The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-02-05
FARM AND HOME.

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The most experienced drainers in En-
gland, Germany and France have found
that the tile having the narrowest bot
tom is the best for carrying off water.
A small rill of water in wide bottomed
tile, or drain of any kind, spreads and
loses its power of keeping the drain
clear of sand and other instructions,
whereas comparatively small amount
OF water in a narrow-bottomed tile or
drain rises and forms a current which
sweeps away oDstructions.
Projecting FRUIT TREEs.-I send
you the following sure method of pro-
tecting fruit trees from rabbits, hoping
you will give it publicity in your valua-
BILE paper. I have tried it as long as
fifteen years, and never knew it to fail.
It is simply to thoroughly rub the
trees with melted tallow as high up as
a rabbit can reach. No rabbit will
touch them while this remains and, if
properly applied, the rains of winter
will not wash it off, and the sun will not
melt it off until spring, when it has
served it's Exchange.
VALUE OF CALIFORNIA LANDs.-As an
indication of the rise in California
lands, it is said that Santa Clara Valley
(near to and south of San Francisco)
bottom lands are sold as high as $500
per acre. The Pajaro Valley, sixty
miles further south, has farms valued at
800 to 5000 per acre. In the Sonoma
and other valleys north of San Fran
cisco, $3.50 per acre is a common valua-
ton for farms, and $500 per acre for
productive vineyards. The Sacramento
Valley farms are worth $50 per acre,
and those of the great San Joaquin
Valley are valued at $40.
BONES AND WHEAT.-One pound of
bones contains the phosphoric acid of
twenty-eight pounds of wheat. A
crop of wheat of forty bushels per
weighs two thousand four hundred
pounds, and it requires about eighty
six pounds of bones to supply 1t with
that essential material. The usual sup
ply of bone dust (three hundred to
four hundred pounds per acre) supplies
each of the crops for four years with a
suficiency of phosphoric acid, which is
given out as the bones decompose. In
many cases bones are allowed to go to
waste while the wheat is failing for want
of ingredients which they contain.
The IDEAL FARMER. Ralph Waldo
Emerson, in his essays, thus portrays
the glory of the farmer
s'The glory of the farmer is that, in
the division of labor, it is his part to
create. All the trades rest at last on
his primitive authority. He stands
close to nature; ne obtains from the
earth the bread and the meat. The
food which was not he causes to be.
The first farmer was the first mar, and
all historic nobility rests on the posses
sion and use of land.
Men do not like hard work, but
every man has an exceptional respect
for tillage, and the feeling that this is
the original calling of his race that he
himself is only excused from it by some
circumstances which made him delegate
it for time to other hands. IF he had
not some skill which recommended him
to the farmer, some product for which
the farmer will give his corn, he must
himself return into his due place among
the planters. And the profession has
in all eyes this ancient charm, a stand
ing nearest to God. the First Cause.
The beauty of nature, the tranquil
lity and innocence of the countryman,
his independence and pleasing arts
the care of bees, of poultry, of sheep,
the dairy, the care of hay, of fruits, Of
; orchards and forests, and the reaction
of these on the workman in giving him
strength and plain dignity like the face
and manners of nature, all men ac.
knowledge. All men keep the farm in
. reserve as an asylum, where, in case
! of mischance, to hide their poverty, OF
, solitude, if they do not succeed in Sc
;. ciety. And who knows how many
glasses of remorse are turned this way
from the bankrupts of trade, from NOR
titled pleaders in courts and Senates, ol
from the victims of idleness and pleas
ure? Poisoned by town life and tow1
vices, the sufferer resolves Well, my
~ =I,
back to the land, to be recruited and
: cured by that which should have beer
: my nursery, and shall be their hospi
tai. ="
> DESTROYING RATs ON oNFARMs.-Winte
4 is the time for catching rats, and, i
a the number of these are kept down il
Q winter, they will seldom trouble th,
l farmer much in summer. Every farme
o knows that rats, especially if disturbed
/ about the barn, take to the fields afte
( corn shocking time, when nearly, o
3 quite, all may be killed when the shock
:, are moved, if one have q well
i dog. Sc, also, large numbers may b,
g killed sometimes under stacks by tax
b ing advantage of their peculiar habits
I Rats are never found in stacks, shock
d of corn, corn cribs, granaries or othe
j. like places. Their homes are in tE
q ground. under these places, and, b.
}; taking advantage of this fact, litt1
!, energy and tact will easily dislodge ant
d destroy them.
) We once had q Newfoundland dol
g the best ratter we ever saw. H
q seemed to have come to an understand
). ing with q little Skye terrier, by whicl
). the little dog became the iackal to tn
e big one. There was deep ditch an
Q bank running between the hog-hous
,t and yard and other farm buildings, j
le which the rats took refuge in larg
ID numbers. The two dogs. with muc
le noise and barking, would run up an
"a down the bank, when suddenly, th
at terrier would begin digging hard at
lg. hole selected, the lnrge dog meanwhil
Il sitting quietly a short distance of, br
i. actively observant. Pretty soon n
% would peep out of hole and scu
away. only to find itself picked q
promptly by the Newfoundland, whic
Z always allowed the smaller dog to fnall
kin the rat. These two persistel
-d hunters would thus go from one hidin
". place to another, but their chief d
ae pendence was the bank, except durin
le the summer and early fall. since hel
ne was always dry refuge for the rats.
as Poisoning rats is not difficult if Il
lel nroper plan is adopted. It is ofte