The record-union., 1899-09-25

Agriculture
and
Horticulture.

| The following newsy items concern
| ing important agricultural and horti-
cultural matters of the great western
growing areas will doubtless prove of
general interest to the public:
LIVE STOCK MATTERS.
| Modesto News. Henry Miller of
/ Miller & Lux, gave a Fresno reporter
the other day his idea of the live stock
situation, and it is especially interesting
because what Mr.. Miller does not know
about the market aspects of the live
stock interests is hardly worth bother
| ing about We take the following from
Mr.. Miller's conversation:
1.-The present condition arises from
| two causes-dry winters and hasty sales
Of stock Our ranch extends from Fire
baugh, in this county, to Newman, in
| Stanislaus County-forty-eigh miles
/ in direct line. Last summer it was all
stock and no feed, while this year it is
all feed and no stock After the dry
winter of 1S97-9S, owners of sheep,
cattle and hogs sold them for what
ever they could get. Thousands of ami
mails perished of starvation, and many
! thousands more were driven over into
the neighboring States and Territories,
/ from which they have not been brought
back The hogs Jared quite as badly as
| the sheep and cattle, and where they
| did not perish for want of feed they
were slaughtered and sold. The result
/ is that until favorable winters and the
natural increase Of stock make up for
| losses, there will be scarcity of ami
mails, and meat will come high. I think
things will be all right in year or two,
but not till then
| ORANGES ARE MEDICINE.
| New York Fruitman's Guide: It is
an established fact that pure fruit
| juice is one of the best blood purifiers
and system regulators there is. 1t has
been said that fruit Juice is the base
Of physicians prescriptions at this sea-
| son of the year This is especially true
of the orange, but like all other things
they must be eaten judiciously Many
wonderful things have been claimed
for oranges taken as food, and there
| are persons who have made themselves
miserable and ridiculous eating this
fruit by the wholesale in the endeayor
to accomplish results. Californians
have found that one or two oranges
eaten with every meal, especially
breakfast, is better than any medicine
they could take. Do not eat too many
at a time until the habit of eating them
with meals is formed. Be sure the fruit
is ripe and perfectly matured Eat
| them with a spoon and take as little of
the cellular matter as possible If not
eaten in this way, peel them carefully;
be sure to remove all the pith lying be-
meath the rind, as this is very indigest-.
ible, and is often responsible for i'll re-
suit
Oranges eaten properly are said to
make the complexion clear and beau
tiful, and tone up the system gener-
ally. Eat more oranges, but eat them
Judiciously, and you will need less
medicine.
FRUIT IN THE ORIENT.
San Francisco Trade Journal: In a
recent report to the Department of
State United States Consul A. B. John
son at Annoy gives some interesting
information regarding the opportunities
Tor increasing the fruit trade with
China, from which we. take the follow
ing: The condition of the fruit crop
in China has little or no effect upon the
importation. The tropical fruits do not
come into competition with the pro-
duct Of the United States: and in the
more northern districts where northern
fruits might be grown, the quality of
the products, owing to the ignorance or
indifference Of the people, places them
outside the pale Of competition with
good fruits. The only exception to this
rule possibly, consists of grapes grown
In the north of China, some varieties of
which are excellent There is a steadily
increasing demand among the natives
! Tor foreign fruits, whether canned.
drled or preserved. The European pop
uiation look to these imported fruits al
most exclusively to supply their tables.
Ilnned pears, peaches and apricots
come principally from America. while
preserved fruits, jams and dried fruits
still come largely from Europe. The
American manufacturer will not or
does not, meet the conditions required.
Since there are no peaches or pears in
europe which can compete with those
from California, the Oriental merchant
mas no choice; in other lines he is not
| so restricted. Prunes and raisins are
largely used. The dried fruit is put I'D
In bottles and sealed. In no other way
can it be shipped to the tropics with
out great loss, as the humidity Of the
climate or insects will soon render it
unstable. No fruits, biscuits, crack
!! ers or any other food products can be
safely shipped to Central or Southern
China without being sealed in glass
bottles or timed. The English or Con-
/ t1nental merchants and manufacturers
understand this and put up their fruits
accordingly. If timed. the tins are
either painted or vanished, to prevent
rust and consequent loss to the mer-
chant. The American manufacturer
has found market for his product
without these extra expenses, and is
slow to meet the demand; hence dried
fruits, jams and timed fruits are US
ually bought in other countries, where
these necessary details are looked after.
American oatmeal finds little market
here except via England, where it lis
put up in tin boxes of two to four
pounds each. IF our exporters of fruit
expect to hold the market in the Phil
ippines or to gain a better footing in
China, they should begin by studying
the conditions and promptly meeting
them. Prices realized in China for
fruits justify the expense necessary to
put them up so as to insure their being
in good condition when they reach the
consumer"
FRESNO IRRIGATION.
| Modesto News: Hon. j. P. Vincent of
| Fresno issin town. He is a witness in
the condemnation suit now on trial in
the Superior Court. Mr.. Vincent has
! L