258 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[SEPTEMBER, 
Calendar of Operations for Sept,, 1860. 
[Wc 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 sug¬ 
gest some piece of work that might otherwise be forgotten 
or neglected. Our remarks are more especially adapted 
to the latitudes of 3S° 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, and later for the South. 
Explanations,—/ indicates the first ; m the middle \ 
and l the last of the month.—Doubling the letters thus:./, 
or mm, or It, gives particular emphasis to the period indi¬ 
cated.—Two letters placed together, as fm or ml, signify 
that the work may be done in either or in both periods in¬ 
dicated ; thus, work marked fm, indicates that it is to be 
attended to from the/rsf to the middle of the month.] 
Faa’flja. 
September is, in many respects, one of the most important 
months in the farming year. The great staples, wheat, rye. 
oats and grass are secured, and corn is often sufficiently 
advanced to enable us to fairly estimate the yield. It can, 
in most instances, be pretty accurately decided whether 
the year has been a profitable one for the community and 
for individuals. Taking the country together, we hear 
but one opinion expressed—it is a year of plenty. But all 
have not shared the full measure of the bountiful yield. 
No favoring sunshine nor timely showers can atone for 
neglect or mismanagement. They have profited who 
have planned judiciously and followed up their plans with 
energy—loss by drouth and tornado excepted. 
A farmer to succeed must fix his eye upon results years 
ahead. Every crop should be put in w ith reference to im¬ 
proving the soil as well as with a view to present profit. 
Now is the time for laying plans for the succeeding year. 
If there has been failure because too much space was 
given to some one crop, arrange the plan with a view to 
a variety; some one of the staples almost invariably 
succeeds—it is unwise to venture the whole year’s labor 
upon a single crop. Thorough preparation of the soil will 
go far toward securing the winter grain to be sown this 
month, against the contingencies of the season. A wet 
basement is as unwholesome for crops as for men. Let 
draining and subsoiling occupy a prominent place in the 
programme of work for the month. 
Agricultural exhibitions are very generally held at the 
North during this month ; every cultivator has an inter¬ 
est in them. A day spent in carefully examining improved 
implements, and superior samples of grain, vegetables, 
etc., will often be worth many dollars in suggestions of 
practical value. Each should also be willing to contrib¬ 
ute whatever would add to the interest of the exhibition. 
Buildings of all kinds should be put in thorough repair 
before the driving storms of Autumn find an entrance. 
Provide sufficient shelter for all stock. Erect sheds for 
sheep, and for storing manure. 
Beans—Pull and dry, m, 1. The haulm ,straw) properly 
cured, and also the beans themselves are much relished 
by sheep, for which they are excellent food. 
Buckwheat—Cut, m, and put up in small bundles to 
cure. Cart to the barn and thresh out before it shells 
badly in the field. The straw is of some value for feeding 
with hay, but alone is a poor dependence. 
Butter—Commence laying down for Winter use. If 
properly worked, it will keep without the use of salt 
enough to destroy the flavor—if worked too little, salt will 
not save it. One cent per pound added in extra care in 
putting up, will make from three to six cents per pound 
difference in the price obtained. 
Cabbages—Market early varieties now matured, and 
continue to hoe later plantings. 
Cattle—Commence feeding grain to those intended for 
fattening, giving a small alio wance daily, and increasing 
it gradually. Its effect w ill be felt more than in cold 
weather. Keep up the flow of milk by giving cuttings 
from the soiling patch night and morning. Refuse from 
the garden, beet tops, trimmings of cabbages, etc , will 
be eaten greedily. 
Cellars—Thoroughly cleanse and put in order for the 
reception of Fall crops of roots, apples, etc. Arrange for 
ventilation ; destroy rats and mice. 
Corn—Examine for the earliest and best ears for seed, 
and mark each hill to be gathered, traced together, and 
hung up for future use. Cut the crop up by the ground 
before injured by frosts, set in slooks firmly bound, to be 
drawn and husked at leisure. See article “Cutting 
Corn Stalks,” in this number. 
Cisterns—Construct if needed, for supplies of w ater for 
the house or out-buildings, and also for liquid manures. 
Draining—Surface drain furrows should be run through 
fields sowed with Winter grain, to carry off the surplus 
water, but this is only the beginning of a good work. Sub- 
soiling and draining with tiles are needed on more than 
half the farms in the country. Make a commencement 
upon a small scale, say an acre or so by way of experiment 
—the results will speedily lead to further operations. 
