958 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[September, 
Calendar of Operations for Sept., 1861. 
[We note flown 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. 
Explaiia4Ioi»s.-/ - indicatesthe,#rsf; m, the middle; and 
l, the last of the month.—Doubling the letters ( ff, or mm, 
or ll,) 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. 
Much of next year’s prosperity depends upon the agri¬ 
cultural operations of September. If the great staple, 
wheat, be sown early on properly prepared ground, mil¬ 
lions of dollars will be gained above what would result 
from doing the work carelessly. See that every acre re¬ 
ceive all possible attention. 
Agricultural Exhibitions—It will pay to attend them if 
practicable. A single suggestion received, or a new im¬ 
plement examined may be worth to you many dollars. 
Buildings—Provide sufficient shelter for all animals to 
be wintered. Repair and paint all needing it. Read 
“ Sermon on Stables,” page 267. 
Beans—Harvest, m, l. The haulm properly cured, and 
the beans themselves, are excellent for sheep. 
Buckwheat—Secure as soon as about ripe. Save straw 
for occasional feeding, but mainly for litter and manure. 
Butter—Lay down a full supply for Winter use. Work 
thoroughly, and pack in stone jars or sweet firkins. 
Cabbages—Market those mature; keep the late well hoed. 
Cattle—Stall feeding commenced early will give the 
best returns. Keep up the flow of milk from cows, with 
cuttings from the soiling patch and refuse from the gar¬ 
den, particularly if Fall feed be short. 
Cellars—Thoroughly cleanse and put in order for Fall 
crops of roots, apples, etc. 
Corn—Mark the earliest and most productive stalks to 
be gathered for seed. As soon as fully ripe, trace the ears 
together and hang them in a secure place. Cut the crop 
up by the ground before injured by frost, and set in well 
bound stooks, to be husked at leisure ; this mode we con¬ 
sider preferable to topping the stalks. 
Draining—Finish off each field of winter grain with 
deep draining furrows to carry off surplus surface water. 
Lay drain tiles wherever needed, as fast as circumstances 
will allow. Read the articles on Draining closely. 
Eggs—Pack a sufficient supply for Winter use accord¬ 
ing to directions on page 246 (Aug. No.). 
Fences and Gates—Keep in thorough repair, and build 
new as needed. In springy ground, lay drains to prevent 
the posts from “ heaving out ” by fiost. Char the ends of 
posts, or dip in coal tar, to preserve from rot. 
Grain—Thresh and store or market as soon as practi¬ 
cable. Protect bins from rats and mice. If infested with 
weevil, fumigate with sulphur. Keep a liberal supply for 
feeding upon the farm. 
Hemp and Flax—Pull, m, l, and spread for rotting. 
Hogs—Commence feeding grain early. Confine fatten¬ 
ing hogs in separate pens. Read article on page 2G6. 
Manure—Make needed preparations to manufacture all 
possible the coming Winter. 
Plow, ff, for Winter grain if not finished. This is the 
best season to deepen the soil by turning up and exposing 
an inch or more of the subsoil to the action of frost. 
Potatoes—Dig as fast as wanted for market, and leave 
the remainder until threatened by frost. Clear the ground 
from tops and weeds as fast as dug. 
Poultry—Feed well to fatten for market or wintering. 
Root Crops—Continue to cultivate until well grown. 
Rye—Sow, ff, m, if not completed. Seeds of weeds, 
chess, and much other foul stuff may be separated by 
pouring the grain into strong brine and skimming them off. 
Sheep—An occasional allowance of grain will prepare 
them for successful wintering. Supply regularly with salt. 
Soiling Crops—Cut and cure for fodder before frost. 
Sorghum—Commence manufacture of sugar and syrup, 
l Read article on page 270. 
Straw—As fast as threshed, stack it or store under cov¬ 
er for feeding a vd litter. 
Timothy—Sow with winter grain for meadow or pasture. 
Weeds from the potato field, etc., which have matured 
seed, should not be mixed with manure, except where the 
seeds may be destroyed by active fermentation. 
“heat—Sow, or better, drill in, ff, on well prepared 
ground. Provide for surface drainage by ample fur¬ 
rows, on all undrained fields. 
©rcBaard aasd Nsurgery. 
