Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-02
AGRICULTURAL.
MATTER PREPARED SPECIALLY FOR
THE RECORD UNION"
Should Stock be Sailed in California ?
Fruit Culture-Clean the Orchards
Remedies for Scale Bugs.

In our migration from the Atlantic slope
to the Pacific we have left behind Us many
of the practices of the farm and stock-yard
which were considered then among the essen
tials to success. Among the prominent prac-
tees referred to, is that of sailing our cattle
regularly in summer, and while running upon
the fresh-growing grass Of our pastures. We
well remember that one OF the old farm Gus
toms of our fathers farm. in western New
York. was to salt the cows, and, indeed, all
the stock of the farm every week. Imme-
diatel7 after milking and breakfast, every
Sunday morning, the boys were required to
take the "salt dish" fill it with salt, and
make the round Of the farm, sailing all the
stock. The sailing was done by throwing
handful of salt on the ground for each an
imal in the field-for cattle and horses-and
then a few extra handfuis were thrown
so that in the changes from one bunch OF salt
to another, the younger and weaker cattle
would not be likely to be deprived q their
share. We always selected clean place on
the fresh grass. Tire stock OF all kinds came
to expect and look for this regular Sunday
morning Oh sth lttcI 10 NUN az VIC Ivy
expected our e.ular meals on that day or
our regular change of clothes. The salt thus
thrown out was not always all eaten up
at once, but the spots where 1t was
thrown were resorted to by the stock tle-
ouently during the week. and the saIted
ground liched and gnawed till the soil was eX'
cavated, leaving salt holes wherever the salt
had been thrown How many farmers salt
their stock every week, or at all IN Cantor.
MIA, and why have UheY abandoned this old
habit of their fathers? Salt was consld-
cred by them as one OF the most neces,
sary things to prevent disease and
secure the thriving condition of all
the domestic animals. We have not aban-
doned the use of salt in our food, but con-
tinue It's use il the preparation OF all human
food the same as of old, and our physicians
and health advisers, and indeed all common
experience admonish US of its sanitary quail
ties and health preserving effects. Ii good
for man in California, why not tor beast
The climatic changes are the same to the one
as to the other. We know that many farmers
claim that there Is salt enough IL the soil IN
California for the necessities of stock, and
that, therefore, IT Is not necessary to give
them salt, as our fathers did on the other side
of the continent. What evidence have we OF
the truth Of this proposition? We doubt II
there is any at all. We have no more salt
springs or salt beds here than on the Atlantic
seaboard or in the Mississippi valley States
Some assert that stock do not seem to crave or
relish salt here as they do east of the
Rocky Mountains, but Is not this because
we have not kept up the taste
for it by giving it TO them ire
uuentlv, rather than because they get it
from the soil or in their food that grows in
the soil? We well remember that as rule
farmers boys and girls in our younger days
scarcely ever made q supper without either
bread and milk or mush aud milk, and that
they relished this food for that meal more
keenly than anyother. Thishabitis kept up IN
very fewfarmers' families in California. and as
consequence the boys and girls have taken
to other classes Of food and do not seem to
care for the old-fashioned bowl or basin OF
bread or mush and milk for supper. 1t Is
the general popular as well as the scientific
opinion that our boys and girls would be re-
stored to a more robIst health and greater
vigor of mind and body if they were to return
to the old more simple dishes of food. Would
not our stock also learn to relish salt as OF old
If we were to give it to them at regular
stated tines and would 1t not have
the same bene6cent effect on them as it does
in other countries. But it happens that we
are not lett altogether to conjecture as to the
advantages to be secured to stock from the
feeding of salt at regular and stated PERIODS.
The great agricultural experimenter and
chemist Liebig. has left his valuable testi-
mony in favor of the use of salt for domestic
animals. In his valuable work for the
farmer he remarks upon some expert
ments TO test the action OF salt on
fattening cattle. He says: " Salt does not
act as a producer of flesh, but it neutraIzes
the injurious actions of the conditions which
must be united in the unnatural state of an
finals fed or fattened in order to produce
flesh, and the advantage attending its use
can hardly be estimated too highly. Inc
French agricultural chemist and ex-
peIimenter Boussingault made many ex'
periments in the feeding OF cattle
with and without salt, and he remarks
on the subject as follows, speaking OF two
lots of steers that he was feeding, giving one
lot salt and not the other The salt exer-
cises no considerable influence on the blood,
yet it appears to exerta beneficial effect on the
appearance and condition of the animal. After
the first fourteen days no perceptlble difference
was observed between the two lots, but IN
the course Of the month following the differ
ence was visible even to the unpractlced eye.
In the beasts Of both lots the skin to the
touch was fine and sound, but the hair IN the
steers having salt was smooth and shining
that of the others dull and erect AS the
experiment progressed these signs be-
came still more prominent. In the animals
of the second lot, after they had
no salt for year, the hair was matted and the
skin here and there devoid OF hair Those
of the first lot, on the contrary, retained
the look of stall kept beasts. Their liveliness
and frequent indications of the tendency to
leap contrasted stri1irgly with the heavy
gait and cold temperament observed IN those
Of the second lot. There can be no doubt,
II - a. IsgrRr r.rIsaa
would have been obtained in the market for
the oxen reared under the influence of salt.
Now we want to produce in our stock ex-
actly the shining and sprightly appearance
above described as possessed by the lot Of
steers that had salt. We have the hardy
grasses 10 make them grow rapidly and take
on fat, but to keep them in perfect condition
they need the salt which by thoughtless
and careless habits we have ceased to give
them. Our sheep will produce more
even, stronger and more glossy wool; our
cattle and horses take on more lively,
glossy shades of color and more silky
hair IL we renew on the Pacific Coast the
practice Of our fathers on the Atlantic slope
of sailing all our stock at least once week,
whether on Sunday or any other morning.
Right here let us also call attention to the
general neglect among farmers of sailing their
hay as they put it into the stack or hay
NOW. Hay requires few handfulls Of salt
for each load, to preserve it, and give it that
soft, pliable condition that renders it attrac-
tive and nutritious to animals. We have no
belief in the theory that our soil furnishes the
necessary salt for cattle-grszing or for the
preservation of hay in the stack or NOV.
The sooner we get rid of this false notion the
better for the stock-raising interests Of the
coast.
The Golden Age of Fruit Culture in Cali
fornia.
For the past few years the impression has
t ;,;,,, ,.o,,,,J tbat Aha eoIdsn ace Of