Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-11-19
AGRICULTURAL.
n TIER PREPARED SPECIALLY FOB
THE "RECoRD UNION"
Growing Firewood and Timber-Alfalfa
Hay-A Good Beginning-elean
the Barnyard-Etc.

Erowing Firewood and Timber-AIfalfa
Hay-A Good Beginning-elean
the Barnyard-Etc.
tt fact that throughout q large portion
of the grain-growing sections of the State the
farmers have to buy all their frewood for do
mestic purposes, and sometimes have to draw
IL for long distances. This results from the
fact that large portions of the grain. growing
sections were originally destitute of timber or
nearly SO. and that no pains have been taken
to cultivate timber for frewood or other pur-
poses. Experiments in growing timber in
these sections, both for firewood and for man.
ufacturing purposes, have been successful
wherever properly tried. This proves that
these farmers are without excuse if they do
not plant trees, and thus raise their own fire.
wood, but also timber for hard wood to be
used in making whifhs-trees, plow-beams,
plow- handles, pitch-fork handles. woods to
harrows, ETC., etc., to be used on the farm.
We are now importing all, or nearly all, our
hard timber from the northern Mississippi
valley States, and paying. in addition to the
original cost the cost OF transportation.
Then the farmer has to pay profits to
three or four merchants and commission
men before he gets this timber for use on his
farm. This is all wrong. We can not only
grow Just as good timber as the Northwestern
States, from which we import il, but we can
grow it much quicker and cheaper. Besides,
while we are growing this timber on our
farms, we are benefiting our farms and i'm
proving their value and appearance. We are
also ameliorating both the summer heat
and the winter severity of storms. Cotton
woods will grow on any OF our wheat-growing
plains without irrigation, and they will make
good wood. A few cottonwoods planted
along the lines of the public roads on every
such farm would in few years, say ten
years, become long enough SO that their
large branches may be cut off and cut into
firewood, and would do to trim for the same
purpose every ten years. Fifteen or twenty
such trees so trimmed every year would sup
ply the farmhouse with hrewood for the
year. Then the next year fifteen or twenty
more could be trimmed, and so on trimming
the required number each year, and when
the whole lot has been gone over once,
the first lot could be trimmed again, and all the
firewood wanted could thus be obtained, a2d
during all the time these same trees would be
adding to the beauty and attractlveness and
value of the place. Small cottonwoods just
the size for planting out in this way, by the
million, are growing along every or nearly
every river in the State where the water
overhows the banks in high-water, and they
can be obtained without cost, except the cost
of digging. They are generally growing IN
light, lately-made sandy soil. and can be
dug very easily and rapidly. Then why
60 without shade-trees? And why buy
wood at an annual outlay of more
money than it would cost to plant all the
trees needed in one year? But while growing
frewood, why not also grow hard wood Tor
manufacturing purposes, as above suggested? ?
Elm and locust trees are very rapid and hardy
growing trees and will grow right alongside
cottonwood in most any of the wheat-growing
sections, if little pains be taken with them
the first season after planting. These trees,
as has been proven, make even better timber
here than in the States of the Missis-
sippi Valley, and while the branches
will make good frewood, the stems or
bodies will furnish all the hard
wood needed on the place and some
to sell to the gricultural.implement and
wagon makers. This is no fancy or specu-
lative statement. There were exhibited at
the last State Fair elm and locust wa, ,on-
wheel hubs of theilargest and smallest sizes,
made out of California, grown elm and locust,
that could not be excelled by the same kind
of timber grown in any part of the world
Wagon gearings made of the same kind of tim
ber were also shown, and the general verdict
was that the California. grown timber was su-
perier to any imported. The trees from
which these hubs and gearings were
made were grown near Sacramento, and if
the planting of these trees had been general
among farmers in this vicinity at the time
these trees were planted, there would now
have been a good supply of native hard wood
timber for all this section. And so other
sections would have been supplied in the
same manner, and SO the entire State. But
it is never too late to begin good enterprise.
Let the planting of trees be general, and in
ten or fifteen years hence we will be in this
respect where we regret we are not now.
Alfalfa Hay.
Ordinarily alfalfa hay brings in this and
the San Francisco markets about two or
three dollars less than good oat or wheat hay.
At the present time, and for two months
past, alfalfa hay has been selling at about a
dollar more ton than any other kind Of
hay. This is owing to scarcity this season
of alfalfa hay. The scarcity comes about in
this way: Alfalfa has for years back been
the main crop of the farmers along the Sacra-
mento river; but the filling up of the bed of
that river has raised the surface of the water
to the same extent, and even where the
levees have been maintained, the sipage
water has rendered the land almost valu-
less for alfalfa. The failure of alfalfa
has made general scarcity, and
comparative rise in price, Alfalfa is the
best hay we have for milk COWS, and is prin-
cipally used for that kind of stock. Its de-
creased production is becoming matter of
serious concern to dairymen on this river, and
in fact to dairymen near all the larger cities,
who make this hay their principal feed. Al
falfa is plant that needs deep, moist soil,
but at the same time cannot stand overfows
for more than six or eight days at time.
nor can it stand sipage that keeps the soil
full of water to the surface any considerable
time continuously. The farmers along the
Sacramento have been compelled to seed an
nually to great extent for some years back,
but when high water continues later than
April, or May at the latest they cannot re-
seed, and the year is lost to them for crop
of anything that will pay. Alfalfa has been
worth millions to the State, and its destruc.
tion will be a damage in like amount. Its
entire destruction on the Sacramento and
tributary rivers seems to be certain in few
years, with a continued filling up of the beds
of these rivers.
Good Beginning.
The rainy season has commenced well. The
rains thus far have come very calmly and
gradually, and the amount fallen thus far is
very little in excess of the average rains to
date for period of years past. One pecu-
iarity of the present seasons rains, however,
is such that it does not indicate very large