Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-11
Seed Corn.

The Prairie Farmer says there is a well.
grounded impression in the West that there
is going to be a difficulty in finding corn that
viii terminate for seed this season. Isseems
that Indian corn did not ripeR well through
out the great corn region last fall. The de.
pendence is therefore on corn grown in pre-
vicus seasons and kept over. Seed corn will
keep well for about three years, but each
year loses IN vitality; so that at three years
the termination will be slower and less Wig
orous than when but one year old. The
brightest, bestformed and strongest grown
ears should always be saved for seed.
In husking il is a good plan to
select such ears. and stripping the husks
down, not pull them off, but allow them to
remain. Then tie such ears together in
buncEes, and haHg up in the loft of the barn
or the garnet Of the house, secure from all
dampness and mice and rats In this con.
dltion the seed will keep perfect till planting
time, then SHE'LL only saving for seed the best
formed kernels, taken from the straight.
rowed portion OF the ear. l. is very import
ant to plant good seed, if the object be to
produce good corr. Corn is one of the most
susceptible OF improvement OF all the cult
waited grains, and is also most susceptible of
degeneration by neglect. Great care should
IAtlclUIG NC Mas III htAtCblnS IlE SE6us
Silk Culture at the Horticultural Meeting.
At the last meeting OF the State Horticult.
ural Society on the oath of February, in San
Francisco. it having been announced that
discussion would be had on the subject of silk
culture, group Of ladies from the Silk
Culture Association were present and added
grace and interest on The occasion. Rev. C
A. Bucbee, D. D., also appeared on the part
of the Silk Culture Association, and in the
way of opening the discussion delivered a
formal lecture on silk culture. The lecture
was sort Of resume of the history of silk
and silk culture from the time it was
first known in China to its introduction
into Europe and America. He then gave a
general description Of the mulberry Tree and
its characteristic, aud the constituents of the
leaves; gave directions how tc grow the tree
from the seed and the cuttings; slate / that
the production Of silk had been made very
proftable-as high as Sl,Oo0 worth of silk
could be produced from one acre of land
planted to the mulberry tree, and the labor |
could be performed by women and children,
it being of light and pleasing character. |
He urged that silk culture was an industry in |
which the children Of the poor could prohta-
bly, engage a part of the year. H. !
stauced the fact that ia France and Ger |
many, and some other European States,
the mulberry tree is planted very extensively |
along the highways, and that poor people are |
allowed to pick the leaves from these trees TO
feed to worms, thus encouraging industry and
a disposition 70 earn their owe living. The
lecture was replete with interesting facts. and
was strong sppeal for the culture of silk In
this State. He closed bis lecture with the
following earnest sentences Plant the null
berry tree. Let children lie taught its vsl e,
Let teachers ID our schools be encouraged 10
foster this part Of practical education. Let
our highways he adorned with these trees cf
life to the people. Let our railways beautify
their desolate roadwsys with leaves from this
tree whose value is above price. California
yields gold and silver for the world; lis
wheat finds markets everywhere its wines
rival those Of France; It's fruits are the de-
sire of all nations; its climate is eousllv
favorable TO the production of the finest silk:
let it also soon be said that its production of
silk from the mulberry is equal in quantity
and quality to the wants Of the idle looms of
the world. that stand ready to repay us for
The product Of our generous soil with gold for
those whose hands supply it."
DR.. Gibbons showed branch of mulberry
tree with several kinds of scale bugs upon it.
and stated that in order to succeed in the silk {
business the tree must be cultivated with care ;
And skill
Judge Beachwood, of Alameda. gave
short history of the experience of French
Dlao by the name of Goves who made de-