The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-08
Agriculture
and
Horticulture.

Horticulture.
Oroville Register: Up in Plumas they
raise gigantic potatoes, for American
and Indian, as well as some other val
leys. are famous for all kinds OF yegee-
ables. We were presented this week
with the king of spuds, for 1T weighed
a little oyer six pounds The big po-
tato was grown on the ranch of ]. w.
Thompson of American, Valley. and sent
to us by w. r. Edwards of Quincy.
Walker Bell brought it down and
youches that this is the kind OF spuds
Plumas produces.
THE RAINS.
shasta Courier: The fall rains have
SO far come just right for stockmen IN
Shasta County. The first showers
dampened the ground and caused grass
and vegetables to sprout and spring up
and the rains that soon followed nave
had magic boosting" tendency, ana
with a few weeks more mild weather
feed will be abundant to help live stock
tide over the cold weather and storms
that may always be expected in Win
ter and early spring. Wherever it is
possible, however, stock should be pro-
vided with dry shelter and some feed
NEW FRUIT TREE PEST.
California Fruit Grower: Orchardists
In the State of Maryland are threatened
with new pest thought to be imported
from Germany. The American Pack
err Of Baltimore says: This source of
worriment is an importation from Ger
many, where such disturbance was
raised against American fruits because
of the fact that they would carry $50
called San Jose scale and other pests
to the German orchards. In its ravages
1t is not unlike the San Jose scale, and
already has a foothold in many sections
of America Entomologists of the Ag-
ricultural Department at Washington
are now studying the new arrival and
are devising schemes to prevent it's ex-
tention from the localities which 1t has
invaded In Europe the scale is known
by the technical title of Aspidiotus oc-
treoeformis, Curtis. 1t is found al
most everywhere throughout the
States, Kingdoms and municipalities of
Europe, and even in Northern Africa,
and the damage it has done to the fruit
interests, wherever it has broken forth,
is beyond estimate.
FOR CURING RIPE OLIVES.
Colusa Sun: The following has been
used by several parties in Colusa with
entire success, and as there are a large
number of trees in the county, it may
be of value at this time:
For ten gallons of ripe olives, care
fully picked without bruising, dissolve
one pound of American concentrated
I've in three or four quartes of water by
heating; add cold water until the whole
amounts to five gallons; pour it over the
olives, which should be in an oak tub or
cask with a faucet at the bottom to
draw off the liquor or water; stir them
frequently for the first few hours, being
careful not to bruise them, after which
stir them once in two hours. At the
end of two and one-half days examine
them to see if the I've has penetrated
them to the pit, which is done by Sc
lecting a few of the berries and slicing
them with a knife. If much of the flesh
remains white draw off the I've; rinse
the fruit with clear water, several
buckets, and put on fresh I've, prepared
as before Usually this last bath of I've
is sufficient after twenty-four hours, it
not being necessary that the I've should
penetrate to the pit of the berries, as
the process of taking out the I've will
remove what bitter remains The I've
baths are to take out the bitter prop
critics from the fruit, the next process
being to remove the I've from the fruit
This is done by frequent baths in clear
cold water. Use the water frequently
for the first day or two, until the I've
disappears, then put on strong brine for
one day, which will remove the last of
it. If any I've should remain, it is
easy to detect it by tasting the fruit.
Soak out part of the strong brine. when
they are ready for the final pickle, of
salt and water, which can be made to
suit the taste.
THE VINTAGE.
Livermore Herald: The vintage is
fairly over although Wente's and
Wagoner's wineries are still receiving
few struggling lots. D. A. McNally
is hauling the last of the product of the
Oak Spring vineyard to the Wagner
winery and a few wagon loads from
the belated crop of the Tassajara Valley
are also coming in M &
The crop has been very short, even
below the estimates early in the season.
Everything considered the vintage has
been fairly good one. Every winery
in the valley had trouble with the fer
mentation at the outset but little ex-
perimenting removed the difficulty and
after the first week or two no trouble
was experienced. The quality of the
seasons output is said to be uniformly
good.
A OUNCE ORCHARD.
Santa Rosa Republican: On the En-
barcadero road below Sonoma is the
largest ounce orchard in America, and
perhaps in the world. Thirty acres OF
ounce trees make up this orchard
Thirty acres of ordinary fruit trees is
not such a large orchard, but the big
ness of this ounce grove can be COM
pretended when the readers remember
that all the other ounce trees in all
the other orchards in the county would
not take up an acre of land.
The orchard is on the Robert Howe
ranch. 1t was planted by Mr.. Howe
and his associate at that time in the
commission business. Afterwards the
ranch was divided, and the ounce or
chard fell into Mr.. Howe's portion. At
the time of the tree planting the neigh
bors thought that the ounce growers
were crazy. and for time Mr.. Howe
shared a quite similar feeling.
Time went on and the trees COM
menced to bear and there seemed to be
no market. An acre of ounces will
easily keep the San Francisco market
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