The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-17
THE FARMERS COLUMN
Orchard and Apiary and How
to Care for
Them.
SOME VALUABLE PRODUCTS.
How Diversified Farming May Prove
of Great Aid to the Guilt
VatOr.

A man always adds to the value of his
farm when he improves the road leading
to it.
1t seems to be a demonstrated fact that
all vines in California must eventually be
on resistant roots.
The Russian thistle is spreading over the
country near Lancaster, and the authori-
ties of the State University are looking into
the matter with q view of finding a rem
edy.
Many who held dried apricots over from
last season are intending to hold while
longer, expecting increased prices as re-
suit of the recent frosts, which N some dis
tricts greatly reduced the crop
Broomcorn now commands from 81
to 81 cents per pound, according to quality.
The corn is good for hogs and chickens,
and the straw ought to be a profitable crop
at the prices now prevailing. Seed can be
purchased in San Francisco.
A correspondent of the Fresno Repub-
lican, writing OF the necessity of co-opera-
ton and organization among fruit-growers
in the marketing of fruit, says that even
wild geese recognize the necessity for or
ganization, and follow some chosen leader.
California manufacturers of linseed oil
import most of their fiaxseed from Austria
liza. Flax yields about 200 pounds per
acre. and commands from 50 10 to 81 %
per GENITAL. This gives a gross yield of
from $25 to $27 per acre, and is more profit
able than wheat-groWing. Flax can be
how rod wit y ma
The few scale-destroying ladybirds that
have been introduced should not cause any
orchardist to relax vigilance or cease spray
ing. If spraying is delayed until the tree
is in bloom the chances are that the germs
of the fruit viii be killed. Great care is
necessary in spraying, especially III the
mixing of washes. Valuable trees are
often killed by careless spraying.
Charles H. Sbinn, inspector of United
States agricultural experiment stations,
recently sent to the station near Chino
forty different varieties of vegetables from
Northern India, obtained from the British
Government. Among them is the Benin
casa Cerifera, a vine resembling the cucum-
Der. The fruits cucumber-shaped, as long
as a mans arm, and red In color. 1t Is
said to be good when picked.
Last year when the railroad strike &C.
Cured, most of the fruit crop was ripe and
ready to be harvested. As a result, much
fruit was lost because there were no trans
portation facilities. Cherries, being per-
ishable, were in some ms tances left upon
the trees. a few orchardists dried their
cherries. Good dried cherries command
a fair price, but MANY erred in driving
1fb no IN 1ria in
this manner always have bitter, burned
taste, no matter how nice the fruit was II
the pits are removed before the cherries
are spread out to dry, the fruit is delicious.
Corn is not raised TO so great an extent
in California as in most Eastern States, be-
cause as rule more profitable crops can
be raised. Horses and COWS are occasion
ally killed when allowed to feed too freely
in patches where the growth has been
rank, as they eat the black fungous growth
which sometimes appears upon the corn
grown along the coast where there is
much dampness. 1t is black, dusty stuff,
similar TO the ergot OF rye, and is poison
Gus. Ears showing it should be removed
before stock is turned into the field. 1t is
seldom seen in the more arid interior val
legs.
The demand for good apples seems to be
increasing on the Pacific Coast, due, no
doubt, to the fact that the exports from
the Atlantic States to England are increas-
ing. A year ago the shipment from New
York amounted to 1853 7O6 barrels, while
this year it has reached ,443. 592 barrels.
We would not advise any one TO plant
apples IN inland valleys where the temper
allure is high. The fruit produced in such
localities is often large and beautiful, but
does not acquire the flavor of fruit grown
in higher attitudes. Apples grown at
elevations ranging between 200O and 5000
feet acquire better flavor and better keep
ing qualities If the altitude is too great,
however, the young trees must be thor
oughly protected or they will be broken by
the weight OF snow.
Very little broomcorh is raised in Cali
fornia, and much of what is used in the
manufacture of brooms is imported from
other States. 1t grows very thrifty here,
especially upon silly and sandy soils along
the deltas of streams. 1t is cultivated
precisely as sweet corn is, the principal
care being to guard against planting too
thick or too thin. If the former the
growth will be too small, and if the latter
1t will be overgrown, in both Of which con-
ditions i is unfit for broom-making The
brush, when cured, should yield at least
800 pounds TO the acre, and bring the aV-
erage price of $40 per ton, besides twelve
bushels of seed, worth 30 cents per bushel.
These figures may be increased by assort-
ing, grading and treating after gathering,
which involves an outlay for machinery
and labor 1t is not unusual that broom
corn so treated has yielded over $50 per
ton. The machinery spoken of is not ex-
pensiye, and could be the investment of a
neighborhood.
California farmers do not properly ap-
preciate the commercial value which at
taches to our mild climate, and few indeed
there are who live up to their opportuni-
ties. There are thousands of farmers in
this State who raise wheat and buy butter.
meat and vegetables, and few even pur-
chase eggs. One of the greatest factors
tending to make farming profitable is the
fact that nearly every article of food can be
raised on the farm. Many man who re-
ceives salary of $3.50 per month in the
city does not save as much per annum as
the farmer upon ten-acre tract who does
not sell more than a thousand dollars
worth of produce in year. This is so be-
cause the dweller in the city must buy his
wood, his water, his meat, his vegetables,
his milk and his butter, while the
farmer may often secure all these and
much more absolutely without cost, except
de Io ha