290 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
Calendar of Operations for October, 1859 
Explanations.— / indicates th e first; m the middle ; 
and l the last of the month— Doubling ihe letters thusijf, 
or mm, or It, gives particular emphasis lo 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 lo the middle of the month.] 
Farm. 
October brings with it labor enough to keep the farmer 
steadily employed. Before the end of this month most 
crops will need to be harvested. The turnips are still 
growing, and, except at the far north, may be left in the 
ground until next month. Some of the corn will probably 
remain unhusked at the close of the month, but it is al¬ 
ways best to secure ail that is possible before cold weath¬ 
er and late Autumn rains set in. 
We are not quite of ihe opinion of the farmer’s widow, 
who wished it “ would always rain on nights and Sun¬ 
days, so that hired men might rest,” but we think the oc¬ 
casional rest furnished by a rainy day to all workers on 
the farm—proprietor and boys as w ell as hired men—is a 
valuable recuperative of strength and vigor. Rainy days 
should, in part be devoted to reading and thought; still, 
as many persons w ill not improve the time thus, and as 
work is often pressing, it is well to provide employment 
for dull weather, by having under cover fence-posts and 
rails to be fitted, gates, or portable fence to make, muck 
to be manipulated with manure, grain to thresh or clean, 
apples to be ground into cider or prepared for drying, and, 
other jobs that can be attended to when field work is 
impracticable. 
Buildings—Wait not for cold storms of Winter to com¬ 
pel outside repairs. The windows and shutters of the 
house need examining, the roof may want a few shingles, 
a crevice lets in the storm behind the cattle stalls of the 
barn, and a batten is off nerr the horses. Repair them 
early, and make provisions for sufficient shelter for all 
the live stock during Winter. 
Beeves—Complete fattening and kill before very cold 
weather. It will cost less in warm w eather. 
Cattle—As the Fall pastures are getting short, some 
feeding will be needed. There is much refuse about the 
gardens, such as half grown turnips, and their tops, cab¬ 
bage trimmings, small beets and carrots, unripe tomatoes, 
cucumbers, and squashes, the remnant of the corn patch, 
etc., which may well be fed out now, in connection with 
the field pumpkins. 
Cellars—See that the directions of last month are at¬ 
tended to. Look to the drain, that no water be allowed 
to stand in the cellar. 
Cisterns should be provided for the barn if no well or 
Spring water is convenient. Construct them before 
Winter sets in. 
Corn—Select seed, f, if not already done, and trace it 
up as directed on page 251) last month. Cut and shock 
any fields still standing. Husk early and save the fodder 
in good condition for feeding. Avoid putting the corn 
in a green or wet condition into large bins or cribs, with 
poor ventilation. Save all the stalks and husks for Win¬ 
ter feeding of cattle. Hay will be scarce this year. 
Draining—October is a good month for this operation, 
and the sooner it is now done the better, before Fall rains 
set in. See that open ditches on wheat and rye fields 
and elsewhere, are clean to carry off the surface water 
during Winter. 
Farmers’ Clubs—Now Is a good time to form them, as 
the evenings will afford a good opportunity for weekly 
meetings to discuss important agricultural topics. 
Forest leaves make a good manure, and also a fine bed¬ 
ding for all kinds of stock. Collect a large supply. 
Grain—Thresh out as fast as practicable. It can be 
kept wiih less waste after it is threshed. In winnowing, 
take especial care to screen out cockle and other foul 
seeds. Save the straw for bedding or to cut and mix with 
ground feed for cattle and horses next Winter. It is too 
valuable to be wasted. 
Hemp—Harvest, ff. in. 
U 025 _F H tten early, as it takes less food to do it in mild 
weather Grind the corn and cook both meal and veg¬ 
etables before feeding. If the corn can not be ground, 
boil it until soft. Do not neglect their manure apart¬ 
ments. Make the hogs pay their wav, in part. 
Ice Houses—Construct now rather than leave until 
near the time for filling. They need cost but few' dollars. 
Indoor Work—While butter making is going on by day, 
the lengihened evenings allow of a systematic course of 
reading, or the younger members of the family may take 
up a series of studies, to very good advantage. Give 
your wife a sewing machine, now that the Winter cloth¬ 
ing is to be made up, and dispense with the annual ser¬ 
vices ot the seamstress, who has usually been employed 
for weeks at least, at this season. Paring apples is an 
evening operation in many places. With a good machine 
the work may be much facilitated. The implement de 
scribed last month, p. 277, improves on acquaintance and 
is the best we have seen. * 
Manures—Manufacture all that is possible, drawing 
upon the muck deposit, pond or canal sediment, collect¬ 
ing saw dust, spent tan, and forest leaves as absorbents. 
Turf from the road sides or headlands may also be ad¬ 
ded, especially to the compound in the hog yards, 
throwing in a little shelled corn to induce rooting or 
turning over of the mass. Continue to work the muck 
swamps until excessive wet drives you from the claim. 
