Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-01
AGRICULTURAL.
MATPFB PREPARED SPECIALLY FOR
THE "aECoRD UNION"
Clean the Wheat-rhe Farmers and the
Sunday IaW-savs the straw
Tin Cana for Fruit-Eto.

Some three years since We called attention
70 the neglect Of farmers il preparing their
wheat for market, and the effect such neglect
had produced 10 lowering the standard of
Californis wheat III the Liverpool and othor
foreign markets. We then pointed cut the
fact that so negligent had thrashers and farm
ers become in this respect that local millers
were having their mill-stones greatly dam
aged BY small gravel aud Jumps Of soil 80
near the size and weight of kernels Of wheat
that they could rot be separated from the
grain that when wheat thus badly cleaned
was snptied ont Of the sacks into bins or into
mill boppsrs the foul stuff in it naturally
cams 70 tire surfface, and made the bulk OF
the grain look worse than Il really was; that
the merchants, dealers and millers, both at
home and abroad, were thus furnished an ex-
cuse for complaint cf the farmers, and that
they were making the farmers pay dearly for
their neglect by the depression of prices be-
yond the real depreciation Of values. The
press of the State took mp the subject, and it
was discussed pretty we'll on both sides.
The farmers and their apolOgists, while ad-
hitting that = great deal OF gram got into
market in an unclean and foul condition,
claimed that ali was not In this condition,
and that shippers were in the practice OF
mixing the clean with the foul and thus con.
tributing TO the damage TO the reputation Of
wheat exported. The general ventilation Of
the subjsct has had a good effect all round.
Farmers now require thrashers to be more
careful in the use Of the horse fork in taking
up the straw from the soil, and in cleaning
u bottoms Of stacks. Asd the farmers
themselves nrs more careful to reclsan por-
tons OF the grain that come from tins ma
chine not in good marketable condition.
Dealers and exporters also seem 70 have, az
least TO a certain extent, ceased the practice
of mixing the foul with the clean grain, thus
TO neutralizs CT bring up the standard OF
the worst Ia passshle condition, and to
have substituted the practice Of cleaning
the bad lots before sending them to
consumers The result OF these re-
forms has alresdy been better feeling
towards California whest abroad, and shade
of improvement IN relative quotations. This
small improvement should encourage sli par
ties interested TO 2 continuance Of efforts IN
the direction Of Improvement From reports
received IN all the localities in which harvest
ing has commenced the grain this year is
turning ont much better than was expected,
both ia qusnSity and quality. This, then, is
q good season to make another step forward
in the improve condition Of wheat, and to
gain another advance toward a good reputs-
tioD, which past carelsssness and neglect had
Injured. Sucn great improvements have
been made in wheat separstors, both attached
to thrashiue mschiaes and run by hand, that
there is no longer any excuse for putting auy
grain into market except in number one
condition. Farmers have not only each a
personal interest in Improvement by the bet.
ter prices they will receive for their well
cleaned wheat, but they ell have general
interest il re.establishing good reputation
for California wheat in all the markets Of the
world.