Holbrook argus., 1901-04-13
FOR THE FARMER
The National Irrigation Survey Soon to
Be Started

AhS a'"NiO'Ni H'SNHO'a SN''NJ ONS
Be Started
A Method for Dsposing of Old Bones
and Ashes-Value of Subsoiling-
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Large shipments of nursery stock
are being made from Orange county to
Phoenix, Ariz.
There are five cheese factories at San
Felipe, Santa Clara county which turn
out 10, 600 pounds of cheese weekly.
10
One of the wisest moves made for
some time was when the Los Angeles
City Council passed an ordinance for
bidding the sale of sewer water to veg
etable growers.
Texas papers are Dragging about
cabbage heads weighing Is pounds, and
onions measuring II inches in circum-
ference. That's nothing; ask Murdoch
of Westminster how about cauliflowers
that you can dance on.
American Gardening ridicules the eff
forts being made to have law passed
by the New York Legislature to protect
purchasers of nursery stock, against
San Jose scale. When we remember
the vast expense and labor and loss i'm
posed upon California fruit growers by
the scale, their fumigating tents, cya-
nlfe washes, and sprays innumerable,
are forcible reminders that regulations
can hardly be too stringent, if they
will regulate; and protection too
costly, if it protects. Will a method
prove effective? is the only sensible
question that properly applies in this
case.
A large amount of bone will accumu-
late about a family residence; also q
large amount of wood ashes. These
combined form a most valuable fertiI-
izer for fruit of all kinds, especially
grapes. The bone may be broken in
small pieces and mixed with the soil
about the roots of trees and vines, or
the bones may be mixed with the ashes,
when they will be dissolved, and the
mass scattered on the surface. A
method we once used with a very
marked effect was to punch holes in
IhC til0 ISCS anu Nlu6S
with hand spike, a dozen or more
holes to each tree, from four to eight
inches deep, and then, with basket of
broken bones, drop in each hole a
handful of small pieces, or one or two
large pieces. Holes enough for one
large tree can be made in one minute,
the bones introduced in little more
than a minute, and one stroke with a
r. oh, l,N10 LII,
applied on the surface.
National Irrigation Survey
The recent news from Washington
that several parties from the United
States Geological Survey, comprising
in all about 100 men, will begin early
in April to work on the California-Ne-
vada border is of vast Importance to
the two states mentioned, and of al
most equal interest to the whole coun-
try. 1t is the Inauguration of a Ia
tional system of irrigation, which will
not end with this generation, though
in thirty years the whole face Of tie
western half of the country can he
transformed.
According to the dispatch this initia-
tive work is expected to involve the
ulIluQdI6 expenditure VI dUOuI qlF UUU,-
900, distributed over a period C ten
years, and of course there will be an
immense amount of labor required. 1t
is stated that it is propose 10 build
large reservoirs on the California side
of the border line, the water to serve
in reclamation of fertile lands on both
sides of the mountains. The first work
done will be mainly along the Truckee,
! No., I1xo -.irr Th0rv mil
measure the volume of the streams,
the capacity of the reservoirs and esti-
mate the cost of construction. They
will also ascertain in what valleys the
water can be used to the best advan-
tage.-Los Angeles Herald.
Areas of Profitable Cultivation
What is in some respects the most
important work of the Division of
Pomology, namely, the accurate map
ping of the districts adapted to the
commercially profitable culture of the
important fruits, still remains practi-
cally untouched, and cannot be under
taken until larger appropriation is
available. Thousands of acres of trees
and vines are annually planted on soils
and sites manifestly unsuitable be-
cause of adverse conditions of soil or
climate or of the prevalence of disas-
trous diseases.
The data obtainable at the present
time bearing upon this question con-
sist chiefly of disconnected reports
| from growers more or less isolated, and
until systematic field work can be I'M
dertaken, accurate outlining of fruit
districts is impossible. On the other
hand, rapid personal survey Of doubt
full areas by skilled observers, in con-
nection with the accumulated data, and
such incidental Investigations of soils,
prevailing plant diseases. and perhaps
of injurious insects as may be found
necessary, would yield results of imme-
diate and great value to fruit growers.
Acting Pomologist w. A. Taylor in his
last report urges that this work be
undertaken at an early date by the
Division, in cooperation with the Dis
visions of Soils and Vegetable Physf-
ology and Pathology and the State ex-
pertinent stations, and recommended
that an appropriation be made for the
purpose. The great utility of the sug-