Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-26
FARM AND ORCHARD.
A TIMELY WARNING TO AMERICAN
BREEDERS.
Chicks as Garden Assistants-The Care Of
Colts-Treatment of Celery
Notes, Etc.

more or less damage to shipments OF goods
and is often the cause of rendering them
entirely valueless. Americans are too
willing to see shipments go out OF their
hands in an Indifferent manner, and
trust to luck to see them safely through.
James r. Hosmer, Consul-General OF
the United States to Guatemala, in re-
port to the Department of State, says:
"American merchants in Guatemala assert
that they are compelled to purchase their
wares in Europe because the goods sent
from America are so carelessly packed as
to be badly damaged in transit. American
made prints, agricultural implements and
cutlery are preferred to those OF other
countries, and this has led dealers in Ger
many to initiate American trade marks
and eudeavor thereby to sell their wares
as of American make" The foregoing,
which applies to all articles of merchan-
disc that may be damaged in transit, ap-
plies with even greater force to shipments
of live stock, and particularly poultry.
Our improved American breeds are
finding favor everywhere because OF their
high standard of excellence in all that
goes to make useful and beautiful fowl,
and nowhere can they be procured IN their
highest form of excellence but IN the
United States, where they originated. We
are of the opinion that our American
breeders do not realize the immense i'm
portance of great care in keeping up the
high standard of American breeds and I'M
proving them by careful breeding, and
secondarily fostering and building up the
trade with our friends in Australia, New
Zealand, Japan and the islands OF the Pa
cific by greater care in selection OF fowls
for export, and using only approved meth
DDS of shipment.
1t has been intimated in some of our
foreign exchanges that some fanclers In
the Colonies had expressed preference
for English-bred American breeds simply
because they arrived in better condition.
There is no reason why this should be So
Our steamship lines are as well prepared
to carry fowls as the English lines and
have the advantage of two weeks time IN
transit. 1t only remains for our breeders
to observe two rules, viz: Select good
stock" and ship in approved coops," to
secure, almost without exception, the trade
in American breeds, as well as the larger
part of orders for other classes that can
surely be bred here to as great perfection
as anywhere in the world.-C California
CackLer.
CHICKS AS GARDEN ASSISTANTS.
When hoeing or raking in the garden /
am constantly turning up numerous grubs,
worms, bugs and beetles of various sizes,
kinds and color, and if stopped to Stay
each and every one of them l should make
very little progress. If l passed them
gently by they would continue to gnaw,
uproot and destroy my favorite vegetables,
wax fat and keep my wrath at boiling
point.
How to compass their destruction expe-
ditiously and cheaply was a problem |
pondered much. But have solved it at
last, and now not bug, grub or worm that
nv hoe or rake uncover has time to be
astonished, before presto he finds himself
amid the rocks and broken crockery in the
interior of healthy chick, where he is
soon reduced to pulp.
l never want less than five fair-sized
chicks nor more than a dozen small ones
with me- If there are not enough they
get full too quickly and retire. If there
are too many they get in the way and some
of them meet with accidental destruction.
1t is amusing in the extreme to see half
dozen or SO of them dancing about on
either side watching the progress of my
implement, and, when a choice morsel is
exposed, pitching over each other in their
eagerness to get it. Occasionally one be-
comes too fresh and gets knocked over, but
they soon learn about how near it is safe
to venture.
One lot had in the early spring always
followed along behind, but the little mob
/ have now keep constantly circling around
me. All were Matched in an incubator
and reared in a brcoder, and are sold as
soon as they weigh % TO pounds. Those
Matched by hen power must be taken from
the hen as soon as Matched and reared in
a brooder or they are no good as grub COB
blers. They are afraid to leave their ma
and you don't want her along to work
ruination.
l have done a good deal of hoeing and
raking in the garden and among the straw
berries, etc., this season, and of all the
thousands of grubs and worms | turned up
/ am satisfied not half dozen escaped the
vigilant ewes and nimble beaks Of my
chicks. They have also kept the lawn,
flower beds and garden entirely free from
grasshoppers, while there are thousands
among the clover not 800 yards away.
About twenty are enough to have around,
and as soon as they begin to scratch hard
they should be sold or shut out and an
other lot of small ones brought in.-Rural
New Yorker.
TREATMENT OF CELERY.
Celery, whether self-blanching or other
wise, can be grown with much or little
labor. but like other vegetables, the more
care that is given the better will be the
result. There is certain crispness and
delicacy of flavor which can only be i'm
parted by banking generously with earth.
Previous to banking, some attention is
necessary. Last year | bought a few
pounds of straw paper, cut the sheets into
1O-inch strips, and wrapped each plant in
a paper Jacket, then hilled up almost to
the top of the papers. Alter little prac-
tice this can be done as expeditiously as
the ordinary tying up. This wrapping
should be done when the plants are per-
hans foot high, keeping the loose ends of
the paper in place with handful Of earth,
thrown on with a garden trowel, until the
row is finished. Care should always be
taken in filling up to give broad base to
the hin. as the soil viii need to be drawn
up higher, later on, if the plants have
crown far enough above the paper to make
+ necessary. Persons raising celery on
large scale. for ordinary market purposes,
would hardly care to take this trouble, but
if only few hundred for family use are
grown. this plan cannot be too highly
55eco,,,,pended There are two advantages
gained by this process. ~ There are no
Crooked stalks, as is often the case when
the plants are tied up; ~ it prevents
earth-worms from nibbling the stalks,
which they are sure to do in wet season.
American Agrieulturist.