AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
Ob 
Calendar of Operations for April 1859 
[We note down sundry kinds of work to be done during 
the month, not so much to afford instruction to practical 
men, as 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 38° 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 South, later for the North. 
Explanations.— / indicates the first ; m the middle ; 
and l the last of the month.—Doubling the letters thusijf, 
or mm, or U, gives particular emphasis to the period indi¬ 
cated.—Two letters placed together, as fm or ml, signifies 
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 Jirst to the middle of the month.] 
Farm. 
April is no leisure month for the farmer. The plows 
and harrows are at work, manure is wanted in the fields, 
fences are not yet cattle proof. Early crops- require put¬ 
ting in, and the farm stock need much care at this their 
season of increase. 
If not promptly and closely pursued now, the work of 
the whole season will be delayed, and there will be the 
unpleasant necessity of being driven by work, rather than 
the pleasure of driving it. 
It is important too that work be well done. If a piece 
of land is half plowed, no after labor can fully atone for 
it, although even in hoed crops, while nothing can be done 
for the grain. Undertake to cultivate no more than can 
be well put in and thoroughly tilled. If the farm con¬ 
tains more land than can be properly managed, turn out 
a portion to pasture, and till the rest. 
Bees—See Apiary. 
Buildings—This is house-cleaning month in many 
places. Full directions for the women folks are given by 
Anna Hope on a subsequent page. Let the men or boys 
assist about the fences and out buildings, cleansing and 
painting or whitew ashing, to give them a neat, healthy, 
and attractive look. 
Cattle—Do not turn off too early. In this latitude they 
will require feeding nearly through this month if not 
longer. Keep from tramping up mowing grounds. Cows 
about calving need especial care and close watching. 
Oxen are now performing heavy work; feed them ac¬ 
cordingly. 
Cellars—If not previously attended to cleanse from 
filth, and accumulation of small roots, garbage, etc , and 
whitewash the walls and overhead, ventilating freely. 
Clover—If not sown with Winter grain last month, at¬ 
tend to it, ff. Sow, 11, with Spring grain. 
Corn—Manure and plow grounds for planting next 
month. Provide and test seed previous to use. 
Door Yards—Clean up the Winter accumulations of 
chips and dirt, adding the latter to the manure heap. 
Drain w ct lands, ff, mm, 11. 
Fences—Make new and repair the old, ff, m. Clear 
stones from meadows and put them into permanent line 
or road fences. Plant hedges, f, m, 1, as frost and dry¬ 
ness will admit. Do not forget to replace those unhandy 
bars with convenient gates—they can be made under 
cover during wet w-eather. 
Grain—Sow Spring wheat and rye, f, to m, oats, barley 
and peas, m, to 1. Allow no animals to feed upon the 
Winter grain fields. Bare spots may be resown with 
Spring grain, hoeing or harrowing it in. 
Hedge Rows along fences should now be cleared up, 
that the plow or mowing machine may make clean work. 
Horses—Attend to mares with foal, giving them ample 
space at night. Have working teams of horses and mules 
in good condition for heavy labor. 
Lucerne—Sow, m, 1. 
Manures—Cart out and drop in heaps or spread on lands 
as fast as it can be turned under. Heaps previously carted 
to the fields may be forked over or turned, ff, breaking up 
finely. An addition of muck well worked in will im¬ 
prove the quality and add to the quantity. Cover with 
muck, soil, or plaster to retain the ammonia, Look well 
to every manufactory and allow nothing to go to wmste. 
Wash water, chamber slops, etc., are too valuable to 
throw away. A vat or a muck heap may be provided to 
receive them. 
Meadows—Keep well fenced and do not permit stock 
of any kind to trample over or feed off. With a “ maul,” 
seatter any cattle droppings, pick up and cart off loose 
stones, and sow grass seed upon any vacant spots. 
Plowing is one of the chief operations of April, and is 
too slightly attended too. See article elsewhere. 
Poultry—Set hens, ff. for early chickens, and feed the 
young with care during the first few w'eelts. Give cracked 
com as soon as chickens can swallow it. Read articles 
in the February and March numbers, also on a following 
page. Cleanse the houses thoroughly, using the manure 
for corn, or in the garden. Whitewash about the roosts 
and dust with plaster. 
Potatoes—Plant early ones, m, 1, selecting good mark¬ 
et varieties not subject to rot. Try, say 10 bushels of 
coarse salt spread over an acre of land at planting time, 
and note the results. 
