Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-01
FARM AND ORCHARD.
DISCOVERY OF CURE FOR scALY LEG
IN CHICKEN.
Growing Cabbage Sedan Ornamental
Sweet Potato Yine-Bight of Trees
Farm Notes.


ramento county, writing to the Farm and
Orchard Department of the RECORD
UNION, under date of January 10Th, says
This stormy weather is rather unfayor.
able for the poultry business. Hens have
hot been laying very well, but are begin
ming to do better, and within the last few
days there has been drop in the price of
eggs. The stormy weather and the muddy
roads, doubtless, keep many a rancher
at home, for no one goes TO Sacramento
unless actually compelled to, and | expect
it is as much as a pair of horses can do to
carry a basket Of eggs through the streets
of the city. Notwithstanding the rough
weather there seems to be no disease
among poultry in this section. Several
persons in this vicinity have good many
young chicks already. ! have about fifty,
and with a little attention to proper
housing on stormy days they are doing
nicely. l have about 40 more on the
way, but do not propose to count them
before they are Matched. The demand for
thoroughbred poultry seems to be increas-
ing in this State, which is a move in the
right direction, and speaks well for the
progressive spirit of our small farmers. It
is evident the dunghill fowl must 90.
poultry journals and papers are full of
recipes and advertisements for salves and
ointments for the cure of scaly leg. While
most of them are simple enough, in all
cases the fowl has to be caught and the
remedy applied 20 the affected part with
cloth or brush, which is considerable
trouble and rather disagreeable work
Early last fail good many of my poultry
being affected with scale, l thought after
the fair was over and l had little more
leisure would attend to them. When the
leisure time came and began to examine
the fowls, found the scale had all disap-
peared. l had been using chloride of
lime very freely about the coops as a disin-
fectant, and that is the only way | can ac-
count for the disappearance Of the scale.
Chloride of lime is very cheap, but very
valuable as a disinfectant, and if merely
scattering it through the coops will rid
the fowls of scale then it has acquired adj
ditional value. Before using, it should be
mixed in about equal proportions with
dry earth or sand, and scattered through
out the coops."
GROWING CABBAGE SEED.
Only limited quantities of cabbage seed
have been grown in California, but the
time NAV come when it will be an import
ant industry. The following facts, culled
from an Eestern exchange, regarding the
industry on Long Island may prove of in
terest
Contracts for the seed are made in ad-
vance with seedsmen or their representa-
tives, STIMULATING the variety to be grown
and the price to be paid for the seed. The
seed is sown about the goth of June, and
they aim to set out the plants between
August LIST and 10th. They are set in
rows three feet apart, about 10000 to the
acre. For this purpose the grower aims to
have the cabbage grow a small soft head,
not sufficiently large for table use. About
the lst of November, before freezing
weather, the cabbage is taken up by the
roots and prepared for wintering. To do
this, wide and deep furrow is opened by
blowing both ways in it. In this furrow
the cabbages are compactly set, about
three abreast, and the earth thrown against
them with the pillow, covering them as
nearly as possible. The work is finished
by hand with the shovel To winter them
well is not always an easy task, but the
farmers succeed very well, as a rule. As
soon as the ground can be worked in the
spring the cabbages are taken out of the
trenches and set out, about two and one
half by four feet, according to variety. To
facilitate the starting of the seed stalk, the
head of the cabbage is generally gashed
with a knife.
About the 10th of July the seed is ready
for harvesting. The seed stalk is cut off
and allowed to lie upon the ground for
few DAYS before it is drawn in. The shelv-
ing of the wagon is lined with canvas to pre-
vent wasting of seed, very much of which
is shelled out in the process of loading. 1t
is then taken to the barn floor, where
slight failing finishes the work. and the
seed is cleaned with a common tanning
mill. The crop varies largely, running
between $50 and 800 pounds to the acre as
extremes, and the farmers realize from 40
to 90 cents per pound. 1t is estimated
that about 100000 pounds are annually
raised in this part of Long Island"
ORNAMENTAL SWEET POTATO VINE.
Many persons like to have something
green twining around the window In the
living room. There are many vines that
can be used for this purpose, but most of
them are difficult to keep in a fresh-grow-
ing condition. There is nothing better
for the purpose than the ordinary sweet
potato vine. Take wide-mouthed glass
Jar and put into it as large sweet potato
as it viii hold. Fill the jar up with
water, keep it full, and if partly filed with
sand it viii be all the better. Place the
Jar in the window where it will get plenty
Of sunshine, and before long a number of
sprouts will appear and protrude from the
mouth of the jar. Pull off all of them but
two or three of the most vigorous enes.
Train these as desired about the case
ments. If your room is kept sufficiently
warm to prevent freezing, your sweet PC
tato vine will be thing of beauty and JOY
throughout the California Fruit
GroTer.
THE HIGHT OF TREES.
There is perhaps no one thing upon
which people so uniformly disagree as
unmeasured distances and nights. 1t is
not infrequent to hear the widest guesses
and statements made as to the hight Of
trees. If the ground in which the tree Is
growing is comparatively level and the sur
casts shadow, it is an easy matter to as
certain the true hight. Measure the
shadow from the base of the tree to Its tip
Then measure the shadow cast from YER
teal ten-foot pole. Compare the shadows
by the old ''rule-of-three" process and you
will find the exact hight of the tree.
FARM NOTES.
Much time can be saved by keeping VI
what might be termed small repairs. a
little item that few minutes work woulc
have repaired if done at once, if let go L
often the cause of half-days delay a
some future time.
If horse intends to be vicious, the tai
is carried low and the ears are laid back
If in good humor and eager to 60, the tai
is carried high. If nervous and inclined