Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-07-12
Farm End ORCHARD.
THE COMPOST HEAP THE SAVINGS
BANK OF THE FARM
Acids of Fruits-Care of Young Trees
Strawberry Experience-Peanut
On-Farm Notes.

Acius OF tru1tS-Care OF Young Trees
Strawberry Experience-Peanut
On-Farm Notes.
There is quite difference between a
compost heap and manure heap. When
manure is thrown on heap, left undis-
turbed and exposed to all kinds OF
weather, it suffers loss of fertilizing mat
ter in many different ways; but the COM
post heap is veritable mandatory of
fertilizer, and is more valuable for all pur-
poses than manure from the stable. While
the food and the management of the ma
nure gives it its value, the farmer is
limited to such amount as may be voided
by his animals; but the compost heap
opens wider field for his operations by
enabling him to make more manure than
he could secure from mis- animals.
The filling of the pig-pen with large
quantities of dirt, leaves or other litter
does not really make manure, for the pig
cannot make something out of nothing.
He works and roots in the litter, mixing
it with the manure, and at the end of the
year the farmer hauls away several loads
of what he considers first-class manure.
but he has secured no more real manure
than the pig would have produced under
| any circumstances, whether he had litter
or not, and the mass is nothing more nor
less than compost, but 1t will show as good
results as any other kind of manure. be-
cause it is composed of absorbent material
| that has preserved the manure and pre-
vented loss of value. The making Of COM
post is the accumulation of any and every
| thing that can be added to the manure. all
| liquids entering into the heap, and
nothing wasted.
The compost heap is really the savings
bank of the farm, for it induces the
| farmer not only to accumulate but to save
The weeds, feathers, blood from slaughtered
animals, soapsuds, night soil, and even
earth, are thrown on the heap, to the ad.
vantage of Kidding The farm OF many un.
slightly objects, while the manure from the
stable, which becomes a part of the com.
post heap, is better preserved and its value
increased. As all the materials of "a com.
post heap are fine, the farmer can more
easily haul and spread the compost, and
the plants will find it more available as
food. The compost heap, however, should
receive attention. 1t should be under
cover, and occasionally forked over
Though sufficient heat will be generated
to decompose the coarse materials, vet
there is less risk of "fire-fangirg" than
with manure, and more plant food can be
collected in this manner than from any
other mode.-Philadelphia Record.
THE ACIDS OF FRUITS.
George W. Johnson, in his "Chemistry
of the World says, in describing the
vegetable food of the world: ''The CRATE.
full acid of the rhubarb leaf arises from
the malic acid and bin-oxalate of potash
which 1t contains; the acidity of the
, lemon, orange and other species of the
| genus citrus is caused by the abundance
of citric acid which their Juice contains:
that of the cherry, plum, apple and pear
| from the malic acid in their pulp: that OF
| gooseberries and currants, black, red and
! white, from mixture of malic and citric
acids; that of the grape from a mixture OF
malic and tartaric acids; that of the mango
from citric acid and very fugitive essen
| tial oil; that of the tamarind from mix
ture of citric, malic and tartaric acids; the
| flavor of asparagus from tartaric acid,
found also in the root of the marshmal-
low; and that of the cucumber, from pc.
culiar poisonous ingredient called fungin,
which is found in all fungi, and is the
cause of the cucumber being offensive to
some stomachs
at will be observed that rhubarb is the
only fruit which contains binoxalate of
potash in conjunction with an acid. 1t is
this ingredient which renders this fruit so
wholesome at the early commencement of
the summer, and this is one of the wise
provisions of nature for supplying a blood
purifier at time when it is likely to be
| most needed. Beet roots owes its nutri-
tlous quality to about 9 per cent of sugar
which it contains, and its flavor to pecu-
liar substance containing nitrogen mixed
| with poetic acid. The carrot owes Its fat
tening powers also to the sugar, and its
| flavor to peculiar fatty oil; the horse
radish derives its flavor and blisteripg
power from volatile acrid oil. The Jeru-
salem artichoke contains 14I per cent. of
sugar and 3 per cent. of inulin Ga variety of
! starch, besides gum and peculiar sub
stance to which its flavor is owing; and
lastly, garlic and the rest of the onion fam
lily, derive their peculiar odor from yell
lowish, Violate, acrid oil; but they are
nutritious from containing nearly half their
weight of gummy and glutinous substances
not yet clearly defined"
CARE OF YOUNG TREES.
Very few of the young trees receive the
proper care and attention after they have
been planted until they have reached
sturdy maturity. Many magnificent trees
have grown up to fine proportions, and
lived to a good old age without care or
forethought from man; but the proportion
of good trees that survive to the whole
number which spring up annually is very
small indeed. Nature is so lavish with
her seeds that some must survive; but her
work can be greatly supplemented by man.
Every newly-planted tree should have a
stake for support, to keep it from being
whipped about by the wind The trees
should be fastened to the stakes by strips
of cloth, or some substance that will not
cut into the tree.s After they are planted
thorough cultivation should be given, the
ground around them being stirred every
two or three weeks until the first of Sep
TENDER Sometimes mulch Of straw or
manure around the trees will answer the
same purpose as stirring the soil. The
trees must be watched during the growing
season and injurious insects and borers
kept down.
The whole shape of the tree should be
made during its first year or two of growth,
and great deal OF injurious pruning will
then be saved. A bud may be pinched off
with less loss to the tree than the pruning
off of large branch later in life. Very
little of thumb pruning will be needed the
first vaar hut dr,rir,nr Tho -aoo,,d 90 l.: Il