The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-03
Some of the. Factors in the
!. :.= Varied Profits of Wheat
Growing.
FACTS. FOR THE oRcHARDIsT.
Matters of Interest to stookmen.
Mutton: and Wool In:
....:. California;.

=
fand.in their vicinity, giving reasons.:.
The Cunningha irrigation. law, recently
passed in Idaho, provides that the, legal
standard of measurement Tor water in that
State shall be ga cubic foot of water per
second. y Thus in. Idaho the miners inch
measurement no longer prevails. .s:
The Florida Agriculturist, eondoles with
the unfortunate ge-groWers of the
SUNNY South because of the loss occasloned
bv the late frosts, but remarks quite cheer:
fully at the close that the cold weather
killed great many insects which had be-
come serious factors in Florida frult-grow-
ing.
The necessity of properly draining and.
retaining the vast area of tule and marsh:
lands in this State becomes every day more
apparent. The land is now cheap, and yet
If reclaimed would take its place among.
the most valuable soils in the United States,
especially for market gardening.
. The profit secured by wheat-growers
varies widely. This fact has been brought
more. prominently forward recently by. the
figures published: by the Rural Press and
the. CALL. The greatest income per acre is
generally secured: by those-who farm upon
a large SCALE: This is a fact, notwithstand-
ing the argument that those who farm
slnall:tracts are likely: to most thoroughly
till the soil. Land. can be farmed more
cheaply when tits done on a large scale:
Labor.can be used to better advantage and
men and. teams can be fed at a reduced
cost: Where traction engines can be used
land can be cultivated and seeded for about
two-thirds. the cost per. acre. incurred. by
those. who use single. plows, drawn: by
horses. Combined haTyesterS may also be
economically used. The fact remains, how
ever. that the business is less profitable
now than it has been. 1t is so, however.
because of the increase in the value of the
land rather than from any other cause.
The ratio of profit increases very rapidly
in any case. with the product per acre. In
this direction, then, ,seemssto lie the oppor-
tunity- for Improvement. Irrigation and
fertilization Will double and treble both.
output and5protit: -: -.
Too many Pacific Coast papers have
fallen into the habit of offering advice to-
the farmers.
"A newspaper not a thousand miles from
San. Francisco. printed every spring. for
many years an Article entitled ;':Plant
Trees. !" 1t offered no suggestions as to
the kind of trees, implying, only that fruit
trees were. referred to. The editor, how
ever, thought 1t was nicely worded arti-.
cle;'a and that it outlined road to wealth,
over which every farmer ought TO be trav-
clipped the plant-trees article and pub
lished.it.
subsequently this same editor purchased
q fifty. acre plat of land. The soil was rich
and suited especially to Almonds He
planted table grapes, however, and as the
vicinity is visited every afternoon by a
trade wind from the coast the grapes do
not thrive. AS. a. result the crop IS Sold to
Cinnamon and Italians at very low
figure.
= Judgment is as necessary in agriculture
and horticulture as in other lines of BUSH
ness. 1t is not wiser to advise people to
plant trees than it would be to advise them
all to raise hogs.
Circumstances sometimes make profit
able the closest attention to one particular
crop or product, to the exclusion OF all by
products. Many wheat-growers, for in
stance, especially in California find that
they cannot afford to have hogs, dogs,
cows; chickens, turkeys, geese, pigeons;
and ducks running through the wheat
fields, and as many more have found it
Improbable TO build Enclosures, pens,
houses and barns in order to establish
poultry yards, breeding-pens, etc.. and
then hire a man to watch aman to look
after them.
Not every farmer can add to his bank
account by purchasing a few chickens,
some could not acquire wealth even if they
bought hog and made a ham, and few
who have planted trees are not yet mil
honaires.
:. Given other business qualifications,
those succeed best who understand the re-
lation of soils to plants, the meteorologi-
cal conditions which prevail in a given
locality, and how best to market fruit after
it is grown.
All fruits can be crYstallized. Those
easiest handled are the apricot, nectarine,
cherry and fig:
Cherry trees can easily be injured by too
much irrigation.
ssOf all the fruits canned in California the
apricot is the favorite in New York and
Chicago markets.
The cherry demands free, damp soil, in
which water does not stand within fifteen
feet OF the surface.
Figs are first mentioned in Genesis iii:7,
concerning the making of fg-leaf aprons
. by Adam and Eve.
Almonds will make better returns from
leaner lands than any other product except
vines, olives or figs.
There is general adaptation of tree to
root, and apples do the best on apples,
prunes on prunes, etc.
The culture of the paper-shell almond is
very profitable. California fruit brings
more than the imported.
Trees should never be planted more than
one inch deeper than they were in the
nursery. Many trees are smothered by
being planted too deep.
Often exposed hillsides are warmer than
protected valleys. the constant motion of
the air acting as a preventive OF frost. :.
Orchardists claim that buds selected
from the upper side of limbs have greater
weight-bearing power than BUDS from the
under side.
Considering that the area of land suit
able for cherry culture is limited cherries
will no doubt for many years be one of the
most profitable fruits to raise.
Low, moist lands of creek bottoms are
more frequently visited by frost than up
lands because the warm air rises after the
sun has set and cold air rushes in to take
its place.
Peaches need rich deep, mellow soil.
The fayorite varieties for drying are Early
Crawford, Foster, Newhall, Marys Choice
and Muir. The Salway is not so popular
as it once was.
Apples should be planted at least thirty
five feet apart. Forty is better Apple
trees should always be grated on whole
roots. Trees grated on piece roots are
likely to blow over, and viii not live much
more than half as long as those planted
properly.
A. T. Hatch states that the cost of prun-