Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-08-22
FARM AND FRUIT.
PRACTICAL HINTS AND VALUABLE
EXPERIENCES.
Fertilizer for Grapevines-Care of
Swine-Foot-Rot in Sheep-Gen-
eraI Notes of Interest.


The fact that before many years the ques-
ton Of fertilizing orchards and vineyards
will necessarily be considered in this State
was recently set forth in these columns.
Also reference was made to the difficulty
experienced in the vine-growing sections in
Ohio to find any fertilizer which seemed to
refurnish the soil with the elements ex-
tracted therefrom by the growing Of grape
vines. The New York Tribune. speaking
upon this subject, says:
Experiments with commercial fertilizers
in vineyards, continued for four years in
the Rhine district. have given encouraging
results, showing that such manures can be
probably substituted for stable manure, as
to effect on both quantity and quality of
the fruit, although in general no important
advantage over stable manure is gained.
Nevertheless, it may be comforting to those
who cannot get for their vines all the sta
bic manure they would like to know that
by jIdicious use of superphosphates, potash
salts. and nitrogen compounds, they may
be able to get, with the same outlay as for
stable manure, just as good crops and often
better ones. 1t was observed in these ex-
periments that less favorable results were
obtained with white than with colored
grapes. The explanation is given that
white grapes are deeper rooted, and that
the manure should have been put in deeper
to get the same results The best method
OF applying the fertilizer was found to be
70 make with an iron post-hole bar narrow
oblong excavations about eighteen inches
deep at short distances from the vines, and
TO sprinkle in each hole four or five ounces
OF the manure four or five excavations
may be made around each vine. and they
are LETT open to collect the rain for the solu-
ton and distribution of the plant food the
application is made late in the fall or early
III the spring. \ mixture containing per
cent. of soluble phosphoric acid, per cent
OF potash as sulphate, and per cent Of
nitrogen as ammonia salts or nitrate, has
given the best results for deeper rooted
grapes, the nitrogen is better applied in the
form of nitrate so that when taken into
solution il may sink deeper.
FEEDING PIGs-THE swILL BARREL.
There is no better food for Young PIGS
after weaving than good skinned milk
with little sweet, moderately fine wheat
bran and corn meal stirred into it There
should not be large proportion of meal in
the mixture at first, nor SO long as the pig
Is making growth though corn meal is ex-
cellent to finish of fattening with. Many
young pig has been spoiled by ogerfeed-
ing with corn or cornmeal. 1t is impossible
to get good growth on such food alone.
Clear milk would be better, but milk will
pay larger profit when given in connec-
ton with some grain. Milk alone is rather
too bulky tor q sole diet; it distends the
stomach too much, and gives the animal
too much to do to get rid of the surplus
IL /.
oyerteeding. When first weaned they
should be given little at a time and often
They always will put foot in the trough.
and food left before them for leng time
gets so dirty that it may be entirely unfit to
SIC eaten. But one of the worst methods of
feeding milk to pigs is to have it stand in n
sour swill barrel, mixed in along with Gu
cumber parings, sweet corn cobS and other
Kitchen waste, till the whole mass is far
advanced in the fermentation stage.
Sweet milk is good, and milk that is
slightly sour may be better-it NAV be
even more easily digested-but milk that
has soured till it bubbles, till the sugar in
1t has turned into alcohol or vinegar is not
lit food for swine of any age, and certainly
not for young pigs that have Just been
taken from their mother. A hog will en-
Gure considerable abuse. will live in wet
and filthy pens will eat almost every sort
OF food, and often thrive fairly we'll bat
pug that Is kept in comfortable quarters and
fed on wholesome food will pay a much
better profit TO the owner and furnish much
Sweeter pork for the barrel Nearly all the
diseases which hogs are subject to are
caused by cold, wet pens, or BY sour in
terror swill. Better throw surplus milk
away, than keep it till ii rots and then force
1t down the Threats of swine. Farmers
should keep swine enough to take all the
waste of the farm while in fresh condition.
and then supplement it with good wheat
-mlddllngs and corn meal. Our own prac-
tee has been to keep pigs enough to take
the SKINNED milk each day direct from
the dairy-room without the use of a swill
oarrel to store and sour it in. A swih
barrel in summer is a nuisance on any
farm. We could never find good place to
keep 1t, where it would not draw flies or
breed flies. In winter it would be less OBJ
Jectlonable, but it is a nuisance at all times
and in all piaces.-[N. E. Farmer.
Foor-Ror IN SHEEP.
II is far easier to prevent foot-rot than to
cure it. Once, in the writer's experience,
we had it in large flock of sheep for two
years. We finally cured it, but it was q
tough job, and we have had wholesome
dread of it ever since. We now keep a
gallon jug of carbolic acid always at hand,
and whenever a sheep is lame, or the hoofs
need pairing, we apply, with brush, lit
tie crude carbolic acid to the feet. Two or
three times year we make a business of
going over the whole flock, and give a
liberal application of carbolic acid to every
shoof. We have had but one case of gen
suine foot-rot since we adopted this practice.
now more than a dozen years ago. This
one case was easily cured. For cure or
prevention, we know of nothing better or
cheaper than carbolic acid Sulphuric or
murlatic acid Will answer as well. Both
are cheap, and both useful for many pur-
poses on the farm, provided you know how
TO use them and take proper care of them
to prevent accidents. On the first appear
ance of the disease, every sheep and lamb
and every loot, and every hoof and every
toe, especially the parts between the toes
should be carefully and thoroughly washed
with carbolic acid. In two or three days
go over the whole flock again, and, if there
are any new cases, separate them-not
merely for fear of contagion, but for con-
Eenience in dressing them repeatedly
tJoseph Harris, in American Agriculturist
HOW TO DRY FRENCH PRUYEs.
f. c. Winton, of Haywards, Alameda
county, recommends the following method
for drying French prunes In the frs
place" he says, "they should be ripe
enough to fall from the tree when shaken
To forty gallons of water use one and one
half pounds of concentrated I've. Wher
the mixture boils dip the fruit Let it stay
long enough in the water to scald the skins
then dip them in pure, cold water, wheI
they will be ready for the drying frames
A common galvanized iron pail with /
inch holes punched from one to two inche:
apart in the bottom and sides, makes III,
best kind of dipper Do not let the frui
dry too long, as it will keep without bein.
dried to death. After drying, dip the frui
in boiling hot water one or two minutes
and then steam from three to ter minutes
Let it dry little while, then box for tn,
market"
EFFECTS OF TREE PLANTING.
a COrresnOndert writes To Tia L orn..o.