Gathering and marketing early apples and pears, and 
late peaches, is about the only occupation in the orchard 
this month. Dry fruit which will not keep, or preserve 
in bottles, especially the soft pears and peaches. See il¬ 
lustration of drying frames on page 277. In marketing 
pears and peaches let them be sent to the seller before 
they soften, or they will bruise and look badly. Peach¬ 
es, especially, should be quite hard when picked, if to be 
marketed at a distance. All kinds of fruit will appear 
much better and bring higher prices for being carefully 
picked. See apparatus illustrated on page 273. Avoid 
the practice of “topping off” with the finest fruit. 
Every thing about the commercial nursery grounds 
should be put in readiness for beginning the Fall business 
next month. Young trees should be well tended, plow¬ 
ing between the rows frequently to loosen the soil and 
keep down weeds. Unless sufficiently trimmed, give 
them their last pruning early this month, to preserve low 
branching trunks. 
Labels—Provide early for Fall use. 
Insects—Wash trunks of trees infested by scale with 
lye or potash water or strong soapsuds. Dig out or kill 
borers in the trunks of apple or peach trees. 
Pits of peaches, plums and other stone fruits, also seeds 
of apples, pears, etc., as soon as cleaned should be placed 
in earth, or planted where wanted. They often fail to 
germinate when allowed to become dry. 
Preserve a good supply of the early perishing fruits, such 
as peaches, plums, and soft pears, as heretofore recom 
mended in the Agriculturist. 
Seeds of trees and shrubs should be gathered as they 
ripen. Most of them will vegetate better by keeping them 
in boxes of earth until sowing time next Spring. 
Mitclaean saassl FrasiS, Gsirdesa. 
As fast as the various plots are cleared of produce, all 
weeds and refuse should be gathered for the compost heap, 
and the ground be replanted with crops for early Spring 
use, or dug over and left in tidy condition. Draining and 
trenching ai e now in order, and if properly attended to, 
they will greatly aid in forwarding next season’s crop. 
Beans—Gather and shell as they ripen. Dry a good 
supply of unripe Limas for Winter use. String beans 
packed in salt will keep late in Winter ; they are also ex¬ 
cellent for pickling. 
Blackberries—Cut out old canes and weak young shoots; 
leave one or two of the best for the next fruiting. 
Cabbage and Cauliflower—Sow, ff, m, for late trans¬ 
planting to cold frames. Keep late plantings well hoed. 
Celery—Earth up in clear weather, and keep dirt from 
falling between the stalks. 
Corn—Keep the earliest and best for seed. Cure the 
stalks for feeding out. 
Cucumbers—Preserve the earliest and best for seed. 
Grapes—Pick as they ripen. 1 > we those to be packed 
for Winter use until frost appro flies. 
Hops—Gather and dry,.#] m, and house the poles. 
Melons—Save the best for seed. Lay boards under 
those ripening, and turn them occasionally. 
Mushrooms — Make beds, m, l, as directed on page 274. 
Onions—Pull and dry as they ripen. Sow seed, f, m, 
for early Spring use. 
Parsley—Sow,.#] m, for use in Spring. 
Raspberries—Follow directions of last month. Collect 
and house stakes for use next year. 
Seeds—Gather best as they ripen, label and keep safe. 
Spillage—Sow,. ff and thin out, m, ll , for Spring use. 
Squashes—Gather as they ripen, and save seeds of best.. 
Strawberries—Transplant a good supply,,#] m. 
Tomatoes—Preserve a full supply in bottles for Winter. 
Turnips—Keep well hoed and properly thinned. 
Winter Cherries—Gather as they ripen and preserve or 
pack them in cotton for Winter use. 
Flower CSsardeai aaad. Lrwii. 
Many of the Summer plants are done flowering, and 
unless seeds are to be saved it is better to remove all the 
flower stalks. The ground can be filled with late bloom¬ 
ers, perennial seedlings, or Spring bulbs. It is important 
that no unoccupied spaces appear in the beds or borders. 
House plants of tender sorts will need removing by the 
middle or end of the month. Everything should be in 
readiness as directed under Green and Hot-House. 
