162 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Calendar of Operations for June, 1861. 
[We note down sundry kinds of work to be done during 
the month, to call to mind the various operations to he at¬ 
tended to. A glance over a table like this will often suggest 
some piece of work that might otherwise be forgotten or 
neglected. Our remarks are more especially adapted to the 
latitudes of 3S° to 45°; hut will be equally applicable to 
points further North and South, by making due allowance 
for each degree of latitude, that is, earlier for the South, and 
later for the North. 
Explanations.-/ indicates thej first; to, the middle; and l , 
the last of the month.—Doubling the letters thus: or mm, 
or ll, gives particular emphasis to the period indicated.— 
Two letters placed together, as fin or ml, signify that the 
work may be done in either, or in both periods indicated; 
thus, work marked fm, indicates that it is to be attended to 
from the first to the middle of the month.] 
Farm. 
There is scarcely a more important agricultural 
month in the whole year, than June. It terminates 
the period in which most seeds can be sown, and 
introduces the indispensable work of cultivation. 
Many early sown or planted crops that have failed, 
may yet be replaced ; if the whole available area be 
not already occupied with growing crops, now is the 
time to put in quick growing corn, beans, or other 
staples. The early planted corn, potatoes, and roots 
of all kinds, should receive immediate and careful 
attention, to free them from weeds, loosen the soil, 
top-dress with guano, ashes, or plaster, and thus 
secure their rapid growth. Vigorous growth in the 
earlier stages of a plant, is most likely to be fol¬ 
lowed by generous fruiting. 
Cultivation of the soil may appear tame and un¬ 
interesting work in these exciting times, and the 
temptation will be great to leave peaceful fields for 
the field of conflict, but remember that feeding the 
country is as necessary, as fighting her battles, and 
that full garrisons can only be maintained by full 
garners. 
Barley will usually yield a fair crop, if sown at 
this season, although earlier sowing is preferable. 
It succeeds best on a gravely soil, and may well oc¬ 
cupy ground devoted to hoed crops last year. Sow 
two and a half to three bushels per acre, and harrow 
in thoroughly. 
Barns and Sheds will soon be needed to receive 
the first fruits of the mowing grounds. Put plat¬ 
forms, bay-ways, etc., in order; clean out all rub¬ 
bish, and repair floors and entrance ways, if needed. 
Examine grain bins, wool closets, and cattle stalls, 
and exterminate any vermin. 
Beans—Plant, ff, where corn has failed, if seed of 
King Philip, or other early variety, can not be had. 
They may also be put in on soil too light for corn. 
They do not require heavy manuring; too strong 
soil gives great growth of vine, without a corres¬ 
ponding yield. If the war continues long, beans 
will be in great demand ; they furnish much nutri¬ 
ment in a small space. Plant them abundantly. 
Beets—Mangel Wurzel and Sugar varieties, sown 
jf, to, will have plenty of time to mature for winter 
feeding. A great saving of grain and hay will be 
effected, by having a good supply of these and other 
roots, to feed out in Winter and Spring. 
Butter, if properly made during this month, may 
be laid down and kept throughout the season, or 
until the best prices can be had. Cleanliness and 
thorough working are the two essential points to 
he observed. Keep the milk room cool, and free 
from dust, insects, and offensive smells. Churning 
the milk with the cream, after the latter has risen, 
saves the work of skimming, and some claim that 
more butter is obtained in this manner. Experi¬ 
ment to learn if this be true; note also the qual¬ 
ity of tire butter. In sending butter to market, be 
careful to have the cask or pail look neat and invit¬ 
ing, and plainly marked. New tubs should be well 
scalded with buttermilk before packing, to remove 
the taste of the woou. 
Cabbages—Plant out for late crops, to, l. Hoe 
and cultivate between the rows of those previously 
set, at least once a week—the oftener the better. 
Set plants between the rows of early potatoes, 
which are to be dug, ll, or the first of July. Exam- 
ore often to destroy cut worms and other insects. 
