Pacific Rural Press, Volume 56, Number 7, 13 August 1898 — AGRICULTURAL REVIEW. [SECTION]

AGRICULTURAL REVIEW.

CALIFORNIA. Alameda. sugar Making.—Oakland Enquirer, Aug. 5: In a few days the various beet sugar factories of the State will start up on the season's campaign. In this county the severe north wind Injured the beets in some districts, but the Pleasanton disJut is expected to turn out its usual fine yield. It is known that the crop which the Alvarado factory will handle this year ff ill be between fifty and seventy-five thousand tons. This will give a shorter run than usual. Contra Costa. Keii aiming Land.—Antioch Ledger, July 30: The water in the mi'Uile division of Union island has been pumped out and a levee built. The land has been planted to potatoes and other vegetables. The pumps are now being used on the lower division. Fresno. Condemned Cattle.—Dispatch, Aug. 8: The Government has refused to allow stock from this part of the State to be shipped out of California on account of the prevalence of Texas fever among the herds. To-day Carey Brothers, Omaha buyers of cattle, had 2500 head of stock condemned at Hanford by Dr. C. H. Blemer, chief Government inspector for California. Not all the animals were affected nor even a small part 0 { the band, but the disease was found in a number of them and the whole band was condemned. The inspector would not allow apparently well ones to be segregated from feverish cattle aud shipped on, for they bad been exposed to the disease and he feared they might develop it en route. Grain Chop.—Expositor, Aug. 8: Reports from the country between Firebaugh and Dos Palos show a fair yield of wheat. Misestimated that between 90,000 and 95,000 sacks will be harvested this season. The land has only recently been planted to wheat, and the returns are up to expectations. In places the wheat will go ten sacks to the acre. Peaks.—Sanger Herald, July 30: G. W. Stafford, foreman of the Hudson vineyard, informed us that they had disposed of their Bartlett pear crop at $30 per ton. The pickers use rings for sizing up the pears, and none are accepted by the canners that measure less than 2% inches in diameter.

Qkai'E Chop.— Expositor, Aug. 1: Reports from many of the vineyards of the valley indicate that the grapevine leaves are in the best of condition. Experts state that the hot weather of the last few days will be of the greatest benefit to the grape crop. The heat causes the grapes to ripen early, and, when they are well protected with leaves, benefits them in many ways. However, when the leaves are in poor condition, so as not to offer sufficient protection for the fruit, the grapes are baked on the vines. It is said that in the vicinity of Fowler and elsewhere the red spider is doing great damage to the leaves, causing them to drop from the vines. The grapes are thus left unprotected, and are baked by the sun.

Texas Fevek.— Republican, Aug. 5: George Edwards, the veterinary surgeon, says that the cattle of Fresno county are threatened with Texas fever. This week he discovered that the dreaded stock plague has affected a large number of cattle pastured on the Kings river bottom lands southeast of Sanger. Thirty head died in one bunch of cattle and the carcasses are scattered around the pasture. The disease was found in another bunch of cattle up the river. Edwards is alarmed over the discovery and he thinks that strong measures should at once be adopted to stamp out the disease. The affected cattle have every symptom of Texas fever. Their ears droop, their hair is ruffled and the animals have a general air of dejection. When a cow is affected she dies within a few days. Death usually results within from five to nine days. A small brown tick peculiar to cattle afflicted with Texas fever was found on the cattle in Kings river pastures. He says that this is the first appearance of Texas fever in Fresno county and he does not understand how the disease got here. It is easily communicated, as the droppings from the animals affected will infect a herd of cattle that passes over the ground later. It is thought that the fever was brought by stock cars in which Texas cattle were hauled.

