Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-12-27
FARM AND FRUIT.
FINE PROSPECTS CAUSED BY THE
TIMELY RAIN.
Manuring Fruit Trees-Deep Flowing
and Moisture-Raisin Curing
General Notes.

The very bountiful rain Of the past week
has most thoroughly moistened and even
soaked the ground to all required depths
for blowing and the putting forward of
other classes of farm work which have
been awaiting such condition. The busy
season of glowing the fertile meadows"
will now set in with full force of men and
teams, and the winters work, if continued
rains DO not prove too abundant, will be
put forward in fine time for gaining to the
farmer all the advantages arising from
early winter planting. The low prices Of
wheat during the past fall, and which still
continue, viii do much to decrease the
acreage of cereals for 1885 Added to this
cause will be also noticed the further eff
feet toward limiting the area of grain
fields, arising from the large increase of
orchards and vineyards upon lands FORM
erly sown to grain. It is a popularity,
if not failing, with people in general
and more especially in America-for all
to rush into or out of various industries
much like sheep whenever greener pastures
appear in sight, than those already occu-
pied; and this is constantly done regard
less Of the patent fact that when all
commence to migrate from one industry
to another, it is the propitious time to re-
main in the occupation or industry being
thus left behind, as the very fact of many
entering upon the changed relation will
insure increased profits and success to those
who content themselves to remain in the
previously occupied fields. 1t may not be
that there is any danger of too many Civ
ing up wheat growing at the present time,
but simply because wheat is low in price
at present. is not good cause upon which
to base anticipations that next seasons
crop Will not bring renumerative returns.
MANURISG FRUIT TREES.
That fruit trees require large amount
of food is obvious. The tree itself takes
from the soil much material. When
large tree is cut down or removed, the
ground where it stood is found to be in
very poor condition Its former site is
bad place to plant another tree of the same
or of different species. The ground long
occupied by an orchard under the ordinary
management is generally found to be in
very poor condition to produce ordinary
field crops. 1t ought to be well MANFRED
or devoted to what is known as resting
crops" such as clover and grass, before it
can produce good corn or small grain.
The plant food taken from the soil 10 pro-
duce an annual crop of apples is enor-
NOUS Single trees have been known TO
produce on an average twenty bushels per
year for long period. 1t is obvious that
such trees have robbed the soil of most of
its fertility for the entire distance traversed
by their roots If no new nutriment is
afforded, the trees must cease to grow and
stop producing fruit. The trees cannot
move in search of food, as animals,
birds, fishes and insects do. The food
must be brought to them, or they will
die of starvation or become victims of
disease While it is obvious that fruit
trees must be fed, considerable judgment
should be exercised in the selection and
application of it. Green, unfermented
stable manures ought not to be employed.
Stable manure, however, if thoroughly fer
mented, is excellent. 1t is improved by
stirring it during one entire season, and by
forking it over two or three times. A
compound formed of stable manure, forest
leaves, muck and turf is also excellent
Ashes and air-slacked lime is also highly
beneficial. Good results are often Oh
tanned by Incorporating these fertilizers
with the soil by means of 4 spading fork.
When this is done the ground should be
afterward tramped nearly rs hard as it was
before the manure was applied. Good re-
suits are ordinarily obtained by applying
the manure in the form of a top-dressing.
Little labor is required TO apply manure
in this manner, and no injury is done to
the roots of the trees. The soluble portions
of the manure are carried downward by
every rain, and in time reach the soil that
IS occupied by the roots,-[The Patron.
DEEP, FLOWING AND MOISTURE.
The question is often asked, Z" How does
deep blowing make the soil moiSter ?' |
believe it is an accepted fact that wherever
warm air comes in contact with a body
cooler than ITSELF the water in it condenses
into drops On warm day we see it often
on the outside OF pitcher of cold water.
Fogs and dews are made in that way, and
our rain, most Of it, coming up from the
gulf in those heavy currents of warm air
that we frequently have When we pull
verize the soil deep, the warm air which is
through it, and the ground being cooler
than the air condenses the water into
drops, which answers in place Of rain; so
the deeper and the more We pulverize it,
the more moisture it viii collect from the
air Thirty years ago there was a terrible
drought in the East Professor Mapes a
large market-gardener had had his ground
underdrained and SUBSIDIZED and his crops,
where he could, were cultivated with
subsoil plow A committee went to see his
place after nine weeks OF drought, and
they found everything as Furnishing as if
there had been plenty of rain. His corn
lit was the Sd Of SEPTEMBER was estimated
at 90 bushels to the acre, while on land
cultivated in the usual way, near by, il was
all burnt up. While do not think deep
blowing is everything, still | think deep
and thorough pulveriziug Of our land viii
lessen the effects Of q drought Z. W
Brown, in Kansas Farmer
FBUrr-TBEE WASH.
For the past twenty years, writes VIM
Saunders 10 an exchange, | have used a
mixture Of lime and sulphur as a wash for
the prevention and destruction of fungoid
growths on all kinds OF fruit trees, and
with decidedly beneficial effects 1t is now
we'll ascertained that many Of the diseases
of both vegetables and animals are due TO
fIngoid growths, and sulphur is the best
known and one of the most potent anti
o. !