The Placer herald., 1871-08-12
NUMBER 81.
HOUSE AND FAR N.

KILLING 1HEM.--ln cites ana villages nearly
everybody has trouble with cats. They
catch more chickens than rats, rob birds
nests and kill the Young BIRDS scratch up the
flower beds and run through the vines, be.
sides crying murder all night, to the great
annoyance of people Many families have
pet eats and it is not clever to kill them al
though they are a great nuisance. Ny friend
C. has invented a way to get rid Of them
without killing, and thought it might be Of
some benefit to your readers to know how it
was done. Take large box, open on the
bottom, and put Stats on top 50 that you cap
see the fun after the performance commences.
Set figure four bated with meat under one
end of the box at the place where the cats
frequent. " hen you catch one, light pack
of fire. crackers and put them through tho
stats into the box with the cat; and il you
want SO see some grand and lofty tumblmg,
look ip. Raise the Gox and let the cat 60
before all the crackers have exploded. And
if you want to keep the time that cat makes,
have your watch in your hand and look
quick; about all you can see will be the very
large tail they viii have as they leave flying.
One application for each cat, or fox each
batch if you care to keep Il en- til you have
caught several, will be sufficient fpI the sea-
son, and the neighbors will not be troubled
with their cats running away from home fpy
quite a while jas. X. BRADsHAw, Genera,
~ Y.
WHAT BECOMES OF THE SULPHUR USED
UPON THE GRAPE VINE ?-This question has
been answered by Prof. G. Wdeman, in the
New York Journal Of applied Chemistry,
who says that recent analysis of the soil taken
from the foot of the vines which have been
treated with powdered sulphur, shows that
the sulphur SO employed, after pe'ft ming its
Office Of waIdiGg off disease to Il e leaves,
falls to the ground, and Nnites with the lime
there to form sulphate of lime-gypeum, tie
substance now so highly recommended for its
This sulphate Of lime has been found at a
depth OF fully three feet from the surface,
and unde circumstances where no other pro-
bable origin can be thought of. The trans
formation is thought to take place within q
period Of one month from the time of putting
the sulphur on tho vine. This important
fertilizng re-, ilt affords an additional reason
for tho ~ of sulphur on the vines, and
wher lse it may be of use in destroying
inse' +" or disease. The formation of the
sui late of lime is found to be more activs
in well manurrl ,Yine-yaras than in thasa
free ON dec ng organic matter.
PALM TRfEs IN CALIFORNIA
is teaching us, says the Pacific Rural Press,
that we have heretofore had very imper-
feet idea of the capacity of tropical trees for
enduring the the sem-tropical climate Of Cal
ifornia. But that which has already been
obtained would seem to show that the ele-
CANT fan palm at least bids fair to become
quite feature in the landscape of Santa
ClaraV ALLEY. There are alreadyquite num-
Der of them growing there, in open grpands
presenting all the lHxuriance Of tfopical vege-
tation. The slight frosts and cold of our
winter seasons seem to have no other effect
on them than 10 check lleir growth during
their continuance; for we have heard Of hone
which have been winter killed. There are
two fan palms in front of the residence ofV.
Hoffman, on Third street, San Jose, which
are over seven feet in circumference and
eleven feet to the first leaves. They are
about four years old, and have become the
admiration of all who behold them. 80
For TREE WATERING The annexed from
the Castrovile ArguS of July 22d will prove
of interest to gardeners and horticultursts:
Iast winter or spring, Thomas Langdon
set out in front Of his hotel a dozen or SO Of
young shade trees, which have thrven far
better than any others set out at the same
time, and were equally as promising. Tie
cause of this thrift was made plain day or
two ago by Langdon showing how he planted
and watered them. First he was careful to
dig the holes for the tree roots deep and wide
partially filling in each, so that the roots
shooting down had loose earth to strike into.
Then, on one side of each hole he excavated
PLACE large enough to receive a stovepipe,
reaching from the surface down eight inches
OR foot lower than the roots of the tree.
Through this pipe the watering of the trees
is done, thus giving moisture in exactly the
right place, below the tree.
CHANGIsG THE Color OF Flowers. An
English paper describes case of yellow
primrose which, when planted in rich soil,
had the flowers changed to a rich purple. 1t
also says that charcoal adds great brilliancy
to the colors of dahlias, roses and petunas;
carbonate of soda reddens pink byacinths,
and phosphate of soda changes the colors Of
many plants.
1t is we'll known that the flowers Of our
common Hydrangea hortensis may be chang
ed from their natural delicate pink to a deep
blue, by planting in peaty soil. The colors
of all varieties Of pink and red roses may be
changed and intensified by the use Of char
coal or peat It is said neither white or
yellow roses are in the least affected by such
applications, ard we still have oag doubts
in regard to the change in the yellow prim-
rose.
TOMATOES With meat, raw, should be
sliced up in vinegar, salt and pepper, like
cucumbers. For tea, use sweet cream, and
sugar; they are almost as good a. straw
berries.