322 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November 
■ L 1 - ------ 
Calendar of Operations for Nov., 1861. 
[A glance over a table like the following will generally 
call to mind some piece of work that would otherwise be 
forgotten or neglected. The remarks are more especially 
adapted to places between 38° to 45°; but will be equally ap¬ 
plicable further North and South, by allowing for latitude. 
—The calendar will, of course, be much more full during the 
ieason of active field and garden work. 
Explanatlons.-d'.indicatesthe^rst, - m, the middle; and 
l the last of the month.—Doubling the letters ( ff, or ram , 
or U,) 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 botli 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 shortening days and intervals of severe weather 
betoken the approach of Winter, and every thing should 
be in readiness for its coming. Any root or other crop 
unharvested needs the first attention. Threshing and 
marketing grain will profitably occupy the time of many. 
Permanent improvements in building, fencing, draining, 
etc., can be made most favorably at this season. 
Buildings should be thoroughly examined, and put in 
repair. Clear out and fit stables and sheds for the early 
accommodation of stock. 
Cattle—Confine in the stables at night, and feed liber¬ 
ally, and with a variety of food. Use the straw cutter—it 
is a good economizer of fodder ; cook roots. 
Cellars—Keep well ventilated where roots are stored, 
and guard against rats. Use straw, leaves, muck, or 
soil rather than stable manuie for banking up outside. 
Cisterns and Wells—See that all fixtures are in order to 
convey water, and guard against freezing of pipes. 
Corn—Complete husking,,#", if not done, or as soon as 
practicable ; the weather and vermin injure that left in 
the field. The stalks should be saved from the beating 
and rotting of storms. Store the ears in well ventilated 
cribs. Select the best ears forseed, if neglected until now. 
Draining—Continue to make drains as needed, while 
the weather permits. Clear out open ditches and road 
sluice ways, and occasionally examine drain furrows in 
grain fields. Standing water kills grain roots. 
Fruit—Keep in a cool place, but guard against freezing. 
Sort over before removing to winter quarters. 
Grain—Thresh early, and market or store securely. 
Select the best for seed. “ Like produces like.” 
Hedges—Plant deciduous, ff, m, if the soil be dry ; 
otherwise leave until Spring. Leave evergreens till May. 
Hogs—Keep up their appetite by change of food, and 
fatten as rapidly as possible. Cold weather consumes fat. 
For early pigs turn a male among the breeders, m , 11. 
Horses—Feed with unthreshed oats run through the 
cutter, with hay and carrots, alternating occasionally. 
Keep stables well ventilated, and keep the skin clean 
and active with curry comb and brush. 
Ice Houses—Prepare for filling early. There may be 
but one crop of good ice. 
Manure—Collect plenty of leaves from the woods and 
muck from the swamps, to use for bedding and compost. 
Allow no accumulation of heaps near stable doors. Keep 
all under cover in sheds, and compost with muck, etc., as 
fast as collected. Plenty of manure—good crops. 
Plow heavy lands intended for corn in Spring, and leave 
it unharrowed, to ameliorate the soil and destroy insects. 
Poultry—Complete fattening early. Keep the store 
hens in warm quarters, feed well, give them a little fresh 
meat occasionally, with plenty of gravel, ashes, and lime 
or pounded oyster shells. 
Pumpkins—Feed to cattle, first removing the seeds. 
Keep secure from frost. A dry loft, with any needed cov¬ 
ering of straw, is better than a dry cellar. 
Roots—Harvest any remaining, ff. See page 334. 
Sheep—Take them from the pastures early, and pro¬ 
vide ample sheds, well ventilated, for protection from 
storms. Feed in racks apart from other stock. Allow 
free access to water, and salt weekly. For early lambs 
turn in the buck, to, l. 
Straw used for feeding, should be cut and mixed with 
meal or shorts. Use freely for litter. 
Sorghum—Complete cutting and manufacturing, ff. 
Keep under cover until used. Moderate freezing does 
not spoil it for syrup, if not allowed to heat. 
Tools—Keep all in their place under cover. Repair 
and paint as needed. Coat steel and iron surfaces with 
lard and a little rosin melted together, to keep them 
from rust. Clean and oil harness, and put the sleighs 
in running order. 
Winter Grain—Keep the drain furrows open; allow no 
water to stand on any part of the surface. 
Wood—Collect all fallen branches, clear up under 
brush, fell decaying trees, and have a full supply ready to 
draw when snow comes. 