We have even seen a pump rigged in a pit which one 
worked while the others shoveled out muek. Draw a 
large quantity to the buildings for bedding and an absorb¬ 
ent of liquids, it pays. 
Paint Buildings and Fences now, rather than leave 
them until Spring. There is less danger of flies and dust 
now and the paint hardens better than in warm weather 
Plow stiff or clayey soils, m, 11, turning them up to the 
action of air and Winter frosts. 
Potatoes—Complete digging, f, m, before frost has in¬ 
jured them, and store for Winter with as little exposure 
to sun as possible. 
Poultry require a greater supply of meat or fish as their 
insect food diminishes. Cleanse their roosts often, and 
barrel the contents fur home guano. Pack away a quan¬ 
tity of eggs in salt, or pickle in lime w ater for Winter use 
and market. 
Pumpkins will need housing, f, in, or before hard frosts. 
By keeping them in a cool, dry place, under cover, until 
freezing weather sets in, and then in a dry cellar or other 
place, out of the reach of frost, pumpkins may be kept for 
table use until inid-winter, sometimes longer. Of course 
they should be handled with much care. Feed plentiful¬ 
ly to milch cows and other stock, if the crop is large. 
Roads and Lanes—Put them In good working order as 
recommended on another page. 
Root Cellars—If there is not room to store turnips, etc., 
in the house or barn cellar, a good place can easily be 
made by digging into a side hill. Fill with roots and 
make a roof over, covering with several feet of earth. 
Good drainage is essential. 
Sheep—Supply with salt, and see that their feed is suf¬ 
ficient. Keep the buck from them at present, except at 
the south. Lambs should not come in until warm settled 
weather in Spring. 
Sugar Cane—Cut and manufacture the remaining crop 
as fast as may be. Let the boiling be done in the open 
air, or at least with a good draft circulating over the pans. 
Save the skimmings for vinegar. 
Tools—Put away in a dry place under cover any which 
are no longer w anted, first cleaning and oiling, or coating 
steel arid iron surfaces with lard and resin. 
Trees—Plant for ornament and shade about the dwell¬ 
ings, along the avenues, and in the pastures, as directed 
elsewhere. 
Winter Grain should be up and growing finely now. It 
may sometimes be sown the first of October and produce 
a fair yield. From the 10th to the 20ih of September is 
the best time. 
©rc8iai*d staid. Nursery. 
October is the Autumn planting month, and botli tree 
planters and tree growers will be very busy—the former 
in setting out trees, and the latter in taking up and send¬ 
ing them away from his nursery, it is usual to wait for 
the frost to strip the trees of their foliage, but if tiiat op¬ 
eration is delayed too long, the leaves rnay be pulled off 
by hand and the trees taken up. We advise planting 
early in Fall, that the ground may become settled and the 
tree established before Winter sets in. See page 304. 
The farmer or fruit grower is also now busy in securing 
the late apples, pears and quinces, making cider, etc. 
Apples—Gather Winter keeping sorts, and those for 
marketing with care, picking by hand, and laying softly 
in the barrels. Read under ‘‘Apple Gathering,” page 
304. Pare and dry a good supply for Winter and Spring, 
as already alluded to in indoor work of the “Farm.” 
Save seeds for planting, and put in boxes of earth befoie 
they dry up. Set trees in thn orchard, along the lanes 
and roads, and about the buildings. A few apple trees 
may grow about the yards w illiout injury, arid be orna¬ 
mental and profitable, besides making a fine shade in 
Summer. 
Cider—With the hand or power mill grind and press 
those apples which keep poorly and which do not sell 
well. Let them be clean and sound. Put the strained 
juice in clean barrels and leave the bung out until work¬ 
ed, then close tightly. 
Evergreens may well be left standing until Spring, ex 
cept in special cases, where they may be moved with the 
roots and soil around them little disturbed. 
Insects—If the young orchard of apple or peach trees 
was not examined for borers last month, attend to them, 
ff, before they get finally arranged in their Winter quar¬ 
ters, from which it is difficult to expel them. Destroy 
any luose cocoons found hanging to the branches or par- 
' tially secreted under the rough bark. 
Labels—Allow no young tree to be set aut or go from 
the nursery without being marked. See that labels on 
standards are well secured. 
Lands for Orchard or Nursery planting—Manure thor¬ 
oughly, plow and subsoil or trench well drained land and 
prepare it for early Fall or Spring planting. 
Manure orchard trees by spreading about them a com¬ 
post of yard manure, muck and lime, or ashes. The 
Winter rains will carry it to Ihe roots. 
Mice are sometimes troublesome both in the nursery 
and orchard. Clean tillage, so that no harbors are at 
hand to afford them protection, is the best preventive. 
