Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-01-23
AsrirnltnraI.
California Farming.

for the farmers of California as a class,
though the profits have been very Irregular
ly distributed. The grain fields had a most
promising appearance in January and Feb
ruary, but the spring rains very scanty,
and the consequence was light yield, in
proportion to the area sown, and COM
plete failure in some of the drier districts,
including portions of San Joaquin valley.
The number of acres in wheat and barley
$500, 600, and the total yield-about D.
600, 900 bushels, as nearly as can. be ascer-
tanned at presents less than eight BUSH
els TO the acre on the average. In accord
ance with the custom of the State, many
thousands OF acres were cut. while green,
for hay, so that the average yield of the
field harvested for grain was probably not
less than fifteen bushels. The area sown
was twelve or fifteen per cent. greater than
in the previous year, the increase being
mainly in the middle Of San Joaquin and
Salinas valleys, and the northern and of the
Sacramento valley-districts lately made
accessible by railroads. The yield was far
| from satisfactory, but the prices proved to
be exceptionally good. The harvest of the
year in the leading grain districts of Eu-
rope was very poor, and especially in Rus
sia, which has of late been the chief source
of supply, and which, by the rapid increase
of its production, threatened to drive our
grain from the markets of England and
France. The misfortune of Europe was the
| good fortune of Califarnia, and wheat rose
early in the season from 81 80 per GENITAL
| = 20 and - 80. The rise in price has
given at least SC, ,0OO, 900 more to our farm
ers than they would have obtained in ordi-
nary seasons for the same amount of grain.
The opinion is entertained by many, that
California should seek to change her agri-
cultural industry so that wheat and barley
should not occupy thIee-fourths of the culti-
waited land every year. At present, much
of our land cannot be made to yield any
kind of profitable annual crop save grain,
which requires less moisture than trees,
timothy, alfalfa, red clover, Hungarian
grass, beets, turnips, potatoes sweet pota-
toes, and kitchen vegetables generally.
Forest, ornamental, and fruit trees would
live in dry lands generally if they were sup
plied with water through the summer for
the first three or four years. In England
and New York the farmer has rotation
of crops, by growing wheat one year, tur-
nips the next, oats the third, and timothy
the fourth. or by some similar course. As
we cannot grow the turnips nor the timo-
thv, and have no sufficient market for much
oats-many of our horses living entirely on
wild grass-we make a rotation in treat
ment and not in crop. Thus one year we
! sow wheat and, the next we let the field
; volunteer, and cut the wheat for hay if it
to does not promise much grain, and then
commence again, occasionally changing
from wheat barley. But as our climate
, and the high cost Of labor have not been
favorable to the use of manure we have
been gradually impoyerishing our soil, and
crops of forty bushels per acre are now
rarer than those of fifty bushels were twenty
years ago.
CORNs on HORSES FEET.-Corns arc
not a disease, but result from injuries to
, the sole of the foot When the sole is par
: ed thin, blow from Il stone which strikes
!, it, Injuries the sensitive portion Of the foot
which should be protected by the sole, and
m otfusion of blood or serum ncours, which
presses upon the bruised part, and causes
/. lameness. \ red or discolored spot is seen.
! This is supposed to be corn, and is pared
, away until it bleeds. and instead of good
being done there is much evil. If the shoe
!, is also improperly put on, so that the bear
ing is unequal, parts of the sole become
bruised with tie same result. a remedy
>, is to foment the sole with hot water, or to
stuff the foot with tow, which should be
e soaked in hot water repeatedly. If badly
!, fitting shoe is the cause, it should be re-
b. meved before the lamentations are applied,
and refitted with an even bearing all round,
: but especially at the heel, when the lame
ness will disappear. If the shoes are al
ways well fitted, and made long at the
heel, and the sole and frog not pared
I down until no protection to the foot is left,
= there would be many fewer lame horses
Exchange.
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