys at the beginning, to take their places at once in 
classes. 
Sheep are still grubbing upon the hills and pastures, 
but need some feed, m, 11, at night. Keep them in good 
flesh to begin the Winter with. In mild climates, where 
early lambs are desired the buck may be turned with 
them, f to 1. Allow' about five months for gestation. 
Stack Yards—Instead of making them cattle yards, save 
time, labor, and your reputation for humanity, by carting 
the contents to the barn to be fed under cover. 
Stone Fences may be built as long as the ground re¬ 
mains open. 
Sugar Cane—Cut, ff, any remaining and complete man¬ 
ufacturing into sugar or syrup before hard freezing. 
Tools—Put away, under cover as directed last month, 
as fast as they are out of use. Keep them collected each 
night, especially where there is danger of snow. 
Turnips and Carrots—Dig the remaining crop, m, 11, or 
earlier if the ground is liable to freeze. Store in cellars, 
or make pits for them, as directed on page 203 of last vol¬ 
ume. 
Water pipes—Give an extra covering.il, where there is 
danger of freezing. 
Winter—Provide early against all its wants. If pro¬ 
duce is to be marketed it is often better to do it now 
while the traveling is good. Some of the Fall work per¬ 
chance is not done—don’t let Wmterfind you “napping.” 
Have the oxen and horses sharp shod and sleighs and 
sleds in readiness for snow traveling. 
Winter Grain—Permit none of it to be eaten off at this 
season. The late growth is needed for protecting the 
roots. See that no water stands, or can stand upon the 
field. 
Wood for fuel, especially “ down stuff,” may be col¬ 
lected and piled this month, much better than after a 
covering of snow. Pile it convenient to load upon a sled. 
Orchard and Nursery. 
Unless set out last month, the earlier the orchard is 
now planted the better, if it is to be done this Fall. See 
remarks on planting, page 305 October Agriculturist. 
In the nursery the busy season of selling, taking up and 
resetting small trees and shrubs still continue. 
Apples and Pears—Gather late fruit with care and lay 
away for Winter keeping, ff. m. Set out rows of trees by 
lanes, roads and about yards at the same time. They 
furnish both shade and fruit. Plant seeds for nursery 
stock, f, m, or put in boxes of earth until Spring. 
Cherries—Plant, ff, m, both standard trees and any pits 
not previously used for seedlings. 
Cider—Complete making, ff, m. See directions on 
page 274. Sept No. 
Insects—Unless the borers were vanquished last month, 
attend to them, ff. Full directions hare already been 
given. 
Manure, plow and subsoil, or trench, underdrain if 
needful, and otherwise prepare grounds for Spring plant¬ 
ing, either as orchards or nurseries. Spring will bring 
with it sufficient labor even when all is done now that 
can be. 
Mice—Do not forget the mischief they have sometimes 
done. Avoid it this season by clearing grass and weeds 
from the trunks, banking up with earth, using lime or 
ashes, and in particularly exposed situations, cover a foot 
of the tree at the surface with closely fitting bark, oil 
cloth, or sheet lead. Where mice are abundant use poi¬ 
son, traps, or cats to thin their numbers. 
Nursery—Prepare early for Winter, and after the sea¬ 
son of sales is over, go through with a plow and turn fur¬ 
rows towards the rows of trees thus opening drains to 
carry off surplus water. Now is a good time to trans¬ 
plant young trees from the seed bed to nursery rows. See 
that no mistakes are made in sending out trees ; that they 
are carefully taken up, correctly labeled, and properly 
packed. Extra care in this respect will save you reveti- 
tion, which is the only guarantee of future success. 
Orchards of old trees should receive due' attention to 
prolong their usefulness as much as may be, or until the 
younger trees come into bearing. Scrape off the moss 
and rough bark, dig about and manure the roots, pruning 
the tops at a proper season and you give them a new 
lease upon life for which they will amply repay you. 
Pruning may be done at the South. Mid-summer is a 
preferable season at the North. 
Quinces—Gather before freezing, nnd lay away care¬ 
fully if for keeping Plant trees, ff, m. 
