The record-union., 1899-05-08

i Gannett has made any personal investi-
cation into the redwood growths in this
/ State Had he done SO he would never
have made SUCH q mistake as to declare
positively that nowhere is there any
young growth" Exactly the contrary
/ is the case. The writer has visited the
redwood forests all the way from Mill
i Valley, just across San Francisco Bay,
! to Smith River, the northern boundary
of Del Norte County, and in all that
immense stretch of country one of the
most interesting and prominent fea-
! lures is the heavy growth of young red
wood around the stumps and roots of
i the old trees, this growth ranging from
one to forty years i'm age, in the latter
! case being of size that would be re-
garded as meIchantable timber in the
East. Over in Mill Valley the original
trees We're cut in 1884 and a magnificent
second growth has resulted,
For that matter, if Professor Gannett
will call at the "Encinar office we will
agree to take him within an hours
drive of this spot to a beautiful growth
of young redwood trees where the orig
inal timber was removed in 1851 80 and
| where the present trees are forty feet
and more in height.
In fact, in almost every district where
the primal growth has been removed
and the land has not been cultivated
or burned over repeatedly, but has been
allowed to revert to natural conditions,
a fine second growth of the redwood has
sprung up. Professor Gannett should
by all means revise his statement to the
contrary.
HARD TIMES FOR CATTLE.
Winnemucca Silver State: The winter
of 1S9S-99 will long be remembered as,
broadly speaking, the most severe ever
known in the West, says the Live
stock Report" The focal points of the
great storms seemed to be Cheyenne,
/ Wyo and Denver Col Radiating
north, east, south and west from these
points the snowfall was less. but every
where the most intense cold prevailed.
ALI range stock both cattle and sheep,
will go onto grass very thin in flesh,
and it is impossible to form an ae-
curate estimate of the loss until after
the Ianbing season is over and the
spring round-ups of cattle have taken
place. Taking the country from south
to north, the Panhandle of Texas suf-
fered a great deal. The reports OF
heavy loss in various sections, notably
parts of Wyoming, are apt to be very
misleading unless 1t is borne in mind
that the figures apply only to the
open-range cattle. We do not suppose
that in Wyoming there are one-t tenth
of the range cattle that there were
fifteen years ago, consequently the per-
| eentag sc of loss is not very heavy in
proportion to the total number in the
State, as the hay-fed cattle have done
fairly well. All southern cattle sent
north suffered severely. while on the
other hand the amount of hardship the
native cattle stood and came through
alive is almost incredible to old-time
ranchmen. Supplies of hay are get
ting very low stock is greatly reduced
in flesh, and very much depends on the
next few weeks. Indications are that
the calf crop will be light.
ARIZONA'S DROUTH.
Carson Appeal: The cattle ranges Of
Central Arizona, says the Denver
"Stockman," have not been in worse
condition since the great drouth of
seven years ago. The spring rains have
almost wholly failed to come and cattle
are dying in some valleys, and the calf
crop will not be two thirds of what it
was last year The round-ups are all
late. The majority of the cattlemen
and bring them to pasture in the Salt
River Valley. There will be an abund-
ance of pasture, as it is appreciated
that the late rainy season in California
has secured to the coast even moro
than enough grain and hay for all
needs. Stock Agent Behan of the
Phoenix branch of the Santa Fe is Sc
curing pasturage in the valley, and
states that thousands of Yavapi Coun,-
ty cattle will soon be shipped to Phoe-
nix by rail
HOW TO GROW CLOVER.
New York Sun: The reason more
farmers do not raise clover is they per-
sist in sowing their clover with grain,
usually oats The result is that the
grain so shades the clover that when
it is cut the direct sunshine kills the
clover by drying it up. / have not
missed a crop of clover for thirty
years I prepare the ground in the
fall and sow the clover seed alone the
first thing in the spring. / do not,
| however harrow the field until the
ground is so dry that the dust will
follow the harrow. / have done this
for thirty years, and have not failed
TO get two crops year, which proved
TO be more profitable than any grass
or grain I could have raised. At the
approach Of winter a firm seed is Sc
cured which does not winterkill, while
II 1t Is sowed with grain it. will not
form a sod, because it is so shaded.
The frost then throws it out of the
ground. This is what is called winter
killing. By sowing the clover in the
/ above mentioned way / never fail to
get two crops the year it is sowed, and
the same number each year thereafter.
To make good hay, clover must be cut
when the dew is off After cutting
put it Immediately into heaps. and i'm
two days fork it over and let the air
get to it; then heap or shock as be-.
fore. In two days open it again. and
again put it into heaps. After two or
three days it is ready for the barn.
have had it come out In the winter
looking as green as it did before being
! out.
China's First Railway.
The first railroad constructed In
China was a naIrow-g gauge line from
Shanghai to Woosung put down in
1876, and intended chiefly as an ocular
demonstration to the Chinese. At the
end of twelve months it was sold to a
Chinese official, who straightway tore
up the rails and deported them to For
mOSa The single drIu11nu euoinp IF