Eggs—Pack in salt a sufficient supply for Winter use. 
Fences—Examine and keep in repair, particularly 
about the corn fields. Build new lines when wanted, but 
have as few as may be—they are necessary evils at best. 
Forests—Continue to cut away, ff, those intended for 
cultivation. 
Grain—Early threshing, especially of that stacked in 
the field, will save much from the depredations of vermin. 
Have grain bins secured against rats and mice. Market 
as soon as prices are fair. 
Hedge Rows and Bushes scattered through the grain 
fields, meadows, etc., or by the roadside, are always out 
of order. Take them out by the roots. 
Hemp and Flax—Pull, m, 1, and spread for rotting. 
Hogs—Confine to the pens those intended for fattening. 
They thrive best in separate apartments. Commence 
feeding grain early. Cooked food will pay best. Read 
article on a subsequent page of this number. 
Manure—Put all the manufactories in order for the 
coming season. Secure abundant supplies of muck to 
absorb liquids from the stables and the barn yard. Con¬ 
struct drains and cisterns to save urine. Cart to the 
barn yard weeds and waste coarse grasses cut from the 
roadsides and swales. Turn the wash of the roads upon 
the fields. 
Plow, ff, for Winter grain if not already finished. 
Deepen the soil an inch at each successive plowing. 
Try subsoiling part of a field, and note the results. 
Potatoes—Leave them in the ground until next month 
unless wanted for marketing. When dug, gather the 
tops, weeds, etc,, to add to the compost heap. 
Poultry—Give them free range, and feed regularly, if 
they have not access to grain stubbles. Collect eggs for 
Winter supply 
Itowen—A good clip may be cut from many meadows, 
ff. It will afford excellent food for lambs and young 
stock. 
Root Crops—Keep the ground well stirred and free 
from weeds. The horse hoe greatly reduces the cost of 
growing these crops. 
Rye—Sow, ff, m, if not done last month. Thoroughly 
cleanse the seed from cockle, chess, and other foul stuff. 
Oats and the seeds of many weeds will float upon strong 
brine, leaving the rye at the bottom. See that proper 
surface drain furrows are cut throughout the field. 
Sheep—Read articles on “ Sheep Husbandry ” now in 
course of publication in this paper. 
Soiling Crops—Cut and feed as wanted, ff, m. Any re¬ 
maining should be harvested and cured before frosts have 
injured it. 
Sorghum—Commence grinding, 11. It will yield a bet¬ 
ter quality of syrup if manufactured before frost injures 
the plant. Sugar is successfully manufactured by the im¬ 
proved evaporators now in use, made after Cook’s patent. 
Timber may be still cut to good advantage, as noted 
last month. 
Timothy—Sow with wheat or rye, or alone, for future 
grass crops. If put in by itself, the latter part of August 
is preferable. 
Turnips—Thin late sowings, feed early ones, and keep 
all well hoed. Sow more of the quick growing varieties 
on vacant ground, ff. 
Weeds—All left to scatter seed will multiply many fold 
another season. All that have been left to mature should 
be cut and burned. 
Wheat should now be put in as early as may be, on 
deeply plowed and finely pulverized soil that has received 
a good coating of manure. Many complaints of w inter- 
killing are owing to late sowing. The growth is not suffi¬ 
cient to protect the roots before Winter sets in. Where 
it can be done, use the drill in sowing. 
(Db’cBdsudnI solid Nm’sca*y, 
The principal work of the month in the orchard will 
be securing and marketing or otherwise disposing of the 
fruits as they ripen. Most tree fruits are of better flavor 
if gathered while yet firm, and allowed to mellow in a 
cool dry room. They also bear transportation much 
better than when fully ripened. Care and judgment must 
be exercised to take them from the tree at just the right 
period—picking a few days too early or too late will 
make considerable difference in the value. Perfectly 
sound fruit, not over ripe, w ill preserve its freshness a 
long time if kept at a low temperature as in an ice house. 
Advantage may be taken of this in abundant seasons, to 
keep part of the crop until prices are improved by scar¬ 
city in the market. 
The nurseryman is still engaged in budding the peach 
and other late growing trees, and in renewing the buds 
on those stocks where former insertions have failed. 