Houses DriHO.— Republican, Aug. 5: Health Officer J. L. Maupin received word yesterday that a large number of horses in the Centerville country were afflicted with some peculiar disease. A large number of the animals are dying in the river bottoms south of Centerville. The death of the horses, it i 9 said, is the result of poor pasturage and a lack of good, pure water. Dr. Maupin has ordered the dead animals to be buried without further delay. Humboldt. Banner Butter Month.—Eureka Standard, Aug. 4: The shipments of produce from the county for the month of July closed yesterday. The records show that in the item of butter the month was the largest of the year so far, the shipments amounting to 505,200 pounds, which at the average quotation ns valued at $101,040. Wool was also a large item of the exports and amounted to over 68,000 pounds, valued at average quotations for Humboldt spring clip at nearly 111,000. New Ckeamery.—Arcata Union, July 30: The new creamery being built by John Silva, near Arcata, is being pushed to completion, and will be ready to start up about the Ist of September. The building is up, the boiler and most of the machinery on the ground and the water tank ready. . Eikeka Fair.— Ferndale Independent, Aug. 4: At a meet- '"? of the directors of the Eureka Fair and the business men ot that city, it was decided to hold the fair during the week Beginning Sept. 12th. Kern. Goon Crops.— Bakersfleld tkhn, Aug. 4: Theodore Tracy ™as in town yesterday from the Button Willow and Goose uke country. He reported that wheat in those localities, »nien is now being harvested, is turning off from fourteen to >-m,een sacks an acre- Tne extent of the crop amounts to w,uuo or no,ooo acres. It is all irrigated wheat and the quallly is hne.

Bi<; Ceheal Crop.— Californian, Aug. 4: T. E. Brown, superintendent at the Old Headquarter ranch on the Miller thn estate» is in town to-day and speaks encouragingly of Z£ rop yield> Harvesting is in full blast, there being ten chin harvesters. nine headers and two threshing main iat work- The harvesters cut and thresh on an average imm i per dav ' and the threshing machines turn out about uuu sacks each. This means a daily cutting, threshing and •junng of some 4000 sacks of grain. Harvesting has been in frnm t on the ranch tor some weeks. The land is yielding m twelve to twenty-five sacks per acre. In addition to the han « «on l^e ranch proper, some ten sections are in the iuus or renters and all will have a fair crop, none falling below twelve sacks to the acre. Lani M p!N(i Plant Burned.—Bakersfleld Echo, Aug. 4: The Wto i Panv's pump station was destroyed by fire early iiumn aav morning. The loss is estimated at f2OOO. The eate i" ;ls bein S used t0 lift water into a ditch which irri--6 eu a considerable scope of country.

„ KingH. at i lh IK Dkive-— Hanford Journal, Aug. 2: The coyote drive mints s was the most successful held. Seven of the varticinn/\ c? c run down and killed by the six horsemen whoparof vV«t J n the hunt- One would think that the hot weather jescerday would be bad for such a hunt, but such is not the

case. The coyotes can run all right in the heat for a short time, but soon give out and a good horse will soon "wind" them.