Carrots—In favorable seasons large crops have 
been obtained, when sown the first week in June. 
Keep the rows well hoed, and thin to six inches 
apart. They may be drilled in between rows of 
onions after the second or third hoeing of the lat¬ 
ter. If this be done, leave every third space vacant, 
to give room for curing the onions when pulled. 
Cheese—Study to improve the quality, rather than 
to increase the quantity produced. “ White-oak ” 
cheeses are always a drug in market, while those of 
first class are always in demand at good prices. 
Valuable information on cheese making is given in 
a series of articles on the Dairy in the eighteenth 
volume of the Agriculturist. 
Cattle—Young cattle, especially calves of the 
present season, need attention to keep them grow¬ 
ing. Allow them the best pasture: read “Feed 
for Weaned Calves,” page 173. 
Corn’—A good crop of the King Philip variety 
may be obtained, if planted during the first week of 
June. Indeed, most kinds of com, (except the 
very large sorts which require a long season for 
maturing,) may be planted during the first week in 
June. Some do all their planting as late as June 1. 
Soaking the seed in tar water, and rolling in plaster, 
and manuring in the hill with compost manure, 
bone dust, or Peruvian guano mixed with plenty 
of soil, will give the young shoots a strong and 
rapid start. Go through land already planted, with 
the cultivator and hoe, clear out all weeds and grass, 
thin the corn to four stalks in the hill, and replant 
missing hills. Sow and drill both common and 
sweet varieties for cutting green in August and Sep¬ 
tember. Read “ Sow Corn for Feeding,” page 170. 
Grain Fields will whiten to the harvest in south¬ 
ern localities, ff. Wheat or rye should be cut, as 
soon as the berry is advanced enough to bear mod¬ 
erate pressure of the thumb-nail, without breaking, 
or just after it leaves the “ milk ” stage.—Examine 
the fields for the earliest and best portions, to be 
left to ripen fully for seed. Read “ Weed the Wheat 
fields,” page 171. 
Haying will begin, ll, in the earlier sections. Cut 
grass or clover for hay, just as the bloom is passing 
away, and the seed commences to form. If left la¬ 
ter, much of the nourishing part of the stalk is 
hardened into woody fiber. Provide a supply of 
hay caps, to be used this season. They will enable 
you to cure much of the hay in the cock, which will 
give a better quality of fodder. A mowing machine 
and a horse pitchfork will pay on all farms, where 
there is much meadow. 
Manure—Turn every source to account, as recom¬ 
mended in previous numbers. Throw weeds from 
the garden, etc., into the pig stye, and supply the 
swine with plenty of material, to -work over at their 
leisure. Read “ Home-made Bone Manure,” on a 
subsequent page. 
Millet—Sow, ff,m. Read “Millet for Fodder,” p.170. 
Peas—Sow or plant, ff, if there be vacant ground. 
They make excellent food for swine, when fed 
green with the straw, or ripened and ground with 
oats, or when fed alone, cooked or soaked. Hogs 
will grow and partly fatten well on peas. The last 
few weeks’ feeding should be on corn, to harden the 
pork. 
Potatoes—Keep well hoed until blossoming. Hill 
them only moderately. Try top- dressing with ashes, 
to drive away insects, and to prevent rotting. See 
article on the “ Potato Disease ” in this paper. 
Poultry—Accustom them to lay in their appro¬ 
priate places, by confining them in the poultry yard 
until after noon. Allownone to set after the middle 
of this month. Give plenty of food, particularly to 
the growing broods, to fit them for an early market. 
Keep their apartments clean, and use the drop¬ 
pings, mixed with plaster, in the garden. They 
are also an excellent addition to liquid manure. 