Orchard aaad Nursery. 
Fall planting is now in order, and many good practical 
tree growers strongly advocate setting out trees in 
Autumn. If the ground is measurably dry, we advise to 
plant hardy trees after the first hard frost in the Fait, but 
leave the evergreens and tender fruit trees, including 
most of the stone fruits, until Spring. See articles upon 
this subject in October Agriculturist- To guard against 
mice, it is well to make a hillock of earth about newly 
planted trees, especially near stone walls, and other 
places affording a shelter for the field mouse. These 
mounds also serve to keep the trees from being swayed 
about by high winds, but they should be leveled in Spr ng. 
In addition to the regular orchard, see if there is not 
room for a few fruit trees about the buildings, along the 
lanes or highway, where they will be both ornamental, 
and afford a pleasing shade in Summer. We commend 
the taste of ornamenting small places with different va¬ 
rieties of fruit trees, some of wiiich have beauty of form, 
and foliage, not excelled by many of the prized foreigners. 
If the cider making is not completed, finish early in 
November, before the apples decay. Better feed soiled 
and wormy apples. Worm juice or oil may add to the 
smooth flavor of cider, but not to its agreeableness. It 
don’t “ work off through the bung hole.” We once count¬ 
ed over 2,300 worms in the apples that were made into a 
single barrel of cider. 
This is the best time to collect grafts or scions for next 
Spring. Cut from bearing proved trees as much as pos¬ 
sible, tie in bundles, mark with a painted wooden la¬ 
bel, and bury in dry soil in the garden, or pack in boxes 
of earth in the cellar. 
Some of the late fruit may still remain ungathered. Se¬ 
cure it, ff. and keep all Winter fruit out of the cellar as 
long as possible. A cool, dry shed or barn will serve a 
good purpose. When finally removed to the cellar through 
fear of actual freezing, keep the windows open, until se¬ 
vere weather necessitates closing them, and in a cool, 
dry atmosphere the fruit will keep a long time. Sort over 
carefully when put in, removing any decayed and bruised 
fruit. Pears will ripen best when laid on shelves in 
woolen blankets. Bring them from the cellar, as wanted, 
and ripen them in a warm room. See page 337. 
Seeds of apples, pears, quinces, plums, cherries, peach¬ 
es, and the various nuts and hard-shelled seeds—plant ff, 
m, if not already done as directed last month. Other nur¬ 
sery work will require attention, such as a final plowing 
between the rows, turning the furrows towards the trees, 
leaving open drains for the water to run off, etc. 
Let all the hardy stocks from the seed beds be set this 
Fall, while there is leisure to do the work well. Manure 
the soil heavily, plow and subsoil or trench thoroughly, 
and set the stocks by a line stretched along as a guide. 
The more tender seedlings may be taken up and set in 
sand in a shed cellar, or be covered with leaves and ever¬ 
green brush in the seed bed. 
Some of the half-hardy shrubs and vines will need pro¬ 
tection during the Winter. If they will admit of the pro¬ 
cess, bend them down, and cover with earth, but if too 
rigid to lay down, cover with straw, old mats, or boughs 
of evergreens set ud about them. 
Mitclaess and Frasif, Garden. 
Now that the crops of vegetables and fruits are secured, 
do not leave the garden in an untidy condition. Gather 
and burn all weeds and rubbish which can not be made 
serviceable in the manure heap. Weeds which have 
ripened seeds are not fit for manure ; if taken there, the 
seeds would be propagated next season. 
Asparagus beds may still be made, ff. Cover the old 
beds, to., II, three inches deep with horse manure, to be 
forked in next Spring. 
Beets—Gather,before injured by frost. Twist off 
tops and feed to cattle or pigs. Store in a cool dry cellar. 
Blackberries—Set onl.ff, if not already done. 
Cabbages and Cauliflowers—Harvest the late crop and 
store for Winter in the cellar, or cover with earth. See 
page 296, Oct. Number. Set young plants in cold frames. 
Carrots—Dig and store remaining crops, ff. 
Celery—Earth up, ff, in dry weather. Store for Win¬ 
ter, to, l. Set it upright in barrels, or on the cellar bot¬ 
tom, or even out of doors, and cover with sand. Keep the 
leaves together that no earth may fall between the stalks. 
