Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-03
THE FARM.
MATTERS PERTAINING TO AGRI.
Culture AND HORTICULTURE.
-be Outlook for the Season-Pros-
poets in Foothill and Val
Iey-General Items.

~
ming them, is Just now attracting attention.
There does not seem 10 be any valid reason
rbv under this method of handling this
delicious fruit-which it most certainly is
when preserved or canned-there should
not be found a ready market for all that are
being produced or that are likely to be.
There is no more heaIthful fruit grown in
California, nor any kind that is more pro
life or easy of cultivation. With all these
facts in their favor, it may be confidently
anticipated that figs will at early day be a
staple product in the State. The expert
ment OF E. w Maslin, Of growing the
white Adriatic or Smyrna figs from plant
ing the imported figs Of commerce. prom
Uses to be entirely successful, although the
seedlings may not follow true to kind.
This. However, can only be determined
when his trees come into bearing, which
they will soon do. His young trees thus
Obtained have made remarkable growth,
and are looking well. Concerning the sub
ieet of fg-canning, the Fresno Republican
makes these remarks:
Much attention is now being directed to
the canning Of figs in glass. 1t only seems
strange that this has not been done long
before. The fig, when properly canned
and pickled, is a most delicious fruit, and
it needs very little pushing to have it intro
duced TO the Eastern States, not only as
luxury, but also as a necessity. The very
fact that California especially, OF all the
Stateg. is eminently fitted for the cultIya-
ton of figs, should suggest to US the posi-
bilitv of q most profitable hg culture.
a.. - r,,.sf1 M
pally relies upon the fig culture as a susie
NANCE 10 its inhabitants, America has not
vet recognized tie importance of figs as an
article Of food. 1t is especially the white
FIGS which are valuable for canning, the
black ones being less So on account of their
color, though they may be as finely TIA
vored and as sweet. There are evidently
many WAYS IN which figs may be canned
in sweet syrups alone, in sweet syrups with
fiavors, and in the way Of pickles. We see
no reason why a most lucrative industry
should not be built up in this way, and
why fg-eauning should not be even more
profitable than the canning aud drying OF
peaches and apricots.'
FooTHILL FRUITS AND INSECT PESTS.
In a recent letter written by Felix Gillet
Of Nevada City-the well-known nursery
man and fruit-grower, and formerly a
member of the State Board OF Horticult-
ure 10 q gentleman in Sacramento, MIR.
Gillet says:
1--WE are to have an immense crop Of
grapes in the mountains this year. l have
never seen the vines so full before. On my
barren hill have vines with four large
punches Of grapes Oh one single cane. Just
think of it. some vines ready to yield nifty
pounds If grapes per vine. Talk about
thai promised land of Moses; | tell you
we have it right here in California
The gum which has caused such ter
Iible havoc among the peaches, apricots
and other stone fruits throughout the State,
especially the peaches and apricots, which
were almost cleaned out in some parts OF
southern California, in Fresno county, and
Ia the Sacramento valley has been rather
mild with us this year, so much so that
cherries and plums have done better than
they have for the past eight years, Our
peach and apricot trees have been badly
injured, however, by the gum The
pear crop will be good, but not so large as
that of last year The frost did the dam
age The apple crop would be very large
but the Goblin moth is so hard after them
that do not expect hardly one-third will
be saved. There is nobody TO look aftel
the pest nobody to see that the law is Ell
forced, and whether we have competen
or incompetent inspector of fruit pests, i
seems to be all the same.
The young walnut trees here are doin;
finely | have trees from two to four year
in nursery rows, with nuts on; yes, eyel
those two years old, with one to tire
nuts on. l have trees only as big as
switch with Two nuts on, and even tree
one foot high with one nut upon them.
is almost incredible, and | take quite
pride in showing visitors these wonders c
barren HILL where they grow, as it
one of the poorest pieces OF ground in Ne
vada county. | must also mention paw
paw tree which | have, with more thai
thirty punches of fruit; and gooseberrie
rs large as walnuts, and currants as large q
cherries These are samples of what W
can grow up here on the upper foothills G
mountains, and which can hardly be ez
celled anywhere
THE GRAPE CROP.
1t is rather early, as yet, to congratulate
ourselves upon this years vintage, but
no unexpected disaster occurs we may loo
for much better results than last year. n
destructive northers have yet come an
although the phylloxera is still spreading
il is apparently not able 10 prevent large
and better weld than ever before. Our pre-
duction of wine has been very eccentric
having declined from 100000 gallons i
1881 to 100000 in 1888, jumped up to IA
600 600 in 1884, and dropped off to 1900, 90
in 1885. During this period the Unite
States has consumed wine at the rate G
about 100000 gallons year, of whicl
about 100000 gallons have been IMPORTS
and the rest produced at home. Outside c
California the manufacture of American
wines has averaged about 100000 gallon
year, 100000 of that amount being en-
tirely innocent of any connection wit
grape Juice.
It is plain that even now this is the VIII
cry of the continent, but we are only b.
ginning. Mr.Wetmore estimates that, wit
the increased acreage now planted, thi
years vintage will amount to about 20
100000 gallons, next years to 25.0000et
that of 1883 to 100000, and that of 1S9
to 100000 or 60,000,o00. We shall the
be ready to export, unless the rest of th
country has developed such a taste for ligh
beverages as we already have. California
with q little over a million inhabitant
drinks 100000 of the 20 100000 gallons {
wine annually consumed in the Unite
States. If we can educate the East up
this point there will be no limit to on
market.
In raisins, as well rs in wine, the vim,
yards this year are expected to do then
selves credit Against 100000 boxes la!
year it is thought we shall have 100000 tn
year-the increase being largely due
Fresno. May the grasshopper and til
portly green worm long delay their dreade
visit Us. 4, Post
DON'T MODEST THE ToADs.
The latest and most ingenious way ,
getting rid of reaches and water bugs "
have heard of is related by a citizen
Schenectady whose kitchen was infeste
with them. A servant, hearing that toat
were an antidote, caught three ordinar
hop toads and put them in the kitchen
Not roach or water bug, it is stated, ca
now be found in the house. The toat
have become domesticated, never wand,
about the house, and are so clearly and il
offensive that there is no objection to the
presence. Another use for toads is to en-
ploy them for insect destroyers in the ga
den They are determined enemies of a
kinds of snails and slugs, which, it is we
known, can in a single night destroy a va
quantity of lettuce. carrots, asparagus. ct
Toads are also kept in vineyards, whel
they deyour during the night millions
insects that escape the pursuit of no.
turnal birds and might commit incalcul;
BILE havoc on the buds and young shoe
of the vine. In Paris toads are an articl
of merchandise. They are kept in tub
and sold at the rate of two francs dozer
Dumb 1,aimaL.
A THRIVING NURSERY.