Scions—Cut at any lime during the month, when not 
frozen, and bury in dry earth, either outdoors, or in the 
cellar 
Seeds of Apples, Pears, Quinces, Plums, Cherries, 
Peaches, and the various nuts and hard shelled seeds—it 
not already in, plant, ff, m, as directed last month. 
Tender Seedlings, especially evergreens, need seme 
protection in the nursery. Sift in dry sand to protect the 
stems, and cover with forest leaves, straw, or evergreen 
boughs, for the first Winter. 
Transplanting generally, both in orchard and nursery, 
should be industriously prosecuted ff m 
fiiitclieu and Fruit Garden. 
The gardener’s chief attention is now directed to sav¬ 
ing and marketing the remaining crops. 
Asparagus beds will be benefitted by giving a good 
coating of coarse manure, or litter from stables, m, 11. 
This enriches the soil and also protects the roots. Make 
new beds, f, m. 
Bean and Hop Poles—Collect all of these, m, 11, and 
house for another season. 
Beets bear but little freezing. If still in the ground, 
harvest, ff. , 
Blackberries do best planted early, although they may 
be set as long as the ground is open. 
Cabbages and Cauliflowers—Harvest the late crop, m, 
l, or before hard freezing. Cauliflowers not headed will 
often form heads when transplanted to a cellar. Set re¬ 
maining plants of both in the cold frame, ff; airing well 
during mild weather. Cover with mats or straw before 
hard freezing. 
Celery—Unless very frosty continue to earth up late 
crops, ff, harvesting and putting in trenches as severe 
weather approaches. 
Cold Frames will need filling, ff, with the remaining 
plants requiring Winter protection, such as recent sown 
cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce, radishes, etc. See 
that they are set so as not to touch each other, and keep 
them uncovered whenever the weather is not freezing, 
especially until they are accustomed to the change. Cov¬ 
er with boards or glass during frosts and spread mats, or 
straw over, before hard freezing. 
Compost and Manures for Spring use—Prepare a good 
supply as opportunity offers. 
Corn Salad—Thin, keep free from weeds, and cover 
lightly with straw, m, 11. 
Currants and Gooseberries-Plant, ff, m. Prune old 
bushes at the same time, if not done last month. Make 
cuttings and plant at once or bury in the cellar, or open 
ground until Spring. Remove a portion of the earth from 
bushes preyed upon by insects and replace it with distant 
fresh soil and compost. The larva; will thus be destroy¬ 
ed or hatch where they will do less injury. 
Drain and trench si iff heavy soils, to facilitate early 
working in Spring. They may be planted a week earlier, 
if thoroughly drained. 
Figs—Bury as Raspberries, or cover with mats or ever¬ 
green boughs. 
Fruit Trees—Plant on borders and about the yards, ff, 
m, as noted under “ Orchard.” 
Grapes—Prune old vines; ff. saving cuttings for Spring 
planting. Lay tender varieties upon the ground and 
cover with earth or litter. Even Isabellas and Catawbas 
are better laid down than exposed upon the trellis to all 
the sudden changes of Winter. Set out roots, ff, m. See 
articles on following pages. 
Lettuce sown the latter part of September will need 
transplanting to cold frames, ff. Air daily in mild 
weather 
Mice—Allow no brush, weeds or rubbish to afford har¬ 
bors for these. Set traps or introduce poison into the 
cold frames if they make an entrance there. 
Mushroom Beds may still be made, ff, m, in the cellar, 
or under cover. Examine former beds, protecting those 
in the open air from frost. 
Parsneps—Dig and bury in the cellar only what are 
wanted for Winter use or market. The Spring crop is 
better left in the ground. 
Raspberries—Transplant and set out new plantations, 
ff, m. Lay down and cover lender varieties before the 
ground freezes, cutting out any old canes and shortening 
in long shoots at the same time. 
Rhubarb—Plant, ff, m, instead of leaving until Spring 
A covering of coarse manure will protect the roots from 
sudden changes and give them an earlier start in Spring 
Take up a few roots and put in the cellar for early fore 
ing in » hot bed or green-house. 
