Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-11
THE FARM.
EXCELLENT OUTLOOK FOR A
PROSPEROUS YEAR.
THE Wheat Products of the World
Prune Industry-Profitable
Foothil Farming.

The very c0plOuS ram winch las Flslleu
the State the present week has been suf-
ficient, in many sections, to enable plow-
ing to be commenced, and the work of
preparation and seeding will now go briskly
on. The rain has held off to an unusually
late date, but no detriment has been en-
tailed thereby upon farmers. and II sui
ficient rainfall follows the present begin
ming, so as to keep vegetation steadily
growing, without setback from the dry
spells which are frequently experienced
here in winter, the seasons growth of
cereals, ETC.. may yet be more forward than
if we had received earlier rains. At all
events, every one seems satisfied and happy
over the present situation and prosperous
outlook.
Placer county bids fair to come to the
front at no far future day as one Of the
leaders in olive culture. There are now in
the vicinity of Auburn and Newcastle quite
a number of trees; and one gentleman,
Mr.. Gould, will this year make good
quantity of oil, and has made fair offers to
his neighbors to buy what olives they have,
for the purpose of making oil therefrom.
One of the most noteworthy efforts in olive
raising is that OF VIM. shillingeberg, near
Newcastle, who last year set out 900 trees.
So encouraging has been his success that
at the present time he has upon his place
a large number of men clearing off 16-
acre tract, which he proposes setting out
with olive trees as quickly as he can get
them into the ground, and he proposes
increasing his acreage up to 200 acres as
rapidly as possible. He also planted last
March a large number of grape vines,
many of which, even now, of the Black
Morocco variety, are loaded with grapes.
Some of his young pear trees planted last
spring also bore little fruit this year.
PRUNEs FROM FRANCE.
S. f. Leib, of San Jose, well known as a
prune-grower. has recently returned from
an Eastern visit While at the East he took
occasion to examine the condition of the
prune market, and has given the San Jose
Times some of his observations, among
others the following:
There are serious obstacles to overcome
as regards marketing our prunes. In por-
tions of the country west of the Mississippi
the population is too sparse to make any
considerable market at present, while
freights to those regions from here are
actually higher than to the seaboard cities
in consequence of the present fight between
the Pacific Mail Steamship line and the
railroads, which involves rates cut down
probably to a small margin, if any, above
the cost of service. The rates to Denver
for instance, are 81 80 per 100 pounds for
prunes in less than carload lots, while to
New York they are 81 49,, and for carloads
9l4 cents. Including extras, this would
not be less than II cents per pound, and
whenever the Pacific Mail and the rail
roads agree, that rate is liable to be nearly
doubled.
On the other hand, leading dealer in
New York, Frenchman by birth, having
an experience of half lifetime in the
prune business, informed Mr.. Leib that
freights from French ports TO New York
were only So per ton, or one-quarter OF
cent per pound, TO which is added a duty
of one cent per pound. This places the
California and the French prunes on an ex-
act equality in the New York market, with
the important exception of the cost of pro-
.duction, and it is here the shoe pinches.
L Sdlu 10 AlI1, I6lldl hGO MI 1ClDp
understand that in France you only pay
30 cents a day. This he indignantly de
MED, claiming that they paid four cents an
hour. Very well, replied, we will con-
cede vou the extra dime.
This gentleman further informed Mr..
Leib that until within four or five years
prunes in France had only been grown in
odd corners, along hedges, ETC., and not
planted Systematically in orchards as with
us but after large areas of vine land had
been devastated by the phylloxera and
efforts had been made, without success, TO
stop the pest by destroying the vines and
replanting, the vines had been taken oil
the second time and the land planted with
prunes. 1t was the first sprinkiings from
these orchards, the Frenchman claimed,
from these phylloxera lands, and not-as
Mr.Leib upposed-unusually large crops,
that had for some years past overloaded
the American market. When these or
chards come into full bearing, California
prunes will go out of the market, and Cali
fornia prune orchards out OF existence
remarked the Frenchman.
In Mr. Leib's opinion, the cheaper labor
and extensive planting of prunes in France
will drive California prunes out of the
Eastern markets unless the duty is in
creased from one cent to three cents per
pound. And in event of that market
being closed to US, it would affect not only
that but all of the other industries of tee
county in a greater or less degree.
How HORSES SLEEP.
Horses get some rest standing, provided
the position be reasonably easy, but no full
rest except recumbent. 1t is known Of
some horses that they never lie down in a
stall, though if kept in pasture they take
their rest habitually in a recumbent posi-
ton. 1t is well to consider whether this
habit has not been forced upon the horse
by some circumstance connected with the
stall he was made to occupy, in that it had
a muddy dirt floor, or one made of dilapi-
dated plank, uncomfortable and otfense to
the horse that has been accustomed to Sc
lect his own bed in the pasture lot If the
horse can have the privilege of selecting
his own position for resting in the standing
posture, he can sleep standing but while
his muscles may be to degree relaxed,
and get rest in that position, what can we
say of the bearings at the joints2 Without
relief through the recumbent position the
Joint surfaces are forced to bear q weight
VARYING from GOO to 500 pounds contin-
uously. This must act uniavorably, espe-
cially upon the complicated structures
within the hoofs, which nature intended
should have periods of rest each day. Il
will be well before the horses and cattle
are put up for the coming winter to settlet the
question of comfort BY repairing the floors
and providing abundant bedding.
WHEAT PRODUCTION.
The Pacific Rural Press has the following
interesting facts concerning wheat prOduc
ton Statistics show that the wheat pro-
duction of the United States is something
over 20 per cent. of the quantity produced
in the whole of Europe. The wheat crop
OF this country for 1882 was 504000,e00
bushels, and for 1888 it was 421, 000, 900
bushels The next largest wheat producer
is Franccwhich produced 546, 600 900 bush
els in 1882. which fell of to 2S5, 900, 600
bushels in 1883. France never furnishes
the full demands for her own consumption,
but imports more or less every year. Rus
STA comes next to France. She produced
POS O0o, 600 bushels in 1882. but only 160-
100000 in 1883. Russia, with a much larger
population than France, produces less wheat
and vet exports considerable Her people