Amador ledger., 1902-08-01
The Foothill Culture Substation.
BY cHAs. Il. sHINN.

10y DVSb diIiSu Uu lOf bltec SedSOnS
with the so-called 'gluten, macaroni,
or hard wheats sent out by the U. s.
Department of agriculture, and full
reports have been made to the division
OF chemistry, which has charge of the
matter. These cooperative experi-
uents, in which u large number of ey-
pertinent stations have been interested,
are still in progress and are of much
Importance. The quality OF the gluten
wheats grown at the different substa-
tions varied considerably, Amador
showing the greatest change and in
crease of starch; Tulare, Paso Robles
and Pomona were better, in the order
named. The change observed in the
original No. 1888 Thciss wheat at Po-
mona in two years culture was slight,
GsSo@ that grown at .hmadoy in that
time advanced far toward White Aus
tralian. The hard Algerian wheats
received from DR.. Trabut suffered less
deterioration at Pomona aud Paso
Robles than at Tularo and Amador.
The plants of all the hard wheats
grown at Tulare have filtered more and
yielded better each year than the pre-
vious year. Bulletin No. of the U. S.
Bureau of Plant Industry is devoted to
hard wheats and tho areas adapted to
their culture
All previous reports, from 1889 to the
present time, have shown the value
and interest of this location for the
future horticultural development of the
Sierra foothills. After thirteen years
of continuous work at this remote
point difficult of access and situated in
the midst of a community whose atten-
tion has been chiefly devoted to min
ing, the growth OF the fruit interest is
very marked, and the horticultural
future of the region seems assured.
This substation is on the frontier,
and its observations have been strik-
ingly new. Its first foreman, skilled
collector, sent many Of the native
plants of the region to European her,
bariums. Its orchards and vineyards,
embracing very large number of
varieties, have scattered scions, buds,
and cuttings of new and promising
sorts among the farmers of Amador
and adjacent counties, at the rate, in
recent years, OF from four to five thous-
and items each season, 1t has illus
trated, year after year, the proper use
of fertilizers on the light granite soils
of the Sierra foothills; has introduced
improved methods of irrigation; has
aided to develop the culture of figs.
olives, grapes. and other fruits in this
region; has devoted especial attention
to all the more hardy decduous fruits.
Introducing many promising new sorts;
and has tested an enormous nun Der OF
cereals, forage crops, grasses, and var
ious small cultures. For two seasons
past the olive oil produced at this sub
station has attracted general attention
for its high quality.
Changes and Improvements. Since
1898, the date OF the last report Mr.. J.
W. Neal, foreman of this station, has
been transferred to Paso Robles, his
former home, and Mr.. j. H. Barber of
Pase Rohles was appointed to Amador,
taking charge in July, 1901.
The water system, which was utterly
inadequate to the needs of the substa-
ton, has been improved by the INSTALL
ment of larger turbine and pump
built by Knight & Co., at the Sutter
Creek foundry. A new pump house
has also been erected at the ditch.
With new and larger pipe to the res
ervoir. the pump can be used to irri-
gate all deciduous orchards on Reser-
voir Hill, some six acres, and also
several acres of alfalfa to reduce the
expense of hay. Its capacity at full
stroke is ten miners inches, or ninety
gallons per minute, and the turbine is
twelve horsepower. The new pump
house is large enough for use as tool
house and workshop. The turbine also
runs circular saws and grindstone
under this roof.
An Office, 12X20 feet in size, has been
built, containing also the station IL
braiy and the seed-room. This was
necessary, as the foreman's cottage is
not large enough for these various
uses, aud also in view of the manifest
desirability of separating the official
work from the foreman's home. This,
like the pump-house, was built of
mountain pine, by day labor. 1t was
''set on pans" and on stone-posts. and
is rat-proof; very essential matter
here.
Minor improvements include new
fences, road-making, bringe- building,
the removal of many rocks by blasting
and otherwise, the erection of tank
frame and water-tank, and good deal
OF repairing and reconstruction.
Extensive culture experiments have
been carried on during the three years
upon plants of which seed came, under
number, from the section of plant and
seed Introduction of the department of
agriculture at Washington. These in
volved some four hundred different
cultures, many Of which were several
times repeated on various soils and
under diverse conditions. The results
were in many cases most promising.
No part of California is in greater need