' Cheese Factory.—Hanford Sentinel, July 28: Kings county is to have another cheese factory. M. J. Donovan will proceed immediately to build one and has let the contract for digging a well and erecting a 5000-gallon tank. First-class machinery will be put in, and it is expected to have things in working operation at an early date. Los Angeles. Cheap Water.—Downey Champion: Mr. P. O'Connor is jubilant over the successful operations of his deep well and pumping plant that he put in on his place. He has a 10 inch tubular well 175 feet deep and the water rises to within a few feet of the surface. A centrifugal pump run by a gasoline engine at a cost of 10 cents an hour sends up a constant stream of 76 miner's inches of water with but little lowering of the water in a day's run. The flow thus secured irrigates his alfalfa lands, run through open ditches. Drying Fruit.—Pasadena Star, Aug. 3: The fruit dryers are again running almost in full force, the employers being engaged in handling plums and peaches. The crop of French prunes in the valley ripening rapidly. Good Lemon —Covina Argus, Aug. 6: A car of lemons (288 boxes) shipped on Aug. 27, through the Southern California Exchange, by the Azusa Valley Lemon Curing Co., to Kansas City, said for $1073, f. o. b., netting to the grower 3%c. per pound. This is one of the best sales made this season. Plenty op Well Water.—Covina Argus, July 30: A visit to the wells on the San Jose tract showed that the Smith well, now controlled by the Artesian Belt Co., is pumping 56 inches, the Walker, within 200 feet of the same, 45 inches, aDd the Deacon well, about one-half mile to the west, 60 inches. Continual pumping appears to make no impression on the wells. Memlociiio. Hop Market Dull.— Dispatch and Democrat, Aug. 5: Dullness was never more pronounced in the local hop market than now. There are no indications of any business. With prospects of a fairly liberal yield this year, both here and abroad, the outlook is not encouraging for high or firm figures being realized on coming yield. Good to choice 1897 crop are 9to 13 cents quotably. Napa. First Sale of Swamp Land.— Register, Aug. 5: Tax Collector Gardner sold 101 acres of swamp land in Napa bay belonging to the State, under authorization of the State Controller. It was the first sale of its kind conducted in this county and the second in the Satte. The land was bid in by W. H. Miller of San Francisco for $108.44. Benefits of Irrigation.— Register, Aug. 5: In the Napa Land Co.'s window may be seen two branches taken from two different trees in the prune orchard of Supervisor Bush which show what irrigation will do in a dry season. One of the branches is taken from a tree that was not irrigated, and its fruit is very small. The other branch comes from a tree that was irrigated and the fruit on it is much larger. Mr. Bush commenced irrigating his orchard several weeks ago. Enlarging Their Wine — Register, Aug. 5: The brick work of the Migrliavacca Wine Co.'s building is finished and carpenters are busy completing the interior work. The roof is made of asphaltum paper, and a covering of asphaltum and sand. In the north end of the building is an apartment 20x60 feet for business purposes. The remainder of the building will be used for storing large wine tanks. Grape Yield. -St. Helena Sentinel, Aug. 4: From present predictions the yield of grapes in Napa valley will be about one-half of last year's crop. Last year the grapes were full of juice and as a consequence ran rather low in sugar. This year the percentage of sugar will much higher and the difficulties of making good wine will be considerably reduced. So far there seem to be no disposition among the wine makers to set a price. Orange. Dried Apricots Sell High.