Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-02
FARM AND FRUIT.
MORE CHEERING PROSPECTS THP. oUGH.
OUT THE STATE,
Bountiful Rainfall in Ell Sections-Deep
and thorough cultivstion-French
Prunes-General Notes.

nance OF All people WlLnln our DorueTss anu
effected, perhaps too strongly, feeling that
good crops are now assured for the coming
season. The variableness of the raintsiI
in this State, taking one season with an
other, is SO great. and the dependencies
that exist upon sufficient precipitation fol-
lowing our dry summers, in order to insure
successful growth of vegetation, tends to
make state of anxiety about rain nat
Eral condition among Californians, until
sufficient moisture has been precipitated to
insure crops. At the present writing all
fear for the year 1884 is dispelled upon the
part of people generally, and full conf
dence in gathering at least average crops
is entertained. The popularity of entire
assurance that all is now safe and crops
certain" when good rain comes, as expe-
rienced the present week, following threat
| ened injury by drought, ia as marked as
| the anxieties which precede them There
is no doubt that the present moisture In
the ground is sufficient for several weeks
to come, both for the benefit of grain now
upon the ground and for further prepara-
ton and sowing. but the great benefits and
surety against effects of drought to lie
derived from deep and thorough cultiva-
ton, which have been repeatedly urged in
the columns of the RECORD UNION, are
now especially worthy of consideration,
to add greater certainty to acceptable
prospects. Farmers who have hesltated
about further blowing for present sowing
will probably many of them now proceed
to complete their planting as in other sea-
sons, and even if the season of 1883 4
proves the dry season closing another
seven year cycle, as Interestingly set forth
| in the RECORD UNION the present week,
the assuring fact still remains that If we
only have as much further rainfall this
spring as there has been after February
Ist of each of the preceding noted dry sea-
sons, it will be fully sufficient, with good
cultivation, to give reasonable assurance of
good crops. Therefore, let closest atten-
! ton be paid to deep and thorough cultiva'
ton, and even with less rain better results
may be expected.
The French prune is receiving increased
attention, and will be very largely planted
the present season. Here is what a Los
Angeles paper has to say about this indus
try: "All things considered, a good prune
orchard Is a bonanza to the fortunate owner
who may possess one in the right locality
| for productiveness, assuming 1t is kept
! free from any pest or disease. II is pro-
! life bearer, and the fruit finds ready
market at highly remunerative prices. AS
| it is marketed only in the dried state, 1t
can readily be kept from one season TO an
! IL nJb
! We know one ten-acre prune orchard now
eight years Old that Melted its lucky owner
! two wears ago nearly IS, coo, and reached
nearly as much last year; and this is not
| exceptional. Another orchard nets its owner
| from $3.50 to $3.50 per acre upon the trees
every year The above instances are not
| in this county. Whether such success
could be attained here remains to be deter
mined. We confess that not yet have we
| seen such prunes here as are grown in some
of the northern counties, yet we are young
| in deciduous fruit growing. but as many
prune trees have been set within the past
/ two or three years the problem will doubt
less soon be solved. As it is, number OF
! instances in this valley and other sections
of Southern California have shown that
! this fruit can be grown with considerable
| success here. There really need be but
one kind of prune mentioned as worth
| planting that is the Petite dAgen or
! French prune. This possesses all the
requisites of a perfect fruit of the kind.
! The Hungarian pTuue was formerly largely
planted, and the Oregon silver prune is
/ now claiming consideration. The latter is
certainly a fine fruit, but is rather large
| Tor drying, and ought more reasonably be
classed as a plum"
/ The Plttsburg Stockmaa, in a recent is-
sue, says "Some good horses are addicted
TO stumbling while walking or moving in a
/ slow trot. A well-versed veterinarian
states that there are two causes that would
| tend to produce this faulty action-one, a
general weakness in the muscular system,
/ such as would be noticed in tired horse
/ the other, a weakness OF the exterior mus
/ Giles of the leg, brought about by carrying
| too much weight on the toe. To effect a
cure, he adds tighten the weight of each
| front shoe about four ounces have the toe
/ of the shoe made of steel instead of iron,
| it will wear longer have 1t rounded of
about the same as it would be when one
| third worn out, in order to prevent trip.
ping; allow one weeks rest have the legs
showered for few minutes at time with
cold water through hose, il order to
create a spray; then rub dry, briskly,
/ from the chest down to the foot give
walking exercise daily during this week
| for about an hour twice day. When you
commence driving again omit the slow
cog; either walk or send him along at a
! sharp trot for a mile or two, then walk
/ away, bat do not speed for at least several
weeks. By this means the habit of STUN
| bling from either of the above causes will
be pretty well overcome"
The owners name put plainly on grain
/ bags, hoes, rakes, spades, shovels, steel.
yards, etc, and on large implements, is
very convenient, and will often save their
wandering and loss. We have long kept
a steel punch, piece of iron onehaf inch
sauare. the corners rounded off little, tle
lower end terminating in fiat piece of
steel, three. sixteenths OF an inch thick and
/ three. fourths of an inch wide. On the bot
tom edge of this the letters OF the surname
and initial OF the given name are cut in re-
lief. With this, and hammer blow or
two on its head, the name is cut into every
implement, large and small. 1t IS beaten
into very soft iron, if there is any, other
wise into the wood, and has doubtless
saved twenty times its cost (25 cents a let
teri in keeping 3 great variety OF things
from straying off, or remaining IN possess
sion OF borrowers, who are thus precluded
from saying Of them "they did not know
whose they were" These punches, made
to order, can be got by mail at moderate
cost Fl American Agriculturist.
Prof. Knapp, of Iowa, in discussing the
question OF how to bring colts to maturity,
best prepared for many years of usefulness,
claims that the farmers and horsemen Of
Iowa waste SIS, 900, 600 per snnum by
overlooking their colts and young horses
! He also argues that two quarts OF oats and
two ears OF corn twice day is liberal
| feeding, but the colt would eat twice as
much and not be so strong Giving more
grain makes rapid growth, but is like
stuifing an animal for market. When you
desire to produce horses for endurance or
breeding they must be matured more
/ slowly. Barrenness can be produced nine
! times out of ten by this stufiing process
| 1t ruins the health of stock of all kinds.
/ Various devices or remedies are given in
/ the papers from time to time to prevent
forked apple trees from splitting. Iron
( bolts are inserted iron bands are en-
ployed; ropes are used to draw the parts
together; branches are drawn together and
interlaced, etc. Prevention is best, and
well.formed heads will not split down.