Bulb Beds—Make and plant these, m, l. Any gooc 
garden soil will answer for bulbs. If wet, drain it, or 
l aise the beds. A little sand, muck, and cow manure, 
well worked into the soil, if compact, fits it to receive the 
plants. Lay out a bed in any desired form—an oval or 
circle is a good shape—set crown imperials, hyacinths 
and tulips in the center, planting 3 to 4 inches deep, and 9 
inches apart. Finish with narcissus, crocuses, and snow¬ 
drops, setting these last 3 inches apart and li inches below 
to the crowns. Of course the outer circle should be of 
the lowest growing varieties, and all should be arranged 
with reference to the different colors. If sand is easily 
obtained, place a handful around and over each bulb at 
the time of setting. In selecting from a collection, choose 
those w'hich are bright and firm, in preference to any 
which have begun to grow. 
Crysanthemums will soon begin to flower. Keep well 
tied up and cut out the weak shoots, leaving but few 
stalks in a place. 
Cuttings of propagating plants should be made as soon 
as the wood is mature. Insert in a light soil with plenty 
of peat and sand worked in, and cover with a hot-bed 
sash. They will soon root and may be potted for Winter. 
Evergreens may be set,/, m, if the ground is moist, but 
we prefer Spring planting. 
Dahlias—Keep well tied up. Cut off the withered 
blooms as soon as they fade. 
Flower Pits and Houses—Construct, m, ll, for safely 
keeping tender varieties over Winter. See page 272. 
Hedges—Shorten in the base, ll, and leave for Winter. 
Lawn—Keep from leaves, and scatter a little seed on 
bare spots. Sow Winter rye, on ground prepared for a 
lawn, but which is not to be seeded until Spring. A 
thick growth of rye will look very well during Winter. 
Seeds—Watch their ripening and collect before they are 
wasted on the ground. Mark each package with care. 
Mark with strings, the finest late blooms, the seed of 
which it is desirable to save. 
Verbenas and Petunias layered last month, may now be 
divided and potted for Winter blooming. 
Weeds—Allow none to disfigure the ground or to sow 
seeds for a future crop. 
<Kreeiii ami ISot-ISossses. 
One of the first things to be done is too see that the 
houses are prepared to receive their Winter stock. If 
new ones are to be built, let them be put up, ff, m. See 
chapter on constructing houses page 272. Before the 
close of the month, many of the more tender plants will 
need bringing in. They should never be left out until 
chilled by cool weather. See that pots are clean and 
plants properly cut back and decayed leaves removed 
when set in Winter quarters. The houses should have 
abundance of air and sunlight for some time after being 
filled, or the change will affect the plants unfavorably. 
Collect a good stock of old turf, well rotted peat, sand, 
and manure for potting soil. Mix it early for it improves 
by age. Lay in a supply of pots of various sizes to be in 
readiness for shifting the plants. 
Having cleansed and painted the houses, attended to the 
glazing, arranged the furnaces, and brought in the plants, 
setting them tastefully in their appropriate places, begin 
at once to increase the stock by putting in cuttings of the 
several varieties needed. Sow a few desirable annuals 
at the same time to increase the number of Winter plants. 
The Cape and other house bulbs should now be potted 
and arranged for growing. Some of the hardy Spring 
blooming sorts may also be potted, and set in a cool 
place to be brought forward as wanted. 
Camellias should be repotted,.# - . They are now be¬ 
ginning to grow and require frequent waterings. It is not 
too late to bud and inarch. 
Fire heat may occasionally be needed in some apart¬ 
ments, m, to l, to expel dampness and warm the air. 
Grapes—The treatment must be governed by the differ¬ 
ent stages of growth ; give little water and abundance of 
air to those ripening, and frequent syringings to later sorts. 
Potting Most of the plants will need repotting when 
brought in, although they have been growing in pots du:- 
ing the Summer. They will do better with a change of 
soil, and quite likely they require more room. All of the 
large number of house plants set in the borders in the 
Spring, are to be potted now. They should be shaded 
after the operation and watered freely. Many of the 
plants will be benefited by cutting back. 
Apiary ias September. 
Pi-epared by 1I. Quinby—by request. 
Immediately after the failure of honey in the flower.*- 
which will be in September in most places, look out and 
remove all colonies too feeble to defend themselves. Thev 