—Santa Ana Blade, Aug. 5: A local association of growers at Villa Park has sold its apricots, amounting to same sixteen tons. The price obtained was the best had this year, being 9% cents per pound. Cannery Shares Advance.—Anaheim Gazette, Aug. 4: The directors of the cannery on Monday afternoon advanced the price of stock from $10 to $11 per share. The enterprise has passed from the experimental stage, and is as great a success as its most pronounced advocates predicted. On Friday last 130 hands were employed. Shipping Apricots.—Anaheim Gazette, Aug. 4: Four carloads of dried apricots were shipped from the dryer on Saturday, a portion of the fruit going to foreign ports. The total shipments up to Monday aggregated seven carloads, and since then a carload per day has gone forward. It is estimated that thirty carloads of dried fruit will be shipped from the dryer this season. Red Scale and —Anaheim Gazette, Aug. 4: Horticultural Commissioner Huntington informs us the red scale among citrus trees is less numerous this year than for a long time past. Orchards which two or three years ago were badly infested are now presenting a clean and bright appearance. Mr. Huntington states that patches of white scale have appeared in numerous localities throughout the county, and he has sent colonies of the Vedalia to Tustin, Orange and other near-by places for its eradication. The Vedalia makes short work of the white scale, cleaning them out in no time. Mr. Huntington places the life of the Vedalia at two weeks, and after the eradication of the white scale he has difficulty in finding any of the parasite among the trees. He is meeting with excellent success at propagating them at his residence in West Anaheim, and is prepared to furnish them to orchardists whose trees may be infested. Drainage DiTcn.—Santa Ana Blade, Aug. 5: Work has been resumed on the Willows ditch, which was started some time ago to provide proper drainage for the peat lands and the wet land in the vicinity of Bolsa. Thirty land owners interested have associated themselves into a company, known as the v Willows Ditch Company," and are proceeding with the work in the expectation that when completed it will be accepted by the supervisors as a county ditch. Riverside. Contract for Poultry.—Elsinore Press: Robert Larson of Temecula, one of the most extensive poultry dealers in southern California, has secured the contract for furnishing the Hotel Green at Pasadena with poultry. Last year he shipped to this hotel 23,000 pounds of turkeys, chickens and ducks. This year he expects to send at least 30,000 pounds. San Jternardlno. Large Apples.— Facts, Aug. 2: Some specimens of the Bieghtigheimer variety of apple, left at this office by Andrews Bros., weighed a pound, and the ripe ones bore beautiful rosy cheeks. This apple is sub-acid, a quality much liked by many in an eating apple, and excellent for making sauce. Sugar Campaign.—Chino Champion, Aug. 5: The date of the opening of the sugar campaign at the factory here has been definitely fixed at August 20th. The tare room is undergoing quite a complete change on account of the new system of tareing and sampling the beets. A long table is arranged, on which the tare men will work, and a rapid-plugging machine is at work to take a sample from each beet. The sam-