Root Crops—Prepare the ground for onions and carrots 
by heavy manuring and deep plowing, f, m. They may 
be sown, 11. Read Prize article on “Onion Growing,” 
in last No. Carrots may be sown, 11. If the Winter sup¬ 
ply failed too early this season, put in more for the com¬ 
ing year. Cattle long for green or succulent food in the 
Spring which is best provided for by a good supply of 
carrots and turnips. 
Sheep are now dropping early lambs and need warm 
shelter at night. Keep separate from other stock and well 
fed. Give salt once a week. 
Swine are also increasing in numbers, if proper care 
has been exercised. Keep charcoal and ashes accessible 
to them and give a little animal food which will frequent¬ 
ly save the offspring from being eaten. The mother 
should have plenty of warm liquid food, and bo kept from 
other animals. Do not neglect their manure making apart¬ 
ments. 
Sugar Cane—Prepare ground for next month’s planting 
of the Chinese. Read article in the present Agricultur¬ 
ist on raising the Southern Cane. 
Timothy—Sow, 11, with Spring grain, and on bare spots 
of old meadows. 
Tools, wagons, gear, harnesses, etc., etc., should be 
provided at once and put in good working order. Some of 
the newer tools are real improvements upon the old, and 
well worthy of adoption. Throw away the old if twice 
as much laoor can be done with the new, but be not too 
hasty to purchase every claimed improvement without 
trial. 
Trees—Set out for shade and fruit along the roads and 
lanes and about the yards. A shade tree near the house 
may very properly be a well trained cherry tree, which is 
ornamental at two seasons of the year at least. We have 
seen places improved very much by a few such trees set 
out by the dwelling. Standard pears are also desirable. 
©rcSsa.r4.il assn! Mwtrscpy. 
This is emphatically a tree planting month, both in or¬ 
chard and nursery. Spring is usually the best season in 
which to plant all kinds of trees, and April is the best 
month of Spring, except for Evergreens, which do better 
planted in May. Early planting is desirable that the earth 
may become well settled about the roots, and the tree 
commence its growth before a dry season comes on. 
Attending to sales, taking up and resetting young stock, 
grafting, plowing among and otherwise caring for the 
smaller trees will fully occupy the nurseryman's time. 
To facilitate his labors as much as possible, a good assort¬ 
ment of the various trees should be taken up and their 
roots heeled in or covered, near of access, from which an 
order can soon be filled. Mark the varieties by labels and 
division stakes. 
In procuring trees for an orchard, go yourself, if possi¬ 
ble and select, and see to the taking up which will fre¬ 
quently secure to you better trees than when it is left to 
nurserymen, who are anxious to dispose of all kinds. 
Old trees that were cleared from rough bark and moss, 
and washed with soapsuds last month, now need some¬ 
thing for the roots to feed upon, especially if the ground 
has been in sod for many years. Better plow it up after 
manuring heavily, and plant potatoes upon the ground 
that it may receive the benefit of a hoeing. Many of the 
old trees will be greatly improved by grafting, and the 
first days of this month are the appropriate season for this 
operation. 
Dwarf Trees—Plant sparingly. A few selected varie¬ 
ties of Pears may be set out, but except for garden cul¬ 
ture, standards will usually give the best satisfaction in 
following years. 
Figs—Plant, layer and strike cuttings, f, m. 
Fruit Trees—Plant apricots, apples, cherries, necta¬ 
rines, peaches, pears, plums, and quinces, ff, m. See that 
they are well taken up with all the fibers possible, ex¬ 
posed as little as may be to sun and drying winds, and 
replanted at the same depth as originally growing, in 
broad holes, mixing in a moderate amount of compost. 
Grafting—Perform, ff, m, commencing with the cherry. 
See full directions with illustrations on a following page. 
Hedge Plants—Sow seed for, ff, m. Head back plants 
that are to grow another year in the nursery. 
Inarching may be done, f, m, on deciduous, and, 11, on 
evergreen trees. 
Insects—Search for borers among apple and peach 
trees, ff. Destroy all cocoons in the branches, or under 
the rough bark of the old trees.. 
Manure nursery grounds heavily before planting, so that 
a crop of trees may be grown without further additions. 
Land which is already planted and not in good heart, may 
receive a dressing by wheeling and spading in a good coat¬ 
ing between the rows. Spread a good quantity for some 
distance around the trunks of orchard trees—say as far 
as the branches extend. 
