al lifting up of that thick, gray-colored veil, which afterwards forms itself into grand rocky clouds. The sunsets, too, are richly varied and beautiful in October. It is in many respects a cheerful month, for the hay and corn are all safely stored in the farmer's yard; the hops, too, that flavor and preserve our noble country ales, are picked and stowed away in the merchants' warehouses in their bulky sacks; (called pockets;) the fruits and vegetables, which are to serve for our winter feasting and repast, are also gathered. The oak and beech mast are ripe for the squirrels to hoard up against winter; also for the hogs, deer, and woodpigeons. The hedges look red with the fruit of the hawthorn and dog-rose, which supply the blackbird, the fieldfare, and the thrush, with many a hearty meal in the bitter weather. Our forests are dressed in their richest colors, of sober and sunny auburn, and bright virgin gold; even our dull-looking heaths look gay with the golden blossoms of the prickly furze. Our cellars, too, are stored with cider; and the ale brewed in October is the finest of the year. Thus you see, Adam, that by using our eyes, with a little reflection, how much cause we may discover for delight and gratitude, where, in the first instance, we have felt some despondency or discontent. Every season of the year, even the least attractive, brings with it abundant food for admiration, and love of the Giver of all things.

"Now go and fetch your memorandum book, and while I am finishing this task of preparing the bed to sow the beans, I will dictate to you, as you write upon the arbor seat, all the operations I would have performed during the present month: you will then be at no uncertainty as to the right employment of your time. I will do the same each month to the end of the year;

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and, in the next year, I shall wish you to keep a diary; that is, a daily record of all you have done in the garden: you will by this means more readily amend any errors you may hereafter commit. Besides, by acquiring the habit of setting down all you may have obseryed in the animal and vegetable world immediately around you, you will, by degrees, be laying up a large store of knowledge and useful experience; and some years hence, when you shall become a man, you may desire to write upon this, your favorite occupation, for the instruction of others: your diary will then be found useful to you for reference; in addition to which, the labor of writing for the public will cause you no greater effort than that of inditing a letter to a friend. All young persons should devote a few minutes to putting down upon paper the principal occurrences of the day, and, as often as possible, their thoughts upon those events; and, while doing this, they should strive to write in as clear and intelligible language as possible. Let them once acquire this habit, and all difficulty in after-life will vanish." In a few minutes Adam had brought his book and pencil, and prepared to receive his father's directions, who dictated to him as follows:

"With respect to the beans I am now sowing to be transplanted hereafter, we must remember to cover them with hand-glasses, if the frosts should prove severe; and upon the first approach of mild weather, when they are about an inch or two above the ground, we shall take them up and set them in rows an inch and a half asunder.

"The next thing will be, during the last week in the month, to sow a few rows of the early Charlton peas in this same south border, about an inch and a

EMPLOYMENTS OF OCTOBER.

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half below the surface. Should hard frosts visit us, we must cover them with straw, pea-haulm, or dry fern. These will come ripe early in May, if we have luck, and the season prove favorable.

66

Transplant some of the lettuces that we sowed last month and in August. Some should be planted under frames; they will be finer when required for our winter salads. Those which are left in the seed beds must be cleared from weeds, and thinned when standing too near together. During the severe weather we must cover the beds with matting stretched over arched hoops.

"The small cauliflower plants to be covered with hand-glasses if the weather become wet and cold, particularly at night; raising the glasses during the day, to admit the fresh air. In the last week of the month we must transplant others from the seed bed into a well-manured south border under glasses, putting two or three under each glass. For about a week, or till they have taken root, the coverings must be kept close; afterwards, they may be raised during the day; and during frosty weather shut down again.

"For our cabbage plants we must select a piece of good ground, covering it over with rich and rotten manure. This we must dig in, one spade deep, taking care that the manure be properly buried in the bottom of the trenches; and then set out our plants in rows, two feet asunder, and the same distance between the The weaker plants we will leave in the seed bed, and remove them when the frost has departed. "Hoe between the broccoli plants, and draw up the earth around their stems: it will protect them during the winter, and promote their growth.

rows.

"The winter spinach must be kept perfectly clear

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EMPLOYMENTS OF OCTOBER.

of weeds this month, and thinned, leaving the plants separated, at a distance of about four or five inches.

"Once a week, and when the weather is perfectly dry, we will tie up the endive with strings of bass, and draw the earth nearly to the top of the leaves. This is the best way of blanching that pleasant salad plant.

"Clear well the aromatic herb beds from weeds: I mean the sage, thyme, savory, mint, balm, and so forth. Then scatter some manure over the surface of the ground and dig it slightly in. Cut off the decayed flower stems, and the plants will be the finer for our care in the spring. The mint should be cut down close to the ground.

“We must, during this month, dress the asparagus beds. This will be done by cutting down all the stalks near to the ground; hoeing away all the weeds into the alleys; digging these one spade deep, and spreading the earth evenly over the beds. The old beds should be covered with quite rotten manure, and afterwards with the earth from the alleys. Remember to carry away immediately the stalks of the old plants and the weeds. When this has been done, you may plant in each of the alleys a row of cabbages.

"On dry days earth up the celery; but be careful not to break the leaves, or to bury the hearts of the plants. "As we are all fond of small salad and radishes, you may sow some of each, with some cabbage-lettuce, to cut while it is young.

"In the latter part of the month, (if the weather be dry,) we will dig up the carrots and potatoes, and carry them into the cellar for winter use.. All the spare ground, too, should be well dug and trenched.

"Gather the baking and other winter pears and apples; and let them be carefully gathered-not bruised.

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"Remind me that, at the end of the month, I look over the wall trees, and prune and nail such as require those operations. All trees, too, that we wish to transplant, may be so done at the end of the month. We may plant out, too, and prune our gooseberries and currants. You yourself shall propagate some gooseberries and currants; and these are the directions you must follow in performing that operation: Select the best bearing trees, and cut off the shoots of the present year's wood shorten these cuttings to the length of about eighteen inches each, and set them half-way in the earth in a shady border, three inches asunder, in rows of ten or twelve inches apart.

"On a dry day we will dress the strawberry beds: which is to be done by cutting away all the runners close to the mother plant; clearing the rubbish and weeds away; hoeing between the plants without disturbing the roots; then by digging up the alleys, and laying a portion of the earth neatly over the beds and closely round the plants. If we would have fine strawberries next year, we must on no account neglect this precaution.

"The raspberries must be pruned this month, and the young suckers removed to create new plants.

"The shoots of vines and filberts, &c., should be laid down about five or six inches deep in the earth, and they will have taken root by this time twelvemonth, and may be removed.

"Trim the auricula plants in pots; remove the dead leaves, and the plants themselves away from the assaults of wet and frost.

"Make fresh layers of carnations. Dress and dig up the flower borders, and transplant such flowers as we may find necessary to be so done. Divide the