Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-09-06
THE FARM.
THE UNUSUAL WHEAT YIELD OF
THE STATE.
Value of Poultry Raising
General Notes i'll Point.


excess of all estimates thus far made, even
after heading had been completed, and in
many cases the yield is double the amount
anticipated. This is especially the case ON
the west side of the Sacramento valley.
north of Woodland. In ColuSa county
such yield has never before been known.
The heading has but just been completed,
and while all the thrashing machines that
can be obtained are being used to their ut
most capacity, 80 small proportion of the
grain stacks, or Sittings, have been reached,
that person riding through that section
on the cars can hardly see that the work
has been commenced.
At Willows the total amount of wheat
stored in the warehouses last year was 5000
tons, whereas there had already been re-
ceiYed ten days ago, at that place, over6,000
tons, and the lowest estimate of the storage
capacity that will be required when thrash
ing is completed is 10000 tons. One gen
tleman remarked that he had expected
about 400 sacks from u certain portion Of
his ranch where thraShing had just been
finished, but about double that number of
sacks, he said, were finally required 9th
ers around him, he stated humorously,
' are being very similarly disappointed by
the thraSher."
As an explanation of the increased ton
mage this year, it is stated by extensive
wheat-growers i'll Colusa county that the
late rains were so beneficial in that section
that excellent full crops were produced on
many fields which were standing the sec
ond year in volunteer is, the third
crop since plowing or second vol
unteer crop. The fact Is, that much
which was lodged or broken down
by the late heavy rains necessitated
cutting lower upon the straw than usual,
in order to secure all the grain and this is
making the working of the thrashing much
slower, and in some sections will no doubt
protract so much that thrashing will not be
finished before the fall rains commence.
The disposition of Wheat-growers is at
present not to accept the low prices offered
but to hold through the winter, if need be,
for better rates, and this, with the unusual
yield, will tax the warehouse storage capa-
city to the utmost.
There is too much disposition in Califor-
MIA, as well as generally elsewhere, to cut
down trees which stand about the farm, as
needless cumberers of the ground" and
as worth more for the small amount of
wood they will make than as shade for
stock and conScryatorS of desirable climatic
condition. The RECoRD-UNIoS has very
frequently urged the necessity for prcSerV-
ing our forests and growing timber, upon
the ground of their effect upon the rainfall
of the State The American AgrtcttituriSt, in
a recent number, makes the following plea
for shade trees upon the farm, with the
benefits to be derived from them. 1t says ::
A few well formed trees along the fence rows,
and even scattered here and there in the open
fields, add greatly to the appearance and value
of farm Cattle, sheep and other farm ami
mails suffer greatly from the hot sun when con
fined. in shadeleSs pasture i'll midsummer.
They Will seek the slight protection from the
broiling sun a fence may Afford or stand hud-
died together for hours, with their heads shaded
by each other, i'll a most unheathf Il manner.
Animals thus exposed do not give the best re
turns to their owners. and for this reason, if
not for comforts sake they should be pro
yided with shade. Some farmers object to trees
in the pasture because their shade is too inVit-
ing and keeps the live stock from feeding
Farm animals need not Craze all the time, and
with good pasturagc, can get all the grass they
need in the cool portions of the day between
which they should have refreshing shade for
chewing the cud of c0ntentmcnt Men are not
the only creatures that may be suHStruck
cows unduly EXPOSED 10 heat frequently become
sick, quickly falling of in milk, and may re-
quire weeks of expensive nursing 10 bring
them back to good health. Trees are an Cbstruc-
lion 20 the cultivation of field. and occupy the
soil for several feet around them, to the eXclu-
sion of grain or other crops, and therefore it is
best to plant mos of the trees along the line of
boundary fences. The tired ldbOrer Is thankful
for few minutes OF rest and shade and doubt
less will do more work by taking an occasional
" breathing spell" under a tree. A tree in mid
field NAV be chestnut or hickory, and make
good returns for the space it occupies in nuts
well as refreshing shade. In many folds
there is a low place with spring or small rl,--
ming stream, and is well fitted for group of
trees In short, any part OF a field not suited to
cultivation may prohtablY grow a few trees,
thus afording retreat for the live stock from
the midday sun and driving storms If the
sfaa lta ir NI-il1 to m,
vide temporary shelter. -Four strong posts
with forks at the top may support two poles:
across these lay smaller poles for ralters The
top may be covered with straw, swale hay or.
il more convenient, brush may be cut and laid
upon the skeleton roof.
For the amount of capital invested, says
the Poultry Keeper there is nothing on a
farm that will return so large a profit as
poultry. AS a source of national wealth a
comparison of figures shows that the sum
= derived by our people from poultry and
eggs is much larger than from some ami
mails, and strange to say, despite all we can
do to supply the demand for eggs there are
importations of them being made from
Germany. France, with limited area,
compared with ours, produces eggs to the
value of Si0000,000 annually, and CON
sidering that this vast sum is the production
of those of limited means, the raising of
poultry is one that is not exclusively in the
hands of the wealthy, but within the pro-
vince of all. The annual production of
chickens is S0,000000, valued at $24, 900 900,
while the capous and fattcd fowls bring
over $2,000,000 more. The total value
of the productions from poultry
reach but little below 100000, 600.
The above facts impress upon those
interested the Importance of poultry as a
source of wealth, not only to the private
individual. but also to the nation The
sum derived is enough to pay half the in
tereSt Of our national debt, and is more
evenly distributed than that derived in anv
other way. There is no limit to the de
mand for poultry, not only that which
comes from farms, but for pure breeds.
Within the last ten years thcrc has been
more attention paid TO the breeding of
poultry than during any previous fifty
years, and the more the people become
familiar with the value Of poultry as
source Of profit the greater the demand. the
larger the profits and the wider the field Of
operations. There Is not city, town, vii
lage or hamlet that does not possess some
specimens of the ftathered tribes, and the
poultry journals have done much TO in
crease the interest.
In Professor Saterlee's " Planting a Nut
Grove" in which he advocates the growing
of nut trees fOrshaie trees, in place of those
that are not nut bearers, he says Every
farmer boy and girl should have a yearly
fill of all the pleasures Of nut gathering.
In many sections of the country there is a
boy for each nut produced, which is bad for
both the boys and the trees. Let Us plant
nuts, and, III ten years. gather from road
side and fieldSidc The fruits of such labor
The children viii watch the trees grow.
and bless the hands which planted them"
dispatch from Vera Cruz, Mexico. saws:
Ayriads of IoCusts have appeared in this
State, and notwithstanding immense guam
titles have been killed, great destruction to
crops has resulted. In YuCatan and south
ern Mexico one hundred square miles of
country is covered with the pests. and corn.
grass and other crops utterly DESTROYED. II
is said that thousands Of families depend-
ent upon small crops will have to be sun
ported by the Government during the next
six months.
1t won't do 10 hasten slowly" in milk
ing, says 3 writer upon dairying for milk
ing should be done rapidly and thoroughly.
Slow milking of cows never secures the
full product. The COW becomes tired of
relaxing the udder muscles, and after a
time resumes the more natural position of
contrib ling them. This makes much strip
ping necessary. and slow mixer will
never have patience to strip a long time.
Partial milking soon dries the cow, and
greatly reduces her value.
II il stated that S c. ColtriD of CalistoCa