AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
226 
stroyer of grubs. All their lands destined for 
hoed crops are plowed late in the Fall and the 
burrows of a multitude of insects and their eggs, 
are thus turned up to the Winter frosts. But 
the most efficient helpers in this warfare are the 
birds. Some of them find their principal food 
in bugs and worms, and were they protected by 
«he farmer, and allowed to multiply, they would 
guard his crops effectually from insect ravages. 
They should be welcomed to his orchards and 
meadows, and copses of evergreens be planted 
to shelter them, where they have not sufficient 
protection. They soon learn their friends, and 
congregate in the places where no robber molests, 
and no gun makes them afraid. 
--— --- 
Calendar of Operations for Aug., 1861. 
[We note down sundry kinds of work to be done during 
the month, to call to mind the various operations to be 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 38° to 45°; but will be equally applicable to points 
further North and South, by allowing for latitude. 
Explanations.— /indicates th cfirst; m, the middle; and 
l, the last of the month.—Doubling, the letters ( Jf, or mm, 
or l!,) gives particular emphasis to the period indicated.— 
Two letters placed together, as fm or ml, signify that the 
Work may be done in either, or in both periods indicated ; 
thus, work marked/m., indicates that it is to be attended to 
from the first to the middle of the month.] 
Farm. 
The first work of the month in this latitude will 
be to secure the remainder of the hay and grain 
crops, if any are yet uncut. Each day’s delay after 
these have attained their proper degree of ripeness, 
causes loss in quality and quantity, by the shelling 
and waste of the grain, and the hardening of the 
fiber of grass. The interval between harvesting and 
preparing for Eall sowing, affords a favorable oppor¬ 
tunity for draining, drawing out muck , clearing up 
hedge-rows, repairing buildings, mending roads, 
and other miscellaneous work which has been de¬ 
ferred because of other pressing operations. Now 
is the time to purchase additional stock for Fall 
feeding and fattening, if there be not enough on the 
farm to profitably use up the grass, grain and fod¬ 
der produced. It is usually more profitable to con¬ 
sume raw products upon the farm, than to sell 
them as they come from the field. The manure, if 
properly cared for, will keep the land from deterio¬ 
rating, and grain is more readily transported and as 
readily sold in the form of beef, mutton and pork. 
Barns and Sheds need ample ventilation after be¬ 
ing filled with hay and grain. Leave the large 
doors open in fine weather. Keep the fowls from 
laying upon the hay, or trespassing on the grain 
mows. Thresh and clean all scatterings. Examine 
the roofs for leaks, and repair if necessary. Paint¬ 
ing is better deferred until cooler weather. 
Butter—Observe directions given last month. 
Where a large quantity is sent to market, it would 
pay to cool it well in the ice house and pack the 
tubs or pails in large boxes, and surround them 
with fresh cut grass, which would preserve the but¬ 
ter from softening by the heat. 
Cattle—It is poor economy to keep young stock 
or those intended for Fall fattening upon short pas¬ 
tures. Plenty of grass now will be a saving of 
grain hereafter. Milch cows also need generous 
fare: feed them from the soiling patch, if one was 
sown—or if necessary, allow a daily treat of bran or 
shorts mixed with water and partly fermented. 
Corn—The roots should not be disturbed now by 
plowing. If weeds are troublesome, pull them by 
hand, or hoe the surface lightly. Authorities are 
divided as to the propriety of removingthe suckers. 
It would seem that the grain would be better if the 
strength of the plant were directed there by remov¬ 
ing superfluous growth of stalks. Experiments are 
needed to determine the truth in the matter. 
Draining—Read the articles now in course of 
publication, and reduce to practice what may be ap¬ 
plicable to your circumstances. 
Fallows or “ Summer Fallows ” should not be 
allowed to grow and ripen weeds whose seeds will be 
scattered in the soil. The harrow will generally 
destroy those growing, but a few will still be left, 
unless pulled or. cut by hand. Remember that 
weeds produce seeds by the thousand each. 
Fences—Remove all hedge-rows of briers, bushes 
and weeds. Lay new lines of wall where needed. 
Keep all in good repair. 
Gleaning—Many bushels of grain will be saved by 
passing over fields with the horse-rake after the 
grain is gathered. 
Grain—Thresh as early as can be done conveni¬ 
ently; commence with the stacks. It is usually 
better to sell as soon as the market is fairly fixed. 
Use all that can be turned to account in fattening 
stock. 
Hay—Cut, ff, any remaining until now. Gather 
coarse wild grasses for bedding. Secure salt marsh 
hay and sedge, m, l , during the low tides of August, 
and remove to safe quarters. Surround stacks with 
good fences to keep cattle from wasting. 
Horses—Confine them in well ventilated stables 
during the heat of the day, and turn them in the 
pasture on warm nights. Breeding mares should 
not be overheated while suckling their foals. Ac¬ 
custom colts to be handled while young. 
Insurance—Keep barns and other out-buildings 
insured, as well as the dwelling. Large accumula¬ 
tions of hay or grain send up a column of vapor 
which attracts lightning and exposes them to be 
destroyed, unless protected by lightning rods. 
Manure—Read the article on Muck, page 334. 
Turn every source for making manure to account. 
Mow swales, gather roadside weeds, burn brush 
heaps, clear out privies, sinks, and sheds, etc., and 
have a large supply in readiness before fall plowing 
commences. 
Meadows—Remove bushes, rocks, and other ob¬ 
structions from mowing lands. Top dress new 
mown lands with fine compost, to protect the roots 
from scorching, and quicken the young growth. 
