Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-10-29
AGRICULTURE.

AGRICULTURE.
A CALIFORNIA VINTfARD.-Oneh hun.
dred and forty men are now engaged IL
picking the grape crop at the Barton
vineyard. Mr.. Barton estimates the
yield of his vineyard this season at about
1000 tons His Zinfandel grapes are
turning ont at the rate of about seven
tons per acre ON the year old vines.
From one acre of choice vines he OBJ
tanned nine tons of grapes. The acre
originally contained $50 vines, but some
few of the vines died when first planted,
go that there are but $50 yines growing.
The yield of the vineyard last year was
less than $50 tons, showing an increase
in the crop in one season of about j, 700
tons. There are in Yuba and Sutter
counties land well adapted for grape
growing that can be bought for one-fifth
of the value of Illinois corn land. We
have just as good climate and soils for
all kinds of fruit as any in the State,
and that is equivalent TO saying in the
world. If our idle lands in these two
countries were devoted to orchards and
vines, and cultivated with skill, the val
ues of productions would be increased
millions of dollars. One large cannery
like Lusk's in Oakland, would increase
the population OF the city 33 per cent.
The lands in Fresno County have dou-
bIed in value in the three years by fruit
tree and wlne-planting. The vineyard
spoken of contains less than 300 acres,
and it yields $50, 900 worth of grapes.
Once turn the tide OF immigration here
and in ten years we can rank with Son.
oma Country as fruit producer.
THE CABBAGE MAGGoT. insect
is becoming a worst pest every year.
Already thousands of dollars are lost
annually in the vicinity of our large
cities on account of its ravages. The
eggs, which are laid by fly about the
size of the common house fly, hatch
into small, hght-colored maggots.
These maggots absorb the sap from the
roots of the plant, causing it to wither
and die. Many remedies have been
tried for this pest with varying success.
Among other substances bisulphide of
carbon has been much recommended,
but the experience of the past season
has shown that 1t cannot be used with
put danger to the plants An Ontario gar
iener has recently advocated the use OF
solution of corrosive sublimate. He
iissolves an ounce of the poison in hot
water and then adds four gallons of
sold, soft water. The roots Of the
plants are dipped in this mixture before
setting and the earth in which they are
set is wet with it. As this substance is
a deadly and very active poison the
greatest care is required in handling 1t.
The solution must not come in contact
with any kind of metal. On account of
It's poisonous nature 1t is doubtful if
It Will ever be generally used.
FARMERS AND HEALTH.-The causes
of sickness among farmers are summar-
zed to the following effect: 81. Over
work and exposure. the women being
more frequently overworked. 2. I'M
proper and improperly cooked food 3.
Damp location of dwellings,. l. Want
of cleanliness about their houses, espe-
,lally in reference to drains, cellars and
proximity to bsrnyards and hogpens.
). Impure drinking water, largely due
20 the preceding cause. 6. Bedrooms
imperfecty v ventilated and on the
ground floor, with too general use of
leather beds.
BUGs.-A practical gardener gives
The following directions for killing bugs:
lake the leaves and stems of the tomato
plant and boil them in water until the
Juice is extracted. When the liquid is
cold it is to be sprinkled over the plants
attacked with insects, when it at once
destroys caterplllars. black and green
dies, gnats, lice and other enemie, to
vegetables, and in no way lmpairs the
growth OF the plants. A peculiar odor
remains and prevents insects from CON-
ing again for a long time. Everybody
give it a trial aud see how nice it works.
PRUSI>G-It Is claimed by an exper-
fenced hortieuiturist that there Is moth
ing equal to the little and often system
Of pruning, or rather pinching. The
soft young shoots can be easily removed
by the finger and thumb, and the pruu-
ing, instead OF being confined to q single
period. extends throughout the whole
that demands pruning.
ONE advantage in the soiling system
is the freedom from weeds in the feed,
which with COWS at pasture in summer
gives q bitter taste tO milk and butter.
With corn fodder, millet or other culil-
waited crops suitable for soiling purposes,
there is better quality and greater uni
formity in the milk product.
MARKET gardeners lind the growing
of small cucumbers for pickles one of
their most profitable crops. In most
farm neighbOrhoods batch of cucum-
bers for pickles will find a marke: among
farmers at better prices than the market
gardeners obtain at wholesale for their
crop.
THERE is so great difference in the
feed of cows in various milk tests that
the result Is quite often as much test
Of the different kinds OF feed and the
skill of the feeder as of the capacity of
the COW. If all milk and butter tests
were made on grass as feed, their value
to most COW buyers would be greater.
1HE great difficulty in applying stable
to onions is that 1t is full of
seeds, making large extra expense in
wedding. 1t also makes the soil too
light. Mineral fertilizers furnish no
weed seeds, and their effect is to slightly
harden the ground, causing II better
sett ng and fewer sculliOns.
AMERICAN farmers find that turnips
or ruta-bagas leave the land clean from
weeds, but much less fertile than before
they were grown. English farmers say
the turDip is a renovating crop, but it is
so only by feeding the crop on the ground
where grown, together with much grain
or oil meal.
BEGIN now to gather up litter and
other material to put upon the fields as
soon as the crops are removed. Do not
forget that vegetable matter is the
source OF all improvement, and so uti-
I've all that your farm affords. Haul it
on the fields and spread it as early in
the fall as you can.
A COW that produces only half a
pound of butter per day will cost as