Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-06
Farm AND ORCHARD.
INTERESTING FACTS IN REGARD TO
GUINEA FOWLS.
Farm Life in China-The Vegetable Gar
den-Feeding Young Chickens
Fruit Preserving.

MIS-. L. I. Duden, OF Lake House in
this county, sends US the following inter
esting account OF her experience in raising
guinea fowls:
Guineas are particularly a farm table
fowl, as they seldom 60 to market. They
are profitable on large farms, as they are
industrious foragers, and can be kept with
out cost, but 1t is best to teach them when
young to come up for an evening meal.
The guinea is not polygamist, and has
only one mate. Another writer allows
three The hen steals her nest in some
secluded place, but makes known her nest.
if watched, by her noisy demonstrations,
They are excellent layers of small. rich
eggs, the young being easily tanned il
Matched under hens. Four weeks are re-
CURED for Matching. They are fed the
same as young turkeys; they feather
rapidly, but are much harder. 1t
is Stained that "the guinea is an
excellent insect destroyer, and does
not scratch in the garden. As table
fowl 1t comes nearer the wild game birds,
IN flavor, than any of the domestic fowls,
the flesh, though dark, being rich, and of
high quality"
Though never having raised guineas be-
fore this season, have proven the faIsity
of several theories in regard to them.
One was, if the eggs were disturbed the
hen would seek another nest, and if the
eggs had to be taken out of the nest il
must be done with spoon, not touched
with the hands. Not being troubled with
superstitious fancies, | concluded to take
the risk, with the result that it made no
difference to the hen whatever. She
kept laying right along in the same place,
until ready to set, and would probably
have Matched out a brood had it not been
for putting up windmill near the spot
she had chosen for her nest. The noise
and coming and going of strange men fin
ally drove her away. When the female
goes on the nest to lay, the male always
stays near by. 1t has been said guineas do
not scratch, but they do. Perhaps they
will do not do as much mischief in the
garden as an old hen, but they do scratch.
AS it is claimed for them that they are
great destroyers Of bugs and insects, l am
rearing mine near the house for that rea-
son, and also because | do not want them
to be so wild. When first Matched they
are very wild, will run very fast, and they
are SO small and so near the color of the
ground it is easy for them to hide, which
they will do if in the least frightened
They are funny little things. | have
three broods-one six, one FIVE and the
other one week old. The two older
broods took it into their heads to stay
IN the coop with the little ones. and when
they would move off to some other place
the little ones would follow. Even after |
had moved the hen into another yard
they found her out, and by some mystical
sign, that | suppose the little ones under
stood, they will coax them off, then have
to go hunt them up. The little things
are glad enough to get back to the mother
hen, but it will be but little while until
| have to hunt them up again. | feed
the same as young chicks The Young
guineas, when they are four weeks old
look and make noise very much like
young turkeys. There are two kinds, the
pearl and white guinea. The first are
considered the best. Some poultry men
keep them as a protection against hawks
They are pretty fowls but at times make
an unearthly noise, enough to scare the
old gentleman from "sheop himself.
FARM-LIFE IN CHINA.
A farmer may be hired by the year 70,
from eight to fourteen dollars, with food
clothing, head-shaving, and tobacco
Those who work by the day receive from
eight to ten cents, with MONDAY meal
At the planting and harry esting of rice
wages are from ten to twenty cents day
with FIVE meals; or thirty cents day
without food. Few landowners hire
hands, except for a few days during the
planting and harvesting of rice. Those
who have more land than they and thei1
sons can till, lease it to their neiehbors
Much land is held on leases given BY
ancient proprietors TO clansmen whose de
scendents now till it, paying from seven tc
fourteen dollars worth of rice annually
for its use. Food averages a little more
than dollar a month for each member Of
a farmers family. One who buys, cook
and eats his meals alone, spends from one
and half to two dollars a month upor
the raw material and fuel Two pound,
of rise, costing three and half cents, witt
relishes of salt fish, picked cabbage. cheap
vegetables and fruits, costing cent and
hall, is the ordinary allowance to each la
borer for each day. Abernethy's advic,
to a luxurious patient, Live on sixpencc
day and earn it," is followed by every
Chinaman. One or two dependent rela
tives frequently share with him the six
pence.-Adele N. FTelde, in the Popula
Science Monthly for July.
IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.
The market-gardener in the neighbor
hood of large cities is accustomed to us
valuable land, and often pays a high rem
for the privilege. He makes this pay b.
growing several crops year on the sam
ground, and to that end the land is mad
very rich by manure, this latter bein,
favorable TO the flavor, as it is well
known fact that quick growth is what i
wanted FOR vegetables for summer use. TIL
suburban gardener, in his small lot, ma,
readily practice the same principle, b,
always growing plants of similar natur
together. For example, all the earl,
crops, as cabbage, peas, radishes, lettuce
caulitiower, potatoes, bush beans, come Of
the ground near enough together for on
purpose. The ground for these should b
heavily MANFRED in the spring. Radishe
and lettuce take only a month to 81.
weeks-so these may be grown between
the rows Of the other crops. This give
the rows foot or so between each other
but plenty of room, when the lettuce am
radishes come of, for the perfecting of tn
other crops. Now then, to succeed thes
first crops, we shall want spaces about tina
time for late cabbage, caulifower, celery
successional peas, beans and turnips. Evel
the cucumbers and melons may be accom-
modated by clearing away the leaves of
small space. By the time these are grow
ing rapidly, the first crop comes off alto
gether. In making these arrangements
cabbage need not follow cabbage, but pu
these on the land the peas and beans had
and 50 on. All the winter root crops ma
be by themselves, as also pole beans tina
occupy the ground all the time.
| ABOUT TURKEY NESTS.
OF course the turkey wants to hide he
nest: the desire is born with her. inherite