The Placer herald., 1870-09-17
HOUSE AND FARM.

Independent remarks that James Lick, of
San Jose, is the only person in this State, so
far as it knows, who has had the good sense
aud taste to cultivate that most delicate of
American wild fruits, the persimmon, and
adds:
Lick has several persimmon trees in full
bearing. We ate some of the fruit last year.
and found it to be excellent, fully the equal
in~havor and development to that of the
Atlantic States.
In view of the fact that every variety Of
fruit peculiar to the temperate zones reaches
perfection here sooner than upon any known
locality upon the continent, is it not surprising
that our orchardists and farmers do not
endeavor to cultivate some of the luscious
wild fruits of the Eastern, Western and
Southern States. There is the glorious Paw
paw of Kentucky, the Chcksaw Plum Of
Missouri, the Black-haw and wild Raspberry
of Indiana, the delicious Muccadine of Louis
lana and Mississippi, the Persimmon and
Huckleberry of North Carolina, and delicate
Servicebery and plump Cowberry of Ohio
These and many other varieties of wild
fruits, infinitely superior to the insipid trash
we are now cultvating, would be easily and
profitably raised in California, In addition
to the wild fruits of the Eastern States, the
country there, especially in the South and
West ,abounds with many deciduous nutbear-
ing trees, the fruit of which is acknowledged
TO be superior to anything obtained elsewhere.
The beech, the wlite hicl ory, the black wal
nut, the butternut, the chestnut, the chine
apm, the pecan-all these are superb forest
trees-readv growers and good bearers, and
would thrive finely in this climate We be-
lieve that California horticulturalists have
paid some attention to American nut-trees.
but they have not given them that attention
which they merit; and now that the railroad
has brought us within few days, journey of
the States, we shall hope to see our farmers
and gardeners omamcnting their homes with
old f. IN liar fruit-bearing trees, such as glad
dened our hearts long ago.
Our SILK GRowiya INTEREST. - This
branch of industry is making rapid strides in
California, and we shal soon be able to sup
ply the large demands which are already
crowding in from France and Switzerland,
where the finest of sllken fabrics are woven.
" hat a few years since was little better
than an experiment has grown to be a regular
business, engaged in by considerable num-
Der of our people. We lelm that at the
Reed Cocoone'y, near Davisville, Yoo coui.-
", three millions of silk worms are now in
spinning cocoons from which the owners ex-
pect to realize at least thirty thousand dollars.
Experience has shown that lands in the foot
hills of California are admirably adapted to
the growing oflhe mulberry tree. The leaves
produced are juicy and tender, atfording much
nutriment TO the fastidious producers of silk
These lands are comparatively cheap, and
not many acres are required for frst-cass
cocoonery. This new development of our
resources should be especially forstered and
encouraged; for it will make our people
wealthy and advance California in the path
Of prosperity. We will have the Old World
procuring their supplies from US, and, instead
of paying full prices for silken luxuries, the
cost of the original staple will be deducted.
The climate of California being less subject
to sudden changes, and there being no ex-
tremes OF heat and cold, is specially fayora-
Die to silk growing; and the day is not far
distant, we believe, when it will be second
in Importance to no other interest in the State
S. f. Chronicle.
CANNING TOMATOES. In the Syracuse
Union we find the following: "The most
thorough and reliable mode of canning toma-
toes is as follows: They are just sufficiently
steamed, not cooked, TO scald or loosen the
skin, and are then poured upon tables and the
skins removed, care being taken to preserve
the tomato in as solid state as possible. After
being peeled, they are placed in large pans,
with false bottoms perforated with holes, SO
as to strain off the liquid that emenatcs from
them From these pans they are carefully
placed by hand into the cans, which are filled
as solily as possible-in otler words, all are
put in that the cans will hold. They are
then put through the usual process and her
meticaly sealed. The cans, when opened
for use, present the tomato not only like the
natural vegetable in taste and color, but also
in appearance; and moreover, when thus
sealed, they are warranted to keep in any eli
mate, and when opened will taste as natural
as when just plucked from the vine"
How TO TREAT CHOKING CATTLE.
Pennsylvania correspondent of the Country
Gentleman says with regard to choked cat
tie, that he once killed valuable Devon OK
by trying to punch an apple down his throat
with a whipstock, rupturing the pipe by the
operation. He suggests a better method, as
follows: " Pat a rope round the horns and
draw the head up to a tree or some suitable
high place; hold the mouth open, fill it will
water from a suitable vessel, close mmedia-
tcly the mouth ami nostrils, and hold firmly
till the animal struggles: then take hands
suddely from the nose ana mouth, and the
conclusion Of air will move the object"
CARROTS FOR STooK-It is ascertaincd bv
those who have tested the matter, that for
stock feeding an acre Of carrots is worth 20C
per cent. more than the same ground viii do
in grass. This will pay for the increased ex-
pense of cultivation, and leave fair m ,rgin
Of extra profit Cattle take readily to car
rots as a portion Of their dlily food, and the
large yield per acre should make them glel-