Keep stock from meadows until the grass is three 
or four inches high, and do not allow it to be eaten 
off very close. 
Millet or Hungarian Grass—Cut before the seed 
ripens, if intended for hay. 
Oats—Cut, ff, or as soon as sufficiently ripe. 
Cure the straw carefully: it is valuable for feeding. 
Pastures—Occasionally scatter cattle droppings 
with a maul. Mow weeds frequently, allow none to 
ripen seed. Sow salt about their roots, to attract 
the cattle and sheep, and prevent the young shoots 
springing up. Suffer no fields to be fed too closely. 
Potatoes—Early sorts may be harvested as soon 
as mature, and a crop of quick growing turnips or 
late cabbages put in their place. 
Poultry—Allow them to glean the grain fields 
after harvest. If confined to the yard, give plenty 
of water and occasionally a little animal food, to 
stimulate them to lay. Fatten chickens and ducks 
for market early; it takes less grain in warm weath¬ 
er, and the prices are more remunerative. 
Root Crops—Thin turnips sown last month. 
Keep the ground light and free fr'om weeds by fre¬ 
quent use of the cultivator and hoe. . 
Rye—Harvest, ff, any remaining. Glean the fields 
with the horse rake, and thresh out the scatterings 
for grinding and feeding to hogs. Select the best 
growth for seed, and thresh with a flail before want¬ 
ed for sowing. 
Sheep—Separate males from the ewes and give 
the lambs a rich pasture by themselves or with the 
yearlings. Keep a few older sheep with them as 
leaders of the flock. Examine the udders of ewes 
while weaning their lambs, and draw the milk oc- 
-casionally if necessary to prevent their becoming 
caked. Salt freely, and apply tar to their noses to 
repel the fly. 
Swine—Keep them growing by liberal feeding. 
Commence fattening, ll. Early pork is usually in 
demand, and it costs less to make it. Feed with 
green food frequently. Unthreshed pea vines are 
well relished, and are wholesome diet 
[August, 
Timber cut at this season is believed to be most 
durable. Prepare any needed for fencing or build¬ 
ing next season. 
Timothy sown by itself, ll, will ordinarily give a 
good growth next season. If sown with Winter 
grain, leave it until next month or the following 
Spring. Use from eight to twelve quarts of seed 
per acre, according to circumstances. 
Turnips—Strap leaf, or flat varieties, may be 
sown, ff] among corn, after early potatoes or on 
other unoccupied ground. 
Winter Grain—Prepare grounds, to be sown early 
next month. It will succeed on sod ground, but 
preference is generally given to cultivate it after 
oats, or an early hoed crop, as potatoes 
Orcliard and Nursery. 
There is little to do in the orchard, during August. 
Some of the early apples, pears and peaches will be 
ripening. These should begathered and marketed, 
dried, or bottled for Winter use. Now that pre- 
sei \ ing bottles are so cheap, and the process of 
putting up fruit so easily understood, it is well 
worth while to secure a good supply for Winter and 
Spring use. 
Pruning at this season injures the tree far less 
than if performed in the Spring, and if neglected 
last month, attend to it early in August. Pruning 
fruit trees now is objectionable on account of the 
danger of knocking off fruit from other branches 
than those removed. Trees may, and should be so 
trained that the knife only is now needed. 
In this section, trees are not overburdened with 
fiuit the present season. Where there are many 
apples on young trees, and especially pears on 
quince stocks, it is better to remove a portion. 
The remainder will be much finer, and the trees 
kept more thrifty for this thinning. Better remove 
all except one or two specimens from trees set last 
Spring. The tree has enough to do to retain a 
healthy action in the drouth of Summer, without 
the additional burden of ripening fruit. 
Borers have hatched out and penetrated the bark 
of apple and peach trees, unless the trunks were 
washed with an alkaline solution., x- protected by ? 
paper or other sheathing. Search for and destroy 
them before they penetrate the wood,which they will 
do next Spring if unmolested. Wash the trunks of 
young trees with potash water or oil soap, to de¬ 
stroy scale and other insects upon the bark. 
Budding is in order in the nursery. Follow it up 
as fast as the stocks are ready and the buds mature. 
A few days’ delay, especially with pear stocks, may 
lose a season’s growth, as the bark frequently 
“ runs ” but a short time. See that no mistakes 
are made in selecting buds, and label each row 
plainly, noting the sort in an index book kept for 
the purpose. Round off stocks budded last season 
unless already done. 
Evergreen Trees are frequently transplanted with 
success, from the middle of August to the middle 
of September, though we prefer doing it in May. 
If done during this month, choose a damp day, re¬ 
move a ball of earth with the trees when practica¬ 
ble, water them if at all dry, and mulch the earth 
around the roots. 
The growth of the present season is now suffi¬ 
ciently mature for layering, or inarching, to increase 
or change the variety. Peg down and cover with 
earth the new shoots of propagating stools, and tie 
the branches of inarched stocks to stakes, or other 
supports to prevent shaking about by the wine 
Those trees or branches grafted in this way last 
season, which are now firmly united, should have 
the native shoot cut away a&cweand the propagating 
stock cut below the junction, at the 6ame time loosen¬ 
ing or removing the bandage. 
Artificial watering will be needful for boxes and 
beds of seedlings, transplanted stocks, etc., during 
dry weather. Throw a spray, like a shower from a hy- 
dropult, garden engine, or syringe, or sprinkle from 
the rose of a common watering pot. Do not let the 
choice evergreens or other plants droop before giv¬ 
ing them water. A little labor will often keep a 
tree or shrub in a healthy growing state, when it 
