The record-union., 1899-05-18


| the Biggs creamery with 500 pounds or
milk per. day. The creamery receives
about 2O00 pounds per day now, and
churns twice or three times week.
| The managers OF the factory are arlx-
| ious tO-secure more milk and they offer
good prices in either cash or butter.
FRUIT PACKAGES
San Jose Mercury One of the great
drawbacks in the fruit industry is the
lack of uniformity in the packages in
which the fruits are sold, and uniform
ity can be obtained only by legisla-
] ton. In the State of New York the
advantage of having standard pack
age has been recognized by the Legis-
lature. and a new law is now in force
In that State which defines what shall
constitute a barrel of apples, a barrel
Of potatoes, ETC. The law makes it a
misdemeanor, punishable by fine, for
any person to make barrels holding less
than the quantities specified in the law,
knowing or having reason to believe
that they are to be used for the sale of
apples, ounces, pearson potatoes, I'M
less the barrel is plainly marked on the
outside thereof with the words "Short
Barrel'' in letters not less than one inch
/
use barrels hereafter made for the sale
of such articles. of a size less than speci-
fed by law The California Fruit
Grower is of the opinion that the law
viii stand the test of the Courts, and
it Well says that what has been done in
New York can be done on this coast,
where there is a crying need for uni
formity in fruit boxes, cases, crates and
hac Nil, 10
the Eastern manufacturers who adver-
tiseo quart boxes in six different
sizes, for we are accustomed to pack
ages of many shapes, sizes and dimen-
sions. Why not bring uniformity into
the local trade? The requirements OF
the Southern Pacific Company in its
new freight schedule will greatly assist
to bring this about, but why not go
further and obtain legislation on the
matter? Fruit-growers, buyers and
dealers will all cheerfulIy concede that
uniformity is most desirable and much
could be accomplished in this direction
by the different fruit organizations il
they would get together for the purpose
of agreeing on certain standard sizes,
although of course complete uniformity
can be procured only by specific legis-
lation.
| DISEASE AND INSECTS.
Major c. ]. Berry, before the Tulare
Grange: Orchardists should exercise
extreme care in accepting sta tements
about the health of their trees as facts
when the troubles are diagnosed by ir-
responsible and ignorant persons. One
of the invariable rules of the health OF
any tree is indicated by the terminal
| branches at the top. The very first
indication of poor health in any tree
Will be shown by the terminal buds OF
| the top branches ceasing to throw out
new leaves or struggling to put out q
cramped contracted little yellow leaf
| In prune trees this condition is, by
many who have not had opportunities
to post themselves, thought to be the
| attacks of red spiders and as the rem
edy against the predatory habits of this
insect is now quite well known to be
busting sulphur on the trees, the or
chardist goes to town. buys a lot OF
sulphur, dusts it over the trees and
feels satisfied that he has done the
right thing, when, in fact, the money
invested and labor used are thrown
away.
These remarks about prune trees am
led to make because a friend came tc
the writer and told me his orchard was
infested with red spider that he had
used sulphur and it did no good. What
should he do? I requested him to send
me some of the twigs and when they
came to hand at once it was plain tt
be seen, through experience. that his
trees We're Impoverished, the soil con-
ditions, the climatic vagaries prevailing
so long in our county had brought
Il about an impeverishment of his trees
and if they had been buried in a sui
phur mine no benefit would have &C
erued. Sometimes this impoverishmen
of the tree will be indicated on some, Of
its branches and not on others. Tn,
roots which feed those branches hav,
! reached out into a desert where they
are unable to procure any substanc.
of which they can sustain life in a Wig,
i orouS way. Unless assistance is nov
given either in water or fertilizers tina
side of the tree will die. Lack Of water
| dces not always produce. this condition
nor does too much water do it, although
too much water will produce i'll health
in trees quicker, next to fire, than any
thing the writer knows Many time;
it is the lack of necessary food con
stituents in the soil and if this is tn,
case they must be supplied, otherwis-
the culture of that variety of tree viii
have to be abandoned.