pies are then grated to a pulp, and the pulp sent up to the laboratory on an elevator. The process of water digestion is then used, by which it is claimed that absolutely all the sugar is extracted from the pulp. San Hen 1 to. Pumping Plant.—Hollister Bee, July 30: On the ranch of T. B. Hubbard three wells have been sunk from which an ample supply of water has been developed with which to irrigate a large tract of land. Two of the wells are 13 inches and the other 8 inches in diameter. The power used for pumping the water is a gasoline engine of 11 H. P. Besides furnishing water for the Hubbard ranch, the wells are used for the purpose of irrigating the alfalfa fields of Alfred Cowden adjoining. The capacity of the wells surpass expectations. sun Diego. Successful Creamery.-—San Jacinto Sun, July 27: Mr. Eadie reports the San Jacinto Creamery to be in a flourishing condition. At present the concern is receiving 2500 pounds of milk per day, with the prospect of 800 pounds more from Winchester the Ist of August. Haud Year for Bees.—Tribune: Honey bees are having a hard time of it this year throughout southern California. The dry season has exhausted the nectar in the sage llower, which is the best honey Hower in this section. The usual annual honey output from this county of about 500 tons will be so much reduced this year that the price has advanced from 4 to 5 and 0 cents per pound. Many hives are literally without any honey this year. Citkio Acid Factory.— National City Record. Aug. 4: Experimental runs, under the supervision and direction of Mr. Eldridge Baker, have been made with the citric acid factory machinery. The various parts tested have proved highly satisfactory. The whole plant will be given short trials during the next few days and the making of acid will probably begin next week. Lemon juice will also be made. Sanln Iturlutrn. Big Acokn Choi*.—l'ran, Aug. 4: Observers predict a heavy crop of acorns in the fall. This product of the white oak saved thousands of cattle in the Santa Ynez in 18(,»4. Walnut Obop.— News : The walnut orchards about Ooleta are looking much better than was expected, and the trees growing in heavy soils that have been well tilled are even making growth, and these will yield nuts of the usual size; but those on lighter, sandy soil show the effects of the drouth. All the trees seem to have set a full crop, but the yield will be short in weight and below ordinary in quality. The crop of deciduous fruit is light all around. Hauta Clara. Ainsley Cannery.—Campbell Visitor, Aug. 7: The Ainsley cannery started again yesterday. It has haudled about 400 tons of apricots this year, which is about double the amount of last year. Owing to the high price few peaches will be canned. The English market calls for about 40 per cent pears, 40 per cent apricots and 20 per cent peaches, while the American market will run about 50 per cent peaches, 25 per cent apricots and 25 per cent pears. Mr. Ainsley has contracted for 450 tons of pears, and altogether the cannery will probably double the business it did last year. Peach Canning.—San Jose M&reury, Aug. 7: The Los Gatos cannery is now running on the peach crop. The last few days of cool weather have been a great help to fruit raisers on account of the fruit ripening more slowly and giving the growers and packers a better chance to handle it. The coming week will be the rush week for peaches, and the institution will run day and night to handle the fruit. The system on which the cannery has been run this season under the management of George Hooke has enabled the cannery to handle more fruit and work less hours than the seasons heretofore, and the fine quality of fruit packed this year, with the great advance in price, will make this season the banner year for both the growers and the cannery. lit lan ft i Highest Pkioe fok Plitmh.— Vacaville Reporter, Aug. ft: On Aug. M another banner sale of Vacaville fruit took place in New York. Mr. H. A. Bassford, through the Earl Fruit Co., sold five 20-pound boxes of his celebrated Eureka plums for $8.55 apiece. The crates contained eighty-four plums each, which at the price named would be over 10 cents each, or 42% cents per pound wholesale. This price has never been beaten by California fruit in the East, except on the shipment of the first box of cherries. .Sonoma. New Packing House.—Healdsburg Tribune, Aug. 4: Healdsburg is to have a new fruit packing house. It will be built by the Porter Brothers Company of Chicago. The Diayeur tract of five acres has been leased for five years and a building 40x 80, of two stories and basement, costing $(tt)00, will be erected. They will pack dried and green fruits and ship under a Healdshurg brand. J. N. Belveal will be manager and George D. Anderson foreman. Sehastoi'OL Canneky.—Sebastopol Standard, Aug. 4: The cannery has been in operation two weeks, mostly on blackberries. The first Crawfords of the season were delivered on July 28 by J. J. Alves. They were noticeably fine in size and color. The regular season may now be considered opened, and this will give employment to at least 150 women and girls. Tehama. BHBBF Sbippko.—Red B.luff OottM, Aug. 6: Four thousand head of mutton sheep from Lassen county arrived here last night and were delivered to Mr. George, the stock buyer, today. They will be shipped to San Francisco to-morrow. This completes the delivery of the lft,ooo mutton sheep sold by Cone & Ward. They were driven here in four bands of 4000 each. The price paid for them ranged from $2 to $2.25 per head. Tnlare. Ditch Bridges.—Uinuba Advocate, Aug. 4: Notice has been given by the Board of Supervisors of Tulare county to the owners of irrigation ditches that cross public roads, that application to tender said bridges will be received and considered up to and iucluding the 15th of September, 1898, with a view to accepting all such bridges as public property, to be maintained by the Board according to section 8787 of the Political Code. Cak ok Honey. — BegUter, Aug. 5: A car of honey was massed in Tulare to-day for shipment to San Francisco. The lot comprised nearly 200 cases, of which '.«) cases were brought in by J. F. Bolden. Two lots came over from Visalia. Bee are doing very well in this locality and the honey market has been advancing. There will be a shortage in the crop, for complaint comes up from the honey districts of the southern counties that bees are not only not producing a surplus but have to be fed to carry them through. Ventura. APBIOOT Pitter. —Santa Paula Chronicle: Mr. S. W. Gulberson has been working on an apricot pitting machine for three years and has had two built before, which were not entirely satisfactory. The machine just built at the Fidelity shops was tested last Wednesday. It pits and places on trays in the proper manner for drying, a box of apricots in six or seven minutes, the whole tray being filled at one fall of the twentysix knives. The fruit is all cut properly, and 96 per cent of the pits are thrown out, and it is but the work of a few seconds to toss the 4 per cent of loose pits from the tray.