■K«aj w»nrv.ir a rrtfi arvi 
Pack in a thorough manner trees that are to be sent tr 
a distance. Especially should the roots be well protect 
ed wuth moss or moistened chaff, and covered with bags 
or mats. A well packed bundle is illustrated on page 117 
of last volume. 
Planting and Transplanting generally—Commence as 
early in the season as the ground can be worked. Other 
things being equal, early planted deciduous trees and 
shrubs usually do much better than those set out later in 
the season. Let the proposed orchard be set out, ff, m, 
and put out the seedling and other stocks in nursery row s. 
Plow the orchard or dig around the trees, f, m. Nur¬ 
sery rows require early plow ing, turning the furrows from 
the trees. 
Plums—Examine for black warts, cutting them out 
where found. 
Prune lightly this month. AVhere it must be done, coat 
with grafting wax or gum shellac dissolved in alcohol to 
the consistence of thick molasses. 
Scions must be cut at once, if not previously secured. 
The buds are already swelling. 
Seeds—If any seeds of apple, pear, or other fruits, or 
the hard shelled nuts of forest trees are still in boxes, 
plant them carefully, ff. 
Shrubs — Plant deciduous, ff, m. 
Stools—Dig about and layer those kept to propagate 
from. The layers of last year may now be removed if well 
rooted. 
Stocks—Plant out as early as possible, that they may 
get a good hold before dry weather comes on. 
Trench ground for Spring planting. It can be done now 
much better than when covered with trees. 
Vines—Plant, ff, m, both roots and cuttings. 
Kitchen assd Fruit Garden. 
The gardener will be fully occupied this month in pre¬ 
paring the seed beds and putting in the earlier sorts. 
Where the ground has been trenched in previous years, 
the work may be commenced much sooner than when 
there is no such provision for disposing of the surface 
water. Too early planting in compact soils is of no ad¬ 
vantage, but rather delays the maturity of vegetables. 
Rapid growth is necessary to secure the best quality of 
such plants, making them more tender and of higher fla¬ 
vor. Let the seed bed be deep, mellow and warm. 
Asparagus—Uncover old beds, dress with manure, and 
fork over, ff. Sow seed for new beds, m, 1. 
Bean poles and Pea Brush, procure at once if not al¬ 
ready prepared. 
Beets— Sow, 11, for early crops. For Winter use, next 
month will answer belter. 
Blackberries—Set out, ff, m. 
Borecole, Broccoli and Kale—Sow, 11. 
Cabbage and Cauliflower—Plant from hot beds and cold 
frames, 11, if warm settled weather. Sow' more seed. Do 
not use hog manure. 
Capsicum—Sow, 11. 
Carrots—Sow, m, 1, in ground trenched and well ma¬ 
nured. 
Celery—Sow, 11. 
Cold Frames—Ventilate well, and take out hardy plants 
for early use. Put in seeds for future transplanting. 
Cucumbers, Melons and Squashes—Plant, 11, if soil be 
sufficiently warm and dry. 
Currants and Gooseberries—Plant cuttings and rooted 
bushes, f, m, if the ground be in working order. 
Drain moist lands—This is the only process that will 
secure a good garden in some locations. 
Egg Plants—Sow seed, 11. Hot bed plants will do bet¬ 
ter w here they are, till next month. 
Fences—Keep in repair always. 
Figs—Remove covering, f, m. 
Fruit Trees—Fill all available space as soon as the 
ground may be worked. 
Garlic—Sow, m, 1. 
Graft fruit trees, ff, m. See article on a following page. 
Grapes—Plant vines and cuttings, f, m. Remove 
covering from those protected during Winter. 
Herbs—Set out hyssop, thyme, rue, sage, savory, etc., 
f, m. 
Hops—Plant roots, f, m. 
Hot Beds—Watch carefully, and give plenty of water. 
Raise the sash each day. New beds can still be made 
and sown, ff. 
Horse Radish—Divide and reset roots, ff, m. 
Kohl Rabi—Sow, m, 1, for early use. 
Leeks—Sow, f, m, 1. 
Lettuce—Sow as soon as the ground can be worked, and 
follow at intervals of two weeks, till August. Plant 
from hot-beds, 11. 
Manure grounds thoroughly, if you wish full returns 
for your labor. Well rotted manure is desirable for gar¬ 
dens. 
Mushroom Beds—Make, f, m, 1. See page 2C2, of vol 
XVI, for full directions. 
Mustard—Sow at any time after the ground is open, and 
at intervals for a succession 
