Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-02-28
ABOUT FIG cULTuRE.

the demand of home markets, canning and
shipping. There are very few more to
try, but among them are some Of the great
est value. While having grown peaches
pears and apricots with varying success,
we at last awaken to the fact that we have
the country for figs and olives. The figs
hitherto grown and introduced in Califor-
MIA, have been of little or no value. In
deed, it seems that the poorest varieties
have been selected for us, and undoubtedly
importers of fig trees have until lately
been imposed upon by the fig growers in
the old countries, who feared competition,
and sent us the worst they had. The fact
is, until lately no good dry figs have been
produced in California, for the simple rea-
son that we did not have the varieties pro
ducing them; another reason is that the
trees have not been planted in the locali-
ties where they would do the best. Figs
should not be grown on wet soil the trees
grow we'll enough there, but the figs pro
duced there are inferior, not sweet, poorly
favored and tough skinned. The trees
that produce the fig of commerce
grow on dry, o. at least not low
land, where they can receive abundance
of water in the spring and early summer
but in the latter months be dried of and
hardened. In California, 3ntii lately, the
Mission fig was all we had. 1t IS passing
away like the Mission grape. Why the
fathers planted it in preference to better
kinds is a mystery. Los Angeles has made
Il success of iig culture with poor white
Celeste or Ischia-not III drying. but in
preparing candied fruit. At 40 cents a
pound for such fruit it pays enormously,
every tree when old bearing 1000 pounds.
With the introduction of the true tig OF
commerce, the White Adriatic, 4 new era
seems to have begun. This fig is said TO
be very different from the so-called 'strue
SMYRNA " which never proved true at all.
1t produces crop the second year of mag
nifeent, very thin-sbinned fruit, with 3
pulp like transparent honey, and when
dried has proved equal to the imported,
selling at p to 10 cents a pound, and SC
great is the demand that 4 I0000-acre
orchard Of this fig would not nearly supply
the market. There are several reasont
why We should plant figs, viz: Fig trees
need no pruning; fig trees have no insect
enemies; fig trees bear enormous crops
fie trees live for a thousand years tigs
need very little handling in curing and
packing-muth less than any other fruit
known; and finally, fig trees do not riper
their crop al at 'once, but all through q
long season. Fresno Republican.
TREE PLANTING.
The season for tree planting i now pref
"A. . a H..
practical orchardist, and published in the
Cilroy Faiiey Record, may be OF interest to
some Of our readers: "a tree only enc foot
high is better than one overgrowth of five
or six feet. if il has good roots My choice
would be an average Of thirty inches from
the crown for one-vear-old trees. Having
obtained your trees, take a pair OF pruning
shears or . knife and cut off one-third Of
the top. The tree when taken up was be-
relt of most of its roots and necessarily a
portion of its supply Of sap has been ma
teriaIlv reduced both by cutting off the
roots and by the further process Of trans
planting. Apple trees require consider
able room. more so than other fruit, and
should be planted not less than twenty
feet apart. even thirty Is more like i. The
holes do not require 20 BE very deep and
should he regulated entirely by the soil
and the size of the tree. The top dirt
should .>e put in the place Of the bottom
and pulyerized well. The roots should be
spread out in different directions and the
dirt pushed around them with the fingers,
not tsamped with the feet or with . stick.
The tree should he set ont about rs deep as
il was in the nursery and the dirt piled up
Il little afterward TO allow for settling. The
sooner the tree is in the ground the better.
osIER WILLOW.
At the Vine-Growers' Club, recently
held at Liyermore, says the Herald, DR.,
Bernard suggested that the vine-grower
should plant the basket willow The ex-
Pense Of tying up vines continues for
three or four years. Those who tied last
year understand the expense. This year
the vines, being larger, must be tied with
tarred rope. Il costs, laid down here q
little over 10 cents q pound. 1t comes in
bad shape, making waste and cutting the
vine. The basket willow, or osier. is ex-
Cellent for tying vines. Ii holds the vine
firmer, as it takes the form Of the stake
II does not ch.te, and viii net iniuro the
vine. II planted in proper soil-deep
sediment viii dot viii well repay the
trouble. II nipped when the shoots are Z
foot long, they throw out 4 great mass Of
shoots, which arc rcsdy for use. The cut
tngs can be obtained in Napa; they come
two and one-hah feet long, and will pro-
duee tying up material the first year.
n NEW FIBER PLANT.
An Appleton wis paper reports the
discovery in that region Of new fiber
plant, which produces kind Of cotton
and fax from the same stalk. 1t has
already been woven into fabrics and as any
article that viii make rs good cloth as can
he made from this plant viii also make
good paper, il has been called the paper
plant. Ii can be planted in the spring and
cut in the fall or winter. Il beaches Itself
white as ii stands, and viii yield from
three to four tons to the acre From q
single root that WAS transplanted last
spring grew 70 large stalks, with 365 pods
containing the cotton, with At least 60
seeds in each pod. From this root were
obtained seven ounces Of pure cotton and
over one pound Of fax. II is 4 very heavy
plant, and grows from six to seven feet
high.
TO KEEP GRAPES FRBH
Grapes may be preserved in a fresh state
until January, February or March by
very simple device Before the fruit is
fully ripened cover the vine with gunny-
sack, tying the sack snugly about the bot
tom. In adjusting the sack the ends of
canes may be cut away if necessary. Thus
protected the fruit will ripen gradually,
and continue to draw enough sap from the
vine to keep perfectly fresh several months
after the usual time of maturing. Some
grape-growers in the vicinity of the larger
cities make good speculation by sackiDg