Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-01
rARM AND raurT.
General Votes OF Interest-suggestion
for Farm ana orchards-heeessity Tor
Uting Fertilizers.

Utl0g fertliZerb.
One thing will soon be recognized as q
fixed fact and common. sense requirement,
and that is, that the land upon which
orchards and vineyards are growing and
bearing heavily every year cannot al
ways be giving and never receiving, with
cut becoming exhausted thereby, and af-
fording an invitation to all kinds of pests
to come and lodge in its branches, and not
only destroy fruit and foliage, but also to
rob of life the tree and vine. The
power of resistance Of disease and the raw.
ages of pests is decreased upon the part OF
tree and vine in proportion to the reduction
of the element in the soil necessary to sup
ply the plant food by nature required, and
the only method of preventing the soil IN
orchards and vineyards from de-
tsrioration is to keep up natures
supplies by giving once annually, at the
most suitable season, fertilizers containing
the class of nusriment which has been de-
manded by the growth of trees and fruit.
The richness of California's soil, and its
general adsptability to fruit growing, has
caused horticulturists to be unmindful OF
the fact that ga free horse must not be
ridden to death, and it cannot be denied
that by large majority the orcbardists OF
the State, up to the present time, have not
got about giving the poor beast rest, but
are still riding, and urging forward, with
ont even so much as Offering a monday
feed to the faithful animal that is exhaust
ing itself to increasingly serve its ever
receiving and never repsying taskmaster.
Let the owners of orchards and vineyards
commence this year, and repay the faithful
soil that yields them such rich returns.
The following article upon the subject of
raisin-making in this State appears in the
american AqrioultmriSt, from the pen of
George Husmann, the well-known and
prominent vineyardist Very few are
aware of tbs vast proportions the making
of rgisins has assumed in California. Some
persons have several hundred acres ln
vines, the fruit of which is converted into
raisins, and many more vineyards planted
for the same purpose will soon come into
bearing. Rasins are made from the Alu-
catella, Gordo BlancO and Muscat of AL
exandria, preferably of the former also
seedless rsisin, highly esteemed, is made
from the seedless Sultana. The grapes
should be allowed to remain on the vine
until quite ripe, and show a yellowish
or golden color, and are more translucent
than when too green. Then they should
be carefully picked and placed upon
drying tray usually two by three feet IN
size). and exposed, with an inclination to-
ward the sun, in some convenient place,
generally between the rows IN the vine-
ward, or in some contiguous open land.
After having been exposed a sufficient
time to become about half dried, they are
turned once in this manner, viz: two
workmen taking an empty tray, place it
upon a full one, holding them firmly to-
gesher. and with swinging motion
turn them over, and replace the now
turned grapes in their former position.
The turning should be done before the
dew is quite off of the grapes IN the early
morning then, when the grapes have be-
come SO dry as to lose their ashey appar-
ance. some being little too green and
some quite dry enough, they are, after re-
moving those entirely too green, slid from
the tray into large sweating boxes, having
u thick sheet of paper between about every
twenty five or thirty pounds OF raisins /;
then removed TO the store-room, where
they should remain two weeks or more,
As soil for Taisins rich, sandy loan is
preferred the climate should be warm, the
soil moist. Winter irrigation in average
years is quite ss important as summer in
our dry valleys. For safety against many
insect pests, the phylloxera especially, 4
location is desirable where water is plenty,
and evenness of land surface permits win
ter submersion. In such favorable loca-
tions larger berry, thinner skin, better
yield, etc, Will be the result. Toe vines
are planted eight by eight feet in many To-
cations, but growers of the greatest expert
ence prefer a greater distance apart. Some
plant eight feet by ten feet, some ten by
ten feet thus giving greater vigor to each
vine, enabling it to resist enemies of all
kinds much more surely"
J. C. Hatch, of San Jose, contributes
the following TO the columns of the San
Jose Mercury. In looking over the pro.
ceedings Of late meeting of the Horti.
cultural Society in this city, | notice quite
discussion on the Goblin moth, etc. And
| was surprised to see what grave errors
some men fall into, who claim to be pos
sessed Of vast fund of knowledge on the
present question, and its enemies. For in.
stance, the belief that the moth deposits
its eggs in the rind OF the apple, is, to my
mind, q very erroneous idea. Because you
never see the marks of the worm IN fruit
until it makes it's egress from the apple.
usually at the blossom end of the fruit. |
have been familiar with the Goblin moth
for the past thirty years, and think l am
safe in saying that the eggs are deposited
in the blossom, or in the fruit IN its incip-
lent st te, and, like the silk worm In it's
cocoon. il remains in the Iruit its allotted
time and issues therefrom as a worm, drops
to the ground, and in due season it be-
comes a winged insect, ready to commit
anew its depredations, which are certainly
extremely disastrous. II the object OF the
band around the tree is to prevent the
worm from ascending the same, think 1t
will be found that by chalking (heavily) a
ring around the trees that no insect will
pass over il, as 1t Is impossible to gain a
foothold thereon.
\ Felix Gillet, of Nevada City, has re.
CeIVed 2 letter from II. II. hieeu, Oh Dan
Saba, Tex, in which he says " Your list
of grapes is a valuable one. l have been
experimenting with foreign grapes in my
garden for the last five years, and expect
to continue TO try few new ones every
wear. So far have found nothing equal
10 the White Calabre 1t does well where
the Muscat, Mission and some other varie-
ties have died out. You can safely recon.
mend it to your customers in Texas for
open-air planting. The best vine l have is
growing where the ground is wet" The
White Cslsbre, or Blanc de Calabre, is de-
scribed BY Mr. Gillet in his catalogue as
follows a magnificent market grape.
Bunches large berries well set medium
large to large, round, firm splendid fla
vor; very sweet At maturity the grape
turns yellow, almost transparent. Skin
thick, stem tough, which constitutes this
variety as one Of the best shipping grapes.
Medium.
The Pasadena and Valley Union, in answer.
ing the question asked by a correspondent,
Does fruit-growing psy?' concludes an
extended article by saying "Ffuit-
growing does pay where proper conditions
are selected, and the occupation is made a
business and one has patience to labor and
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