Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-06-11

t.
G ssful wheat farmer of Colusa county, con-
tributes quite lengthy and well-considered
article on the above subject to the extra num-
Der of the Rural Press, devoted particularly
to the harvest time of the year. AS this pa
per represents the opinions of large class Of
grain farmers of the State, we give brief
synopsis Of the same. The writer begins
by stating the disadvantages we labor
under in consequence Of being situated so
far-fourteen thousand miles-from market.
This circumstance alone places US at q disad-
yantage-an actual loss of about three fourths
of cent per pound for freight, or 70s freight
per ton. Then tue expenses of ship and port
charges in San Francisco are greater than in
any ether wleat-shipping port in the world,
b4ing about 18s per long ton, against IS at
Melbourne. Taking 81 so per cental-about
the fair living price for wheat at machine
and add 10 cents freight to the Bay. and 63
cents for handling, makes 81 668 per Genital in
San Francisco-.he ruling price for wheat at
Chicago for the past six months; yet, in San
Francisco, for the same period, the price has
D6tu OulJ dOOUS 81 VI ~ Cctlio per CCtAbdl
less. Than Mr. Mouiton says that the great
and successful engineering enterprise of Cap
taia Eads, in lowering the mouths of the
Mississippi river from to 81 feet, aud thus
opening up o new and competing freight
route for the product of the great western
wheat srea-say an area of three-flths of all
our thirty-eight States-must add to our
local disadvantage until the same great en-
gineer shall have shortened our 14,000
miles 70 market to 1900, by building a rail
way &C 'oss the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, so
that cur wheat may leave cur warehouses at
Carquinez Straits, and go this short route to
Liverpool, instead of the Horn around, as
now. Then instead of four months consumed
Ia transit to market, the time will be reduced
to one month, and we will be placed along
side the great West in respect TO time and
cost of marketing our wheat crops. This
road is sure to be built, says Mr.. NJ, who
expresses great confidence in Captain Eads
engineering plans, not only in reference to this
read, but also the plan Ter the relief of the
Sacramento val ey from the debris CT themire
Some advocate the Panama canal with its
natural distractions of a summit elevation
of $50 feet and depression below sea level
Of 80, with 129 inches of rainfall against
three inches at Suez. This rainfall, Mr. NJ.
thinks, would create debris breeze with
that canal as fast as the debris breeze of our
own valley. The Panama route to Europe is
$50 miles more than the Nicaragua, and go
more than Eads' Tehuantepec route, and
2,200 miles more from San Francisco to
New York than the Tehuantepec route. Mr.
Moulton is a civil engineer, as well as a
wheat-grower, and he gives it as his opinion
that while the Nicaragua and the Panama
canals are both practical, the Panama
plan is a grand foreign scheme, and not III &C.
cordance with the policy OF our Government,
to allow any other nation to get control of so
important position on this continent Both
will cost too much time and money to be
awaited of BY orr wheat interests to place
them on a level with the wheat-growing Sec
tons Of the other side of the continent.
Among the advantages of the slip railway
over the canals, either Panama or Nicaragua,
the first is the greater ease with which both
ends o: the road-the gulf end Of the road
would be thirty miles from the gulf coast, and
the Pacific end would be fifteen miles up the
Coatzacoalce Iiver-couldb be defended against
any naval force, while both the canals would
be difficult of defense. Then the road could
be built before either of the canals could be
fairly commenced. Mr.. Moulson believes
with Captain Eads that a ship can be
placed in cradle and transported across
the isthRus On rails with no mora strain than
81 receives from resting on the irregular
WAVES IL a SbOIlH Ib seH. OO our Q6DelS uue5-
ton Mr.. Moulton takes the position that the
valley must be saved, or wheat ships and low
freights to market will be of but little interest
to the country portion Of our State or to San
Francisco. The future of San Francisco is as
much involved in this debris question as is
the county being directly covered by slickens
If San Francisco deserts the country 10 this
struggle, then the verdict against her will be
that to gave five cents on SlC0 she got 80 per
cent. depreciation on her property, with a
larger proportion of State taxes to pay in the
bargain. The whole State has received benefit
in doing past and present damage, but future
damage must rest on the actual doar, or he be
made to stop it. AS another aid in
helping the pTics OF wheat to the farm
er the building OF substantial elevated ware
houses along the lines of railroads and nav
igable rivers is advocated, so that there need
be no rush TO get the crops in places of safety
for the rainy season, giving cars and steamers
plenty of time to do the work in, ard secur-
ing cheaper work and less cost to tie farmer.
Then a plan Of cooperation among large
wheat-growers is advocated in building ware
houses On the Straits Of Carquinez, so as to
hold the bulk Of any crop, and not allow the
wheat in future. as in the past. to be subject
to the Heecing operations Of those who make
corners and rings. Then the greater variety
of crops Is advocated, 50 as to distribute the
work on the farm through the year, instead
of concentrating it into two or three months,
as IN the exclusive wheat sections.
Wheat-growers should abandon the practice
of burning the straw and keep stock to feed
it to, and thus get the advantages of the
profit of the increase and growth of the
stock from feed that is now lost, and in a5di-
ton the returning Of the straw TO the soil in
condition to keep up the fertility Of the
soil Mr.. Moulton condemns the practice ct
many farmers Of buy ing all their vegetables,
potatoes, ETC., when they could and should
raise them on their own land.
Insect Enemies nsectivorous Birds
In this State we have inaugurated war
upon the insects under the authority of law,
aud while we have confidence that grea.
benefits may arise, to fTuit-growers in par.
ticular and the State in general, from the
careful execution Of the law, we should not
forget that man has very valuable assistant
in this crusade against these little pests, in
the shape OF birda We are reminded Of
these aids in this line by timely note from
our fellow citizen and scientific flisnd.
S. II. Gerrisb. The note is as follows
''There appears to be some little excitement
in regard to insects following their natural
instincts and procuring their food st the eN-
pense OF their enemy, man, who displays
singular stupidity in the matter. There was
a time, years ago, when birds were plenty,
when these small insect were not numerous.
but every naughty hunter with Z shotgun
kills off the natural destroyers of the bugs,
and OF course the latter naturally increase.
It is a law Of nature. All the soap-suls.
coal tar, sulphur and whale-oii SOAP
in the country Will not do the
work OF keeping these insects di-
minished equal to flock of birds such as are
killed fer amusement. a gentleman who
came here in 1852 told me he planted some
vegetables in that year, and birds covered the
newly turned soil so thickly that he poisoned
hundreds OF them. He repented, when he
was annoyed by millions of insects and his
crop destroyed. On the levee near Suffer-
vile the pot-hunters scatter the shot so that
it falls on the roofs of the houses TO the ter
Tor OF the residents. Even at the very Capi-
where the "bug law " was passed. swal.
lows have been shot by hundreds for build
ing nests there. A study OF the science Of
o. tto.ogy would be of benefit to farmers.
frGit-raiseTs, and the next Lagi ,ia.uTe.n
We all knew that birds are great help to
man in Kidding his fields and orchards of in
furious insects, but few of US are aware of the
wonderful capacity of some varieties Of birds
in this direction. Professor Aughy has col.
lected some facts bearing on this subject.
which it may not be amiss to lay before our
orckardisfs and farmers oenarellr ~ tb;.