Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-04-19

| with Scoop-Shovel. we nave trled tnls
and like it very much. Another wrong
idea some people have in regard to ducks
is that they eat too much. This is an
other mistake. You ought not to feed
your breeding ducks any more than you
do your breeding hens, especially if they
run at large. Ducks are easily raised and
very free from disease-are less trouble
than hens and the best strains are splendid
layers. Farmers and others ought to give
them more attention. They deserve it.
| Cinders make nice walks around poultry
yards, and when they can be had easily, it
will pay to have load or so around the
coops. Fowls like to stand along the
south or east side of their house in the
sun and enjoy its warmth, and it is better
for them to stand on cinders than on wet
ground
Let the grain farm have more poultry
upon it. The fowls can be yarded when
| there is any danger of their harming the
crops, and they can be turned out to rove
over the fields at other times and CLEAN up
! the waste grain, insects, etc. By keeping
more poultry, farms could be made more
profitable, especially small farms of eighty
acres or less. Grain is a greater part of
the time very low in price. Eggs bring a
good price the year round. Instead of sell
ing all the grain, feed it to the fowls and
sell the eggs. 1t will pay.
HORSE RADDIsH
The horse raddish is a native of the
| marshy districts Of Great Britain, whence
1t was introduced into our gardens many
years ago. In several parts of the United
States, it has escaped from culture into
moist meadows and along bitches and
streams, in which places it seems fully as
much at home as in its native country. As
a condiment, the horse raddish is in very
general use. 1t is considered stimulating
to the digestive organs. 1t is not so ex-
tensively grown or used in California, as
in the vicinity of New York, Boston and
Philadelphia. Its culture is very easy.
The soil, in moist place, is prepared as
for ordinary crops. Holes are made with
dibble, and small roots, from four to six
inches long, are dropped in and the hole is
closed by second insertion of the dibble.
In few months grassy top will have
formed and the roots will be of sufficient
size to market. For home gardens the
crowns cut from the roots can be planted,
if there are no small roots at hand.
CORN FOR PIGS.
The trouble with corn for pigs is that ow-
ing to its concentration and fattening mate
rial hogs, especially when young are unable
to properly digest it. The common ideas
that pigs will eat anything and digest any
thing are much in need of revision. The
pig is dainty about what he eats, especially
when Young. If he has a run at pasture
in clover or in the orchard during sum-
mer, with plenty of milk, he will get
enough bulk with his food so that even
corn will not hurt him. Still, even for
this use, some other grain. with more of
husk, like oats or barley, is better than
corn. Corn meal is even worse for young
pigs than whole grain, as the labor of
mastication compels them to eat it more
slowly, and also to mix saliva with it on
its passage to the stomach. Pigs are not
ruminants, and therefore have not the
ability that cattle and sheep have to re-
call from their stomachs for further masti-
cation.-American Cultirator.
PLANTING PEAS.
Peas are more hardy than any other
garden vegetable, and slight frost will
not injure them But they may be sown
too early, for all that The condition of
ground has apparently more influence
periments reported a year ago it was
found that the peas planted during
| warm day, and followed by warm weather,
for twenty-four or forty. eight hours after,
grew, blossomed and bore fruit ready for
picking earlier than peas planted on like
soil week earlier, when both air and soil
| were too cold for termination. A quick
start in growth, even with SO hardy a
vegetable as the pea, counts for much, and
is even more important for vegetables like
corn and beans, that only grow in
warmer temperature.
CARE OF SEEDS.
Seeds that have been kept well through
| winter by the farmers should be as good as
those obtained at the seed-houses, if they
| were perfect seeds when gathered. In case
of large seeds there is little difficulty in
maturing, gathering and keeping almost
perfect seeds, and with proper surround
ings their termination after planting is
almost assured 1t is understood that the
apparently dry, lifeless body, which we
call seed, will begin to take up moisture
| from the soil soon after being sown. If
the proper amount of moisture is not sup
piled termination will not take place. For
this reason it is necessary to keep the seeds
dry and free from all atmospheric moist
ure until they are ready for planting.
Most seeds will then keep year or two
and not lose their vitality.
| FARM NOTES.
| Bohemian oats possess no merit over
other kinds, and farmers should be eau
tious before paying extra prices for such
seed.
When hog loses appetite it may be
| that all he requires is lump of charcoal.
Charcoal should always be kept where the
hogs can eat it at will.
| Unless grapes are trimmed without de-
lay it may do them injury to cut them
back later on. All varieties of grape vines
should be trimmed early.
Alternate freezing aud thawing throws
| the plants up. The roller should be used
over the field when the ground is dry
enough to permit of so doing.
When farmer once raises small fruits
for himself and family he will never be
There are both enjoyment and health in
small fruits.
The use of pure bred sire in any kind
Of stock is the easiest way to improve a
herd or flock, and is the surest method any
farmer can adopt to get his business onto a
paying basis.
| New novelties in plants are often old
varieties renamed, and the novelty dies
out after the first season, unless it is some
thing superior to anything Of its kind al
ready in use.
Give the currants plenty of room, good
attention and keep the worms off with
! white hellebore. The currant is about all
!. the fruit some farms have, and it deserves
good attention.
Strictly choice cattle are not in excess OF