Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-19
AGRICULTURAL.
MATTER PREPARED SPECIALLY FOR
THE "REcoRD UNION"
corn-Planting and Washing Select
ing cows-April Showers in March
Oxen on the Farm.

sheep Immediately alter planning corn. Soin-
planting was generally finished In the early
days of May. Sheep-washing was made
sort of holiday. The boys were sent out in
the early morning to gather up the sheep and
drive them to the place Of washing. This
place was generally to some small creek or
brook in the neighborhood, and not unfre-
quently the crossing of such creek or
brook, with the public road or highway, be-
came the general sheep-washing ground or
place for the whole neighborhood for miles
around the bridge across the creek being
converted into a sort Of corral for the season,
each farmer in turn used it for his flock.
Temporary bars being constructed at each
end of the bridge, the sheep were driven into
the temporary pen or corral. ihe men, put
ting Oh suit Of old clothes, go into the water
about waist deep, and the boys catch and
throw the sheep in as fast as the men wash
them. The washing is done by gathering the
wool up IN banchgs and squeezing and wash
ing the dirt out Of it. When the water Is no
longer discolored by the washing, the wool IS
pronounced clean, and the sheep Is conducted
to the sloping bank, and after draining few
minutes is allowed to go, carry ng with 1t
clean fleece of WOOL The flock having
been washed il this way, is driven
slowly home by the boys, while the
men, after putting on dry clothes, go home
in wagons. Thus perhaps the public bridge
on the highway will be used by hundred
farmers each spring as a pen for holding
their sheep fer washing in the pure running
water of the stream below it, After wash
ing, the sheep are turned into clean-sodded
pasture until the wool is dry-generslly about
a week to ten days-and then the shearing
begins. It is this washing of the wool on the
sheep that gives to Eastern wool higher
quotation in the market than the California
woods bear. If the farmers of California
had their regular complaining and sheep
shearing season, we should see in it an indi-
cation Of q more general rural prosperity.
These routines OF farmers work are sure in
dications of varied agriculture, and hence
of great agricultural success. II every
farmer in California planted corn and sheared
sheep each year there would bs no cause
of apprehension as to the general result
of our agricultural operations. As it is, but
comparatiyely few farmers plant corn, and
fewer still wash and shear sheep. As a rule,
California farmers do not engage IN dlversl-
fed culture, but select some article and de-
vote their whole time and energies to its
cultivation. Thus, we have our wool grow
ers, our wheat-growers, our wine growers,
our hog farmers, our dairymen, our beef
growers, our fruis-growers, our vegetable
growers, ETC., to the end of the list. Farming
in California has become almost as much of a
commercial venture as venture IN the Guilt
walton of the soil. Each farmer selects his
specially, and gives little attention to any
thing outside Of that specially. Hence, it is
that but few California farmers look
to their farm as the source of sup
port for their families, and hence
= Il 6 s. Kba.s-
families good living or instilling into their
girls and boys 8 love or even respect for the
occupations of their parents. We would
like to see the cid custom of planting corn
and washing sheep of the Atlantic slope in
troduced on the Pacific slope, feeling certain
that the good old times to farmers would
come with this custom. Those who have no
sheep cannot of course enjoy the picnic ex-
cursion of their Eastern brothers to the
brook across the road and the spring wash all
around in the pure, running water, but the
popularity of the past winter preventing the
seeding of the usual area of wheat and the
full supply of water in the soil suggest the
propriety of more general planting of
corn throughout the wheat-growing districts.
Corn if planted In soil in good filth in
most any of the wheat sections will this year
make good and paying crop, and put the
land in Just as good condition for wheat in
the fall as if summer-fallowed. Then why
not substitute corn for wheat for change?
Then why not also look around this spring or
summer and make one more innovation I'M
the old one CROP system of wheat this year
and wheat next year and wheat all the time?
After planting the corn go out among the
wool growers and buy dozen selected ewes
and lambs, and be prepared next year to say
that you have fully introduced the old custom
of your fathers of planting corn and shesring
sheep, though according to the custom of the
country you do not wash them.
Selecting Cows for Butter Dairy
It is not. always the COW that gives the
most milk that makes the most or the best
butter; on the contrary, very large flow of
milk is circumstance that should cause ex-
ira caution in selecting such COW for butter
making. 1t is very seldom that the best but
ter-making cow gives the largest quantity of
milk. This may look little strange
to the uninitiated, but it is never
theless true, and when looked into
nationally it is not strange at all.
The most satisfactory way to select good
butter-maker is to milk her, say twice, and
set the milk, skim and churn the cream. The
cream rises more readily and separates more
completely from good butter-making milk
than from that that has less butter and more
cheese in it. The skim milk of good butter
making cows is thinner and bluer than the
skim milk of good cheese-makers. The
cream itself has q coarser grain and seems
more brittle, and when put into the
churn separates more readily and more fully.
Milk from some COWS viii make twice the
amount Of butter that the same quantity of
milk from other cows will. Hence the i'm
portance of careful selection will be realized.
When the actual test of skimming and churn-
lug cannot be made before selecting q COW for
butter dairy, then it becomes necessary to
exercise good judgment by the examina-
ton of natural points of each indi.
vidual COW. One of the first of
these is the color of the skin. This
can be seen about the bag itself or on
the inside of the ear. If the skin be of a
lively bright yellow it is perfectly safe to
take the COW for good rich milk giyer. The
color of the hair or the softness to the touch
is no guide in this respect, but you must look
through the hair to the skin itself. There
are broad distinctions between the breeds of
cattle in respect to their butter-making quail
tiles. AS rule, Holstein or Dutch
COWS are good mixers, and so are
the Ayrshires but as rule
their milk is not rich in butter, and upon
examination of the mechanical condition of
their milk it is found that it is composed of
very fine particles of butter, inclosed in
thick coating of casein, or the property in
milk of which cheese is made. On the con-
trary, as rule the Durham and the Jersey
and Guernsey cows milk upon the same ex-
animation is found to contain similar parti-
cles Of butter, but much larger, and each
of these particles is covered with
very thin co sting of the same casein.
Il foll E6aA - Lo
Holstein and Ayrshire cows are as good for
cheese, while that of the Durhams and
Jerseys and Guernseys is good for butter. It
is also noticed that there is very strong
contrast in ths oolor. of the milk of the two
former breeds of coSs and that of the last
named. This color distinction follows the
color of the skin or the breed of the cow. If,
therefore, cheese or milk dairy is sought it
is better to select Ayrshire or Holstein
cows, but if the object be to form a butter
dairy, preference should be given to the
Durhams or Jerseys or Guernseys, or crosses