The record-union., 1899-08-22

poultry should Watcn Tor the lllllS ic0
spider louise SO common among chick
ems and grown fowls When discovered
application Of coal oil should be mace
with brush TO roosts and woodwork
where nests are made. Then apply IN
sect powder to the chickens Few
times and the pests will disappear, Dus
these precautions must be resorted to
occasionally to avoid their reappear-
ance.
This exceedingly troublesome and
often fatal pest is the cause of many
complaints from those raising chick
ems. The attacks of the spider louise
are not confined to poultry, as it IS
often found in pigeon-houses and in
the nests of other birds about the farm
buildings. Where they are numerous
they often find their way to animals
The mites are nocturnal in their hab-
it's. During the daytime they are
generally in hiding, but at night they
abandon their hiding places and seek
for food. Chickens are often prevented
from sleeping at night, and not rarely
forced to abandon their eggs when set
ting. Instances have been recorded
where birds have been killed by this
mite.
OLIVE OIL.
Los Angeles Times: In the discussion
that has been going forward during the
past few months as to whether or not
olives may be prof1tably raised in
Southern California, comparatively lit
tie has been said in regard to the ques-
ton of manufacturing olive oil. That
the olive can be grown in this section
we all know. That it may be grown
with profit under proper conditions has
by no means been disproved. We also
know that good oil can be made from
the olive in California, for it has been
done. Why, then, many ask, is it that
it is found SO difficult to purchase re-
ally good California olive oil in our
stores?
There are two leading reasons for
this. The first is carelessness in the
manufacture Of the oil and lack of per-
! feet cleanliness. In the manufacture
! Of olive oil cleanliness is as necessary
as it is in dairy work. A few moldy
berries will spoil the flavor of a large
quantity of oil.
The second reason why oil sold at
the stores is frequently ''off" flavor is
/ that the dealers frequently leave the
oil on the shelves exposed to strong
light under which conditions it rap
/ idly becomes rancid
1t is not to be expected that pure
| California olive oil can ever be sold
at price to compete with the adulter-
ated oils that are offered on the mar
ket, but there should always be in this
country a sufficient market for all the
pure olive oil that California is
likely to make after supplying the de-
mand for picked olives.
CULTIvATING GRASSES.
San Francisco Chronicle: The turf
garden of the Connecticut Experiment
Station has been cut with a machine
every day since the opening of the sea-
son. For twelve years every weed
which showed itself among the grass
has been carefully eradicated, until
now the one and one-half acres of the
garden is practically weedless. No
weeds are introduced with the grass,
for no seeds are sown, the paintings
being entirely of roots. Many thou
sands of grasses have been tried, col
lected from all continents, of which
nearly all have been discarded after
trial. The object has been to find the
most succulent grasses which would
make the most solid turf possible under
such conditions of aridness as one at
tainable in Connecticut This year the
| drought has been extreme, and Mr. Oh
! colt writes us that the turf never
/ looked better. Our soils endure drought
far better than any Eastern soils, and
it is rot likely, outside of the deserts,
that there could be anything in this
State severer strain upon turf than
/ the Connecticut garden has success
/ fully endured. It is unfortunate that
/ it has not yet been possible to make a
| duplicate of the Connecticut garden In
this State. 1t is not possible for our
Berkeley Experiment Station to even
consider the proposition. 1t has not
the money, and will not have it, STAN
ford University has now received its
full endowment, but as yet there is no
inclination that it proposes to spend
any money on agricultural lines. 1t is
/ peculiarly an experiment to be tried
! al the expense of wealthy men, be-
| cause whatever may be the result from
the standpoint of the grazier, there is
no doubt at all that there would be a
vast improvement in our lawn grasses
Mr.. Olcott, who has made the Con /.
recticut garden, is strongly of the opin-
ion that grasses can be introduced in
farm care, will make permanent graz