Every thing about the grounds should be put in readiness 
for the commencement of the Fall business next month. 
Drying Apples—Common sorts which are of little worth 
in market, will meet a ready sale next Winter if properly 
dried. Remove all the skin and core, slice them thin, 
dry quickly but not at too high a temperature, and keep 
from being wet. A screen of netting over them to keep 
out flies and other insects, will add much to the appear¬ 
ance. Scatter a few bits of sassafras bark among the 
fruit when putting it away, to keep out worms. 
Evergreens succeed best, transplanted in Spring. If 
moved now, extra pains will be needed to preserve the 
roots unbroken. Keep as large a ball of earth as possible 
about them. Prune such as need it to bring to good form. 
Hoeing occasionally will still benefit the nursery row, 
by destroying weeds, and also by exposing chrysalids of 
insects. In most cases the use of the horse hoe or culti¬ 
vator will suffice. 
Insects—Allow none to take up their Winter quarters 
on the trees. Clean the trunks and limbs from scale by 
washing with strong soap suds, or lye of moderate 
strength. Read “ Follow up the Apple Borer,” on page 
274, this No. 
Labels—Prepare a sufficient supply for use during the 
coming busy season. 
Layering may still be done, ff, m, on new wood. 
Manure—Provide an abundant supply, which will be 
needed for grounds to be occupied by trees set this Fall. 
Muck and vegetable mold born the woods are of high 
value for the tree grower. 
Pits of peaches, plums and other slone fruits, also seeds 
of apples, pears, etc., should be placed in earth, or plant¬ 
ed where wanted as soon as cleaned. They often fail to 
germinate when allowed to become dry. 
Preserve a full supply of pears, peaches, plums, etc., 
in bottles or cans for Winter use. Full directions have 
been given in previous numbers. We are using glass 
bottles only this year, and with good success. 
Pruning is better done earlier in the season, but the 
present is preferable to Spring. 
Plans of the nursery and orchard, with a record of the 
names and times of planting all trees will be found very 
useful. Labels are often destroyed, and much confusion 
results where they are the only dependence. 
Seed Beds—Keep free from weeds, and water as may 
be needed. 
Seeds—Gather as they ripen on the trees or shrubs, 
label distinctly and put in earth, or store for future use. 
Weeds and Grass—Continue to hoe out and remove to 
the compost heap until the close of the season. 
Mitcliesia arnd Fa-nslt Gai’dcBi. 
This is the season of gathering rather than cultivation, 
although a few sorts are to be sown to be protected in 
Winter for earliest crops next year. As fast as plots are 
cleared of produce, the refuse, tops, sortings, weeds, etc., 
should be cleared away to feed out in the pig-pen or cat¬ 
tle yard. It adds greatly to the appearance of the gar¬ 
den to fork over and level the ground even if it be not 
wanted for immediate use. Now is also a favorable lime 
for improving the soil by trenching and draining. These 
operations are indispensable to successful gardening upon 
a very large part of the soils under cultivation. If there 
be not time to go over the whole area, a small plot may 
be treated annually. The improved yield will soon lead 
to a like thorough preparation of the whole grounds. 
Beans—Gather and shell as they ripen. Limas picked 
w hile the pods are still green, and dried in the pod, will 
afford an excellent dish next Winter. These and other 
vegetables may also be thoroughly cooked and then pre¬ 
served in sealed bottles or cans. 
Blackberries—Remove the old canes that have finished 
bearing. Cut out weaker shoots, leaving one or two of 
the strongest for next season’s fruiting. 
Cabbage and Cauliflower—Sow, ff, m, to be pricked out 
in cold frames during October and November. Market 
early plantings as they malure, an l keep later sorts well 
hoed. 
Celery—Earth up once a fortnight, in clear dry weath¬ 
er—never when wet with dew or rain, which will cause 
rust and decay of the stalks. Be careful that no dirt is 
thrown upon the crown or between the stalks, and that 
tho stalks are not bruised. 
Corn—Select the earliest and finest ears for seed. 
Choose those from stalks bearing two or more ears. Cut 
up the stalks as fast as the corn is gathered, and feed out, 
or cure for Winter use. 
Corn Salad and Kale—Sow, ff, m, to be protected 
through Winter. 
Cucumbers— Give plenty of water during the bearing 
season. Destroy insects by hand picking. Save the ear 