Pears—Gather late ones carefully and lay them away 
upon shelves to ripen. Where only a few of a choice 
variety are to be kept, pack them in cotton batting, or 
between folds of w'oolen or flannel cloth. Put up in bot¬ 
tles or cans for Winter use. We value them highly for 
putting up. 
Pruning may still be done, though, as formerly stated, 
we prefer July and August. 
Quinces will need gathering and using, or marketing, 
m. They make a fine jelly, preserve, or marmalade, and 
a little added to stewed apples or pears gives an agree¬ 
able flavor. They are also \ ery nice when stewed and 
put. in glass bottles. 
Seeds and Stones of Fruit—Sow early or put in boxes 
of earth, the seeds of apples, pears, plums, cherries, 
peaches, walnuts, chestnuts, butternuts filberts, thorns, 
acorns, holly, beech, ash, maple, etc. Allow none of 
them to become thoroughly dry before planting. 
Mitclien aud Fruit harden. 
The professional or market gardener has enough to do 
now. With a few exceptions the remainder of his crops 
need harvesting and marketing or they must be put into 
Winter quarters, besides, much of His land intended for 
early planting needs digging or plowing now, especially 
if inclined to clay, so as to expose the subsoil to Ihe ac¬ 
tion of the elements during Winter. A large stock of ma 
nure will also be wanted iirearly Spring, and it is better 
lo get it together or provide composting materials now. 
The work in the farm garden is of a similar character. 
Asparagus—Make and plant beds as directed on p. 307. 
Bean Poles, Raspberry and Blackberry Stakes—Col¬ 
lect, 11, and put away in Winter quarters’under cover. 
Beets—Harvest, m, or before hard freezing. In remov¬ 
ing the tops do not wound the crown to cause bleeding, 
and consequent decay. 
Blackberries—Plant, in, 1. See page 307. 
Cabbages and Cauliflowers—Excepting the late planted 
ones which are still growing, the crop will need harvest 
ing, 11 Sel young plants in cold frames, in, 1. * 
Carrots are done growing and may be dug and stored, 
m, I. 
Celery—Give its final earthing, ff, so as to finish blanch¬ 
ing. Tie w ith soft strings, and do not bruise the stalks. 
It will need harvesting. II, in most looahues. 
Cold Frames—If noi. in readiness, prepare them, m, 11, 
to receive lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, etc., for protec¬ 
tion during ihe Winter. 
Currants and Gooseberries may be set out, rn, 1. 
Fruit Trees—Plant hardy sorts m, I, as’ directed above. 
Grapes—Those for Winter keep.ng should remain 
upon the vines until hard frosts are expected. Gather 
carefully : cut out defective berries and pack in cotton 
batting or between newspapers even, in shallow, close 
boxes. Put in a dry place away from frost, and ihey will 
keep until January.’ Grape roots may be set out, m, 1. 
Mushrooms—Beds may be made any time during this 
month. Proiect with a covering of straw any exposed 
beds, upon the appioach of heavy frosts. New beds are 
better made undercover at tli s season. For full direolions 
to make beds, see Volume XVI, page 262. 
Onions—In colder legions cover those sown last month 
with litter, straw or brush, 11. 
Parsneps keep in the ground over Winter, and are rath¬ 
er improved by freezing. Dig, II, and burv m sand in the 
cellar, such as will ne wanted w Hiie tile ground is frozen. 
Raspberries—Hardy varieties may be planted, in, 1, and 
even lender sorts, by burying them atones. We prefer 
Spring planting for iho’se which require protection. 
Cover with earth, II. those already planted. 
Rhubarb—Plant roots or crowns of the Linnasus, nnn, 
1. A few may be set in the cellar, II. or next month, for 
early forcing in the Spring. See page 307. 
Salsafy—Treat as parsneps. 
Seeds—Continue to collect and put up any late seeds 
now ripening. See page 3»9. 
Spinach—Cover, ll, those sown last month, and so 
seed, f, m, hi cold frames. Weed and linn former sow¬ 
ings, cooking file surplus plants. 
Squashes—Take in before they freeze, and keep in a 
cool dry place as long as may be, previous to putting in 
the celiar, or other Winter quaiters. Handle carefully 
and they will keep until Spring. 
Strawberry beds may still be set out. ff. Cover beds, 
li, with tree leaves, or fine manure, to afford a partial pro¬ 
tection. 
Tomatoes—Continue to put away in cans or bottles for 
Winter use ; they will be very acceptable next Winter. 
The vines or brandies are often killed by Irost. leaving 
in iny sound, green tomatoes. They may be pickled, or 
laid away on shelves in a warm loom where they will 
gradually ripen. 
Turnips—Late growing sorts u ill bear much frost and 
may lie left until November. Gather early varieties, m, 11. 
Vegetables lor Seed—Rods are sometimes scarce 
when wanted to set out in Spring. Have a few barrels 
of iHein, in the cel ar, and put ill a good supply of the 
finest well matured vegetables which are to remain un¬ 
molested until planting time 
