Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-14
FARH AND ORCHsRD.
ADVANTAGES OF PROPERLY MARKET
ING FARM PRODUCTS.
Isolated Fruit Trees-Improving Seeds
Spreading Manure in Winter
Poultry Yard scratchings.

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to market, and its appearance on arrival,
is an important matter in securing the
highest prices. One of the difficulties en-
countered by commission merchants is the
proper understanding by farmers of the
quotations sent out by the merchants,
those having produce for sale always TAX
ing the highest prices as the guide, and 1t
sometimes causes disappointment to the
shipper when his articles fail to bring the
highest prices quoted. As rule there are
both the highest and lowest prices given,
and the merchant cannot sell an article at
the higher figure unless it is choice. All
articles sent to market vary in quality,
and purchasers sometimes have large
supply from which to select. The greater
the supply the more particular buyers be-
come as regards quality, and for that rea-
son the competition is often very close,
causing fluctuations, and inferior goods
must he sacrificed because the demand will
only exist for that which is good. This
fact should teach farmers the Importance
of estimating the expected receipts from
the lowest quotations given instead of from
the highest.
IMPORTANCE OF GRADING ARTICLES.
On every farm something better than
the average quality of produce may be OBJ
tanned, but there is also more or less pro-
duce that is inferior. In order to dispose
Of all-the good and inferior-the whole
is sent to market together. This occasions
a loss, as the inferior produce will affect
the prices to marked degree, and lessen
the amount that would otherwise be Oh
tanned if all articles were graded and
shipped separately. 1t entails an increase
in the cost of handling and transportation
to SEND in bulk, without regard to quality,
as it is more economical to retain the in
ferior articles on the farm shipping only
those that are choice, rather than attempt
ing to increase the supply, and lessen the
demand, by shipping all grades in one lot.
The receipts from choice articles will be
more than from a mixture, and the farmer,
if he will carefully grade his articles, will,
in majority of cases, be well satisfied
with the returns from the merchant.
QUALITY RULES THE MARKET.
Quantity does not regulates the prices
alone Should the market be fully sup
something better than that already in mar
ket, and will pay higher prices therefor.
Quality rules in all transactions, and the
farmer must keep this fact before him
always if he expects to secure fair profit.
Thousands of tons of goods are annually
sacrificed that would have been more valu-
able if kept away from market; but there
has never been a time when choice goods
did not bring fair prices, no matter how
large the supply. 1t should be rule with
all shippers never to send anything to
market that IS not of the best quality. 1t
costs too much, proportionately, to re-
ceipts, 10 ship inferior produce, and, as
quality regulates the prices, farmers
should endeavor to produce the best only,
and thereby secure proht.-Philadelphi
Record.
ISOLATED FRUIT TREES.
1t is usually admitted that trees for fruit
are more profitable when standing alone
than when planted in orchards Such
trees says awriter in the Albany Cultirator,
are freer to send out roots, as well as to re-
ceive greater abundance of sunshine and
better circulation of air. For several years
We have had an illustration of these adj
vantages in a white pippin tree which
stands alone near the barn. 1t has grown
vigorously, sending out its branches later
ally, until it covers quite an area. Not
withstanding its annual load of fruit, vary
ing from ten to twenty-five bushels, it
shows no signs Of decay as do other trees of
the same variety in the orchard planted at
the same time. 1t has been free to grow
as it chooses, with occasional pruning and
no cultivation. The fruit IS much superior
to the same kind grown in the orchard,
and we can depend upon a crop from the
tree whether the season is favorable or not
The space thus occupied might have been
left implanted, but it certainly was better
to have an attractive and profitable fruit
tree than 10 allow the ground to grow up
with worthless grass and weeds. Such a
tree yields very profitable returns with
comparatively no labor. In the orchard
there are trees that sometimes have no
fruit on one side because of the proximity
of others. In time these unproductive
sides, because Of the absence of sunshine,
begin to decay, which is very injurious to
the tree. Not so with the tree that is fully
exposed. The same observation is equally
true of nut-bearing trees The chestnut,
for example, seldom is productive in a
thick woods, but when it stands alone it
bears the greatest number of nuts that are
fully matured.
l think that the odd corners about the
premises can be used to no better advant-
age than by planting them with such trees
as are long-lived and can take care OF
themselves when grown. 1t is not hard to
find number of such spots, as fence cor
ners. corners of lots, and unobserved places
on the lawn. It may require strong pro-
lection for the young trees in these out-of-
the-way places to prevent injury from
the stock, but this can be provided when
the animals have access to the lots only q
part Of the year, and the returns will
more than balance the trouble of con-
strueting such protection.
IMPROVING SEEDS.
Many farmers are too much given to
buving novelties in seeds. 1t may be adj
visable to change seeds occasionally, but
the constant changing of varieties from
season to season, in the hope Of getting
perfection, is as absurd as 1t is expensive
No iudicious poultryman will change from
Plymouth Rocks to Leghorns one year, to
Langshans the next, to Red Caps the next
and so on through the catalogue, simply
because he successfully reads about the
fine performances of these breeds or sees
them in gorgeous array at the county fair.
He first determines what he wants chick
ems for-whether for eggs or flesh, market
or home use-and after careful investiga-
ton selects the breed best suited to his
purpose, adhering to them year after year,
culllng and improving, until he builds up
strain Of his own which suits him better
than any other strain of that or any other
breed. The wise breeder of cattle or
horses pursues the same method; why
should it not be best for the farmer in the
matter of seed ? The variety Of corn
which produces such mammoth yields, that
ga rod ahnr1t with an1azefnanf and skenti-