Mesa free press., 1897-09-17
HORTICULTURAL NOTES.

The Santa Rosa canneries are making
heavy run.
The San Diego Sun says that the apple
corp of the Julian country this year
will be 100000 boxes.
The prospects for the citrus fruit
crop in the southern counties are thus
far reported excellent.
Up to August 18th our eastern ship
ments of fresh fruit were 40 per cent
more than to the same date last season.
The Petaluma Courier says that the
Sonoma county dairymen are urging the
appointment of county milk inspector.
The Westminster farmers have plant
ed more celery than ever this season,
and prices of peat lands are advancing.
About 800 hands are now working at
the Cotton cannery on peaches and
plums and 10000 cans is the daily out
put.
The creamery business is gradually
extending in the San Joaquin valley
Traver now has one just ready for busi-
ness.
California raisins are becoming very
popular in Canada and heavy sales are
already being made there for future de-
livery.
Peanut growers throughout Orange
county are somewhat alarmed over the
temperance of the red spider which
plays such havoc with the peanuts.
The Santa Barbara Walnut Growers
Association is collecting the facts on
which to base the price for the new
o,o~o oe ,,pIor to oontrO1
Late estimates of the Florida orange
crop of the coming season vary from
125,OOO to $4,000 boxes, with the best
authority favoring the lower estimate.
The prune harvest is one or two weeks
earlier this year than usual. There
will apparently be consldera BILE
quantity of August prunes for delivery.
It is reported that the vitality of the
soil in the Lompoc vicinity is so ex-
hausted that there will be less than 500
acres planted to mustard seed next sea-
son.
The Winchester Record says that there
are $50 carloads of wheat awaiting
shipment from San Diego for which
there is no transportation. It also states
that many farmers sold their wheat too
soon.
It is astonishing what a good, stiff
broom and whitewash brush will ac-
complish in tidying up poultry house
and yards, provided, of course, they are
backed up by man of ambition and
muscle.
Give the late broods of little chicks
chance to run by themselves. They
will not get their share of food, nor will
they amount to much, if they are
jostled around by the older and strong
er chicks and fowls.
The United States Treasury Depart
ment has ruled that the fig is not a
berry, although the Century Dictionary
says that it is, and brandy must not he
made from figs unless the maker is
willing to pay excise on it.
The Sutter, Butte and Yuba Fruit
Exchange has disincorporated and re-
turned the funds on hand to it's men,
bers. The Exchange was started some
years since with good deal of enthus-
iasm; but we believe never undertook to
do any actual business.
The horticultural commissioners of
San Bernardino county have begun
more active operations against the black
scale in the fruit orchards within their
Jurisdiction. They have purchased 80
new tents, at cost of $15 each, making
l2O now in use by the county.
A noticeable instance of the value of
hens in an orchard was brought to the
notice of the editor of the California
Cultivator recently. Mr.. B. o. Clark
has an orange grove of 1O-year-old trees.
In part of this, about half an acre, he
kept 100 hens. They roasted in the
trees, and the ground had no fertilizer
other than the droppings. Looking
down on the grove from the adjoining
hill the half-acre can readily be dis
by the deep rich green of the
foliage, while the fruit shows, on exam
ination, the effects of the treatment.