Cold Frames—Set in, f, in, cabbage, cauliflower, let¬ 
tuce, etc., for Winter protection. Cover with glass or 
shutters at night, removing them in the day time until 
cold weather. Destroy mice that may enter, with poison¬ 
ed meal. As the cold increases, bank up about the side* 
and put straw over the covers. 
Currants and Gooseberries—Transplant, ff, m. Pro¬ 
tect the roots with a coating of manure. 
Dwaif Peais Give a top dressing of old manure, and 
make a mound of earth six inches high around the 
trunks to protect the bark from mice. 
Drain and trench clayey soils ; it will make them fit to 
work earlier next Spring, and improve the soil. 
Grape Vines—Plant roots and layers, .ff, m. Prune as 
needed, and preserve cuttings in sand for next year’s 
planting. Take vines from trellis, to, and protect with 
straw or earth. Read article on page 338. 
Onions Cover any to be left in the ground with straw. 
Paisneps and Salsafy—Dig, m, l, what is waited for 
Winter use, and bury in sand in the cellar. Loth are im¬ 
proved by being left in the open ground through Winter. 
Plow or spade up all unoccupied ground and leave it 
in ridges to be mellowed by frost. 
Poles, stakes, frames, etc.—Gather and house. 
Raspberries—Transplant, ff, if not completed. Bend 
down and cover tender sorts with an inch of earth. 
Roots—Complete harvesting before injured by frost. 
For directions about storing see pages 334, 339. 
Rhubarb—Set roots and crowns,.# - . Cover with coarse 
stable manure for protection. 
Spinach—Hoe and thin the plants, and cover with straw. 
Strawberry Beds—Protect with light covering of 
straw: an inch deep is sufficient. Hardy varieties will 
yield the better for it. 
IF Sower Garden and ILawsi. 
The Chrysanthemums are now nearly alone in their 
glory. The dahlia and gladiolus linger in some localities, 
but they have generally been cut down by frost, and 
should now be lifted and put away for winter. Pack them 
in dry earth, and set in a dry place in the cellar. Any 
bedding or other plants, intended for the house or cellar, 
should be taken up ff, m, and put into winter quarters. 
If the bulbs have not been planted, lose no time in get¬ 
ting them in, as directed last month. They are usually 
left too late to bloom freely the next Spring, and in many 
cases are entirely neglected—Autumn not being the usual 
planting season. They come into bloom so early in the 
Spring, and are such universal favorites, that we urge a 
liberal planting of hyacinths, tulips, crown imperials ::!l- 
tillarias, crocuses, etc. 
Most Climbers, such as the wistaria, ivy, honeysuckle, 
climbing rose, etc., come out fresher in Spring, if now 
taken from trellises and laid upon the ground. A slight 
covering of earth, straw, or leaves, will still further pro¬ 
tect them. Tender roses and other yielding shrubs are 
best protected by bending over and covering with earth 
Those too rigid to admit this, may be bound up in straw 
or have evergreen boughs set around, and firmly bound 
to them. A light protection, little more than a shade 
from the sun, will be of great service to tender shrubs. 
Shade trees and shrubs may be set with advantage early 
this month, the more so, as there is plenty of Jime to do 
the work well. If the place is new, and the lawn not yet 
arranged, Autumn is a good time to perform the heavy 
grading, filling in, terracing, laying out walks, etc. 
Established lawns should be cleared of falling leaves 
rubbish, etc., and be rolled previous to hard freezing, un¬ 
less the ground be dry, and the turf firm. 
Hedges may still be planted on dry soil,.# - . If they re¬ 
quire what is called the Winter pruning, that is. cutting 
away from the bottom und sides to increase the hight, it 
is better to do it now. In few cases, however, will this 
be needful, as the bottom should be kept close and thick. 
Perennial flowering plants will give a finer bloom an 
other season, if transplanted now rather than in Spring. 
Divide the roots of such as are to be increased in num 
ber. Pmonies, lilies, and a few other plants will flower 
feebly, if set in Spring. 
Complete all the Winter arrangements early in the 
month, attending to the pits as needed. Have every thing 
secure for hard frosts, which are soon to be expected, 
where they are not already upon us. 
Green and Hot-IFonses. 
There will necessarily be much activity in this depart¬ 
ment now, especially where fire heat is used. The re¬ 
maining half hardy plants should be taken in and arranged 
early this month ; those intended merely for wintering, 
require only to be placed beyond the reach of frost in 
the green houses. Plants for propagation or for winter 
flowering, must go into the forcing departments. Having 
put every thing in its appropriate place, one of the first 