Sheep washing and shearing will need attention, 
ff. A vat constructed for the purpose, as described 
in Vol. XIX, page 136 (May No.), is a great con¬ 
venience. Remove all tag locks, burdocks, thistles, 
etc., from the fleeces, before tying them up for mar¬ 
ket. Mark each sheep plainly as soon as sheared, 
and designate ewes having superior fleeces, with a 
[J utcra, 
special mark, that they may be reserved for breed¬ 
ing. Dock and castrate lambs, if not already done, 
and guard against the fly by smearing wounds with 
tar. Look out for foot rot as directed in the May No. 
Sorghum—Drill or sow broadcast for cutting and 
feeding green, or to be cured for winter fodder. 
Cultivate that already planted, the same as corn. 
Swine—Keep them growing with wash from the 
dairy, mixed with ground feed. Allow them the 
range of the orchard, to destroy grubs and worms 
in unsound fruit. Suffer none to run in the high¬ 
way. A good clover pasture will afford them excel¬ 
lent feed. They should be supplied with pure water. 
Tanners’ Bark—Peel from hemlock and oak, as 
soon as it will run freely, and pile it so as to pro¬ 
tect from rain. 
Tools, particularly for haying and harvesting, 
should all be in readiness before the season of use. 
Weeds grow rapidly, if left during this month. 
Keep the cultivator and horse and hand hoes busy 
—clean tillage pays best. 
©rcliai’d and Nursery. 
The professional nurseryman will find enough to 
occupy his time during this month, stirring the 
soil, keeping down weeds, pruning or heading back, 
removing suckers, transplanting evergreens, etc., 
but the farmer will find little leisure for the care of 
his orchard, which is too frequently neglected in 
the pressure of other business. If it is worthwhile 
to plant an orchard, it will pay to give it some at¬ 
tention. In vain is a crop of corn or potatoes ex¬ 
pected without labor bestowed upon the field after 
jdanting. If the young orchard were properly prun¬ 
ed, the branches cut back and well shaped with a 
knife in June and July, no large branches would 
have to be removed subsequently, leaving a wound 
to cause premature decay. But if large limbs are 
to be removed from grown trees, which were neg¬ 
lected while young, June and July are the proper 
months to remove them. The foliage shades the 
wounds, and prevents sun-checking, and a healthy 
growth of new wood at once begins to roll over the 
cut. By no means leave a stub to be covered by 
this new growth, but cut close to the body with a 
fine saw, rather than with an ax. It is also advisable 
to coat the sawed space with a solution of gum 
shellac, dissolved in alcohol to the consistence of 
thick molasses, putting it on with a painter’s brush. 
By all means, spare time enough to give the orchard 
its annual pruning now—it will abundantly pay. 
Aftera little practice, a glance will tell what branch¬ 
es should be removed, to form a w r ell balanced and 
tolerably compact head, with few inside crossing 
limbs. Two extremes should be avoided. One is, 
the cutting out of all the central shoots, and en¬ 
couraging a tall or wide-spread growth. This leaves 
the bearing portions high in air, where they are 
6wayed and thrashed by high winds, with a long 
distance for the fruit to fall; it is also inconvenient 
to pick. The branches are often so spread with the 
weights upon their extremities, as to split them 
down. Again, with the pear especially, there is not 
sufficient shade upon the main branches and body 
of the tree. The other extreme is, heading back too 
strongly, and not cutting out the center sufficient¬ 
ly. We have seen the branches so thick and inter¬ 
woven, that it was almost impossible to gather the 
fruit. 
Stimulate the growth of both old and young trees 
in a poor soil, by a liberal coating of manure about 
the roots. Remember, that new wood and fruit 
spurs are wanted this year, to bear next season. 
Shortening in in June, checks the flow of sap, and 
tends to the formation of fruit buds. A stout cord 
or strap, fastened around the body of a young tree, 
or the main branches of older ones, by compressing 
the sap vessels, tends to the same end, though this 
is not generally advisable, except in the case of per¬ 
sistent non-bearing of trees. 
Evergreens may safely be transplanted early ki 
June. Besides attending to this in the nursery, let 
the newly planted and exposed orchard have a belt 
set upon the sides most affected by the prevailing 
