The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-09-20
FARM AND GARDEN.

MANAGEMENT OF THE SURFACE-SoIL.
A narrow strip of ground along either
side of a fence erected on my own
premises last spring, having been trod-
den down and the surface thoroughly
impacted by the feet of the workmen
engaged in putting up the inclosure,
was found to be quite damp when dug
into along in the summer, while the
ground by the side of it, which, like
this strip, had been deeply spaded up
during the preceding winter, was per-
fectly dry as far down as it had been
disturbed. l was engaged in tree cul-
ture in Santa Cruz, and had there a
very different experience, having found
that the more loose and open the sur
face soil was kept the greater its ca
pacity for absorbing and retaining mois-
ture. The explanation of these differ
ent results is found in the fact that the
atmosphere in the vicinity of Santa
Cruz, owing to proximity to the ocean,
retains even in the summer large
share of humidity, which the porous
condition of the ground enables it to
readily absorb, keeping it thereby in a
constant state of moisture; whereas,
ground near Vallejo, being too far in
land to be much affected by the sea air,
is in better condition to retain the mois-
ture with the surface somewhat i'm
pacted. Hence the advantage of pass
ing over it heavy roller after it has
been sown or planted. Bearing this
fact in mind, cultivators of the soil,
whatever branch of husbandry they
may be engaged in, will be governed
accordingly; the principle here enun-
ciated is all-controlling, and should
never be lost sight of; being equally
applicable to the raising of vegetables,
wheat, or other cereal crops, as to the
culture of plants and trees. The soil
should, of course, be thoroughly pull
verized in all cases, the surface alone
being impacted with the roller where
the drought is such as to indicate this
mode of tillage.-Cal. Horticulturist.
SHEEP-GRowING IN SPAIN. - For
merly, Spain produced more wool than
any other country, and the finest sheep
were brought thence. The chief fea-
lures in Spanish husbandry were the
keeping of large focks on Government
land, and the driving of them from sum-
mer to winter ranges, which are several
hundred miles apart. But of late years
the business has received fatal blow
in the selling of the Government lands,
by which the free ranges are closed, and
no pastures can be had unless paid for,
which the flock masters are unable or
unwilling to meet. As a consequence,
sheep are kept on one range the year
round, and as they are not provided
with shelter or with fodder, the losses
are heavy. The barbaric method of a
pastoral people can not merge itself
into the civilized method with land
held in fee.
Further, Australian wool is fully as
fine as the Spanish, and as it is sold
cheaper, the competition is disastrous.
Spanish fockmasters are now so dis
couraged that they have ceased to keep
up improved breeds, and the finest
lambs are often sent to the butcher,
which of itself will ruin the sheep bust
ness in any country. Formerly, large
shipments of Spanish wool were made
to France for working up into fine
cloths, but now they have almost en-
tirely ceased, and the Spanish wool fac
tories, which once were the best in
Europe, have sadly declined. Much of
this is due to the unsettled state of po-
litical affairs, but more, of course, to
the distinctions of free ranges. The
only way in which Spain can become
eminent as sheep producing country
is to establish better farming-some-
thing that shall correspond to what is
seen in America-that is, civilized
condition; but this will require several
years. Until then, the wool producers
of other countries must supply the de-
fciency.-New York Tribune.
ENGLISH FARMING AND AMERICAN.
Mr.. Wall, in an address to the far
mers of New Jersey, alluded to the fact
that in England, in less than century,
the production of wheat had risen from
100000 to lOO,OOO,0O bushels
This enormous increase he attributes to
systematic attention to all the require
ments of good farming; to the skill and
exactness with which all the operations
are performed; to their careful selec-
ton of the best varieties of seed, and to
the extensive and good use of their
barn-yard manure. Nothing is left to
casualty or chance. No expectations
are indulged in that an unusually favor
able season will atone for shortcomings
or neglect. He alluded to the business
like liberality of the English farmers in
restoring to the earth, by means of pur-
chased manures, the elements of fer
tility exhausted by cultivation, andsaid
that in 1887, the first year in which
bones came into general use as fer
tilizer, the foreign bones imported were
valued at the custom house at 81 $780,
900, since which time it is estimated
that the amount paid for imported bones
alone, amounted to $3.50, ,OOO,OOO.-
Since lS4l, upwards of 5O0,00O tons
of guano have been used. Mr.. Wall
believes that the English farmers rota-
ton of root and grain crops comes
nearly to perfection, and that the care
which had been bestowed on root culti-