Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-21
FARM AND ORCHARD.
THE VALUE AND THE BEAUTY OF THE
sUNFL0WER.
Poultry in the Orchard-Fruit Perfect
Food-How to Raise Turkeys
General Farm Notes.

Inc Sunnower is one OF the mOSt
neglected of our plants, though it has
many points of value and is really a stately,
handsome flower when planted in the
proper location. Sunhowers to have the
best effect should not be planted in front
of the house, nor in any place where in
passing you will come directly in contact
with them. The stately plants and flow
ers show to much better advantage in the
background, or at some distant point
where their grandeur can be readily seen
without having it marred with closer
view, which would reveal their coarseness.
In some of the prairie or Northwestern
States sunfowers are planted by the acre
for the purpose of raising fuel, two acres
being sufficient to keep family cook
stove running throughout the year.
Where coal and wood is hard to secure
and sunflowers grow to great size, there
is no reason why this method of obtaining
fuel should not be resorted to.
In Russia the seed is pressed for the oil
which it contains. and the oil cake is used
as food for cattle, and it is claimed by ma
tives to be much superior to the ordinary
oil cake for that purpose. The leaves are
stripped from the plants while yet green
for the making of fodder; but it is doubt
full whether that process would pay in the
Unit I'd States, where labor is worth two
or three times as much. Sunfowers, like
other oil-producing plants, will quickly
exhaust the soil unless it is very strong or
a'fertilizer is applied. The seed should be
planted like corn, in hills and when the
plants have reached the hight of foot
or foot and half they should be thinned
out to one plant in a hill. To get the
best results, the plants should then be
cultivated like other crops until they
have secured their growth. On the river
front in Washington, few years ago, the
large flats extending out into the Potomac
river were filled in with earth. Fearing
that this would breed disease of some sort,
the projectors of the work planted upon
the flats vast quantities of sunfiower seeds.
These grew and fourished, making a most
wondrous brilliant sight for passers-by, and
it is claimed by sanitarians that their
rapid growth and absorbing powers prob
ably prevent the breeding of pestilence.-
California Fruit Grouer.
FRUIT A PERFECT FOOD.
Some people are afraid to eat fruit,
thinking that fruit and diarrhea are al
ways associated, when, if they understood
the true cause of the diarrhea, they would
know that it was caused by eating meat.
In hot weather meat putre6es very quickly,
and during this process alkaloids are
formed which are very poisonous, acting as
emetics and purgatives. 1t is true that
fruit eaten green between meals Will inter.
fere with digestion and cause bowel
troubles; but use fruit at mealtime that is
perfectly ripe and only beneficial results
will follow.
Acids prevent calcareous degenerations,
keeping the bones elastic, as well as pre-.
venting the accumulation of earthly mat.
tiers. This is because of the solvent power
of the acids; but manufactured acids are
not harmless, as are those which nature
has prepared for US in the various kinds of
fruit. Fruit is perfect fruit when fully
ripe, and if it were in daily use from
youth to age there would be less govt, gall
stones and stone in the bladder. Stewed
apples, pears and plums are favorite ar.
In the dining-room or nursery, there are
few table dishes more wholesome and more
delicious than well stewed fruit served W
with cream or custard.
There are many persons, however, who
cannot eat it on account either of the
acidity Of the fruit or the excess of sugar
necessary to make it palatable Sugar doe
not of course counterfeit acidity; it only
dis uises it, and its use in large quantitie
is alculated to retard digestion. TIL,
housewife may therefore be grateful fol
tn Ieminder that a pinch-a very small
pin-i.-of carbonate of soda sprinklec
owe the fruit previous to cooking, will
save -ugar, and will render the dish Al
once more palatable and more wholesome
Medical Classics
POULTRY IN THE ORCHARD.
Many people who live in the countr,
would be glad to keep chickens if it were
not tor the fact that they are everlastincly
IN the way, scratching up every seed and
flower that can be planted, AMI without 8
restraining corral, they are sometimes
counted among the uncomfortable nuisances
of country life; but it is very desirable
to have poultry of various sorts, and if il
can be made TO earn its living by destroy
ing insect pests, SO much the better
When chickens are trained from the first
to live in the orchard, they like no place
better and will be perfectly content to
scratch in the dirt for worms and catch
bugs and insects of every kind which
come near enough to the ground. In this
way small orchards especially can be
greatly benefited. Ducks, guineas, turkeys
and chickens are all exceedingly fond of
bugs and worms OF nearly all kinds, and
II you watch them hunting in the Or
chard for while you are sure to be con-
WINGED that they are most excellent de-
stroyer of pests BY this combination the
chickens are, at least, partly fed and the
bugs are converted into useful animation
1t can scarcely be said that chickens will
injure fruit, because they will only peck
at that which falls to the ground in a
partly decayed or injured condition.
HOW TO RAISE TURKEYS.
J. B. johnson of Mount Ashton, O..
writing to the Cincinnati Commercial Ga
zette says
1t is just as easy to raise turkeys as it is
to raise chickens-after you know how.
The first thing to do is to secure good
breeding STOCK, wnich should be strong,
healthy and mature. 1t is impossible TO
raise good turkeys from stock that is weak.
unhealthy or immature. Like begets like.
AS to the breed, the writer prefers the
White Holland to the Bronze. They are
not so large, but are less disposed to ram
bic, and are harder while young, thus
making them more easily raised. The
first eggs laid should be set under hens.
Those laid later should be given to the
turkey. when she shows desire to sit.
Do not crowd too many in the nest. A
turkey will cover twenty or more, but it
is best TO give her not more than twelve.
To prevent lice, sprinkle sulphur, lime or
powdered tobacco in the nest.
For the first three days young turkeys
food should consist of hard-boiled egg and
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