(^Ii?s^ 



California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



SPKOUT PRUNING. 



We desire to say a word to orchardists, and 

 all others, about Buckering fruit trees. It is 

 a common practice for persons in summer to 

 go about amongst their trees and cut or break 

 off the sprouts and suckers that are growing 

 out where limbs are not wanted to grow. Now 

 we expostulate. We say don't do it. It is 

 not the right season to trim foliage from the 

 trees, and it cannot be done without injury to 

 the vitality of the tree. This is particularly 

 the case with trees that have been heavily 

 pruned, or that were grafted last spring or 

 the year before. Such trees are most likely 

 to throw out a good many shoots from the 

 trunk and limbs, and because such shoots are 

 not wanted to make limbs they are ruthlessly 

 cut away. Our reasons, founded on experi- 

 ence and the most careful observation, are 

 these : The tree needs leaves to absorb nutri- 

 ment from the air and assimulate the same, 

 induce a healthy circulation of the sap, shade 

 the limbs and trunk of the tree, etc., all very 

 important oflBces to the life, health and value 

 of the tree. Nature puts out these shoots 

 from such parts of the tree as are most likely 

 to produce healthy leaves which can most 

 perfectly i:)erform this office. The waste in 

 growing these shoots is very little compared 

 with the (jaiii through them to the rich juices 

 that sustain the tree in vigor and growth. 



Where you think that these suckers are 

 "sapping," as the saying is, the life from 

 your scions, nip off the outer ends of the 

 suckers only. By checking their rapid growth 

 the sap will naturally flow into such scions 

 or limbs as have not been molested and make 

 them more vigorous; when if you cut away 

 the suckers the sap of the whole tree becomes 

 in a measure stagnated, and an imperfect di- 

 gestion is sure to follow. "Sour sap, " with 

 limbs exposed to the sun, will kill the limbs, 

 and no tree can be deprived of its leaves, or 

 any portion of them, at this season, without 

 suffering proportionately. 



Next winter and sjiring you can cut away 

 whatever growth is out of place or not wanted 

 with comparative impunity. The tree is then 

 at rest, the starch and sugar now being formed 

 and absorbed through the leaves are then 

 held in store in its vital juices. The buds 

 left ou the tree next spring will be thrown 

 into action to make new shoots and leaves. 

 Healthy, strong, vigorous roots to a tree are 

 of as much, or more importance than a good 

 top. To keep the roots vigorous, a full top 

 during the growing season is necessary. There 

 is nothing vicious in suckers growing. It 

 shows that a new stock of healthy leaves is 

 needed to keep U]) an active circulating of the 

 sap — that nature is true to herself, and re- 

 sponds to the call where a balance of power 

 is needed. 



Our advice is to the point: You may nip 

 buck the suckers that seem to detract from the 

 growth of other limbs or of scions, but don't 

 remove them until after the fall of the leaf. 

 Next winter, during pruning season, cut away 

 all surplus growth not wanted It is never 

 safe to remove large suckers from the tree 

 during the gi'owing season, unless there is a 

 great abundance of lirubs and leaves on the 

 tree to give breath, draw nutrition and give 

 vigorous circulation to the vitality of the tree. 



PUBLICATIONS. 



Hints and Helps in Our Temperance Work. 

 This is a pamphlet of seventy-two pages, 

 prepared by Miss Frances E. Willard, Cor- 

 responding Secretary of the Woman's National 

 Christian Temperance Union, containing full 

 constitutions and plan of work for every de- 

 partment of woman's Christian temperance 

 work. State county and local unions, juvenile 

 societies, etc., full of important hints and 

 suggestions, making a valuable hand-book for 

 all. Send 25 cents for this book, and you 

 will always think it money well invested. 

 Address J. N. Stearns, publishing agent, 58 

 Keade street, New York. 

 The Science of Health 



For July commences volume seven of this 

 vigorous, active, and most instructive month- 

 ly. Its contents are more than usually di- 

 versified; opening with an interesting sketch 

 and fine portrait of the late lamented pub- 

 lisher, Mr. S. K. WeUs, the interest is well 

 sustained throughout. It is filled with excel- 

 lent articles -on health subjects. The recipes 

 of the department of Household and Agricul- 

 ture are unusually full. Take it altogether it 

 is a capital specimen number of that sort of 

 literature which the masses of the people need 

 to read. Price 20 cents. By the year, $2. 

 An excellent premium is offered to those who 

 subscribe for the year. Address, S. R. WeUs 

 & Co., 737 Broadway, New York city. 

 The Phrenological Journal, 



Published by the above firm, $3 a year, is 

 one of the best publications in America, filled 

 with rational, intellectual food. Mrs. Char- 

 lotte Fowler Wells is now conducting the 

 business of her late husband, and these pub- 

 lications must continue to be as entertaining 

 as heretofore. 

 " Wide Awake." 



The first number of a beautiful illustrated 

 children's magazine. Wide Awake, is on our 

 table. It is edited by EUa Farman and pub- 

 lished by D. Lothrop & Co., Boston, Mass. 

 S>2 a year. A glance through it shows us a 

 splendid assortment of rational, original mat- 

 ter, just to suit boys and girls, tinted pages 

 and lots of nice pictures in highest style of 

 the art. Send 20 cents for a specimen num- 

 ber. 

 " Sunshine," 



Is our favorite magazine for the little ones. 

 No clap-trap, wishy-washy trash in it, but 

 pretty stories, pictures and other interesting 

 matters that are worth reading because they 

 entertain and hiive some point to them. This 

 little waif is published at Santa Clara by two 

 good-looking school-marms, and is only $1 10 

 a year, postage paid. Address "Sunshine," 

 Santa Clara. 



We are under compliments to A. L. Ban- 

 croft it Co., San Francisco, for a pink-covered 

 novel entitled "The Woman of Fire, " by 

 Adolphe Beloit, translated from the French. 

 Now, we know nothing about the author, and 

 don't care a fig for the contents, but by a glance 

 through it we see it is a sort of sentimental 

 love story. Of course, it was very consider- 

 ate of B. & Co. to send us this novel to read 

 during the hot weather, but we wish that 

 when they send us another book to bo noticed 



they would send something worth noticing, 



worth reading, and something that we can 



recommend on its own merits to our readers. 



To grass with all such trash as this. The 



world is full of it, and none the better for it 



either. 



Meal-Feedinq and Animal Digestion, 



By L. W. Miller, Stockton, New York is 

 the title of a little book published by request 

 of the American Dairymen's Association. 

 Price, 25 cents. This little work will be 

 found valuable to all dairymen and others 

 who feed grain, ground or whole, to animals. 

 Inclose 25 cents to the author as above. 

 The Statistician 



Is a monthly publication containing all sorts 

 of statistics, such as cannot be found any- 

 where else. Get a copy at the news-stand, 

 examine it, and then subscribe. 



" Do you like codfish balls, Mr. Wiggins?" 

 Mr. Wiggins, hesitatingly — "I really don't 

 know; I don't recollect attending one." 



A Standard Tsnipsrance Frizs Sssaj. 



TO THE FRIENDS OF TEMPERANCE. 



Tlie Coinraittee appouited by the National Tern- 

 peraiH'c Cniiveution, held at .Suralo/^a, in 1873, on 

 the Bubjee-t of a Standard Temperance Work, de- 

 cided to divide the work into three parts, and to 

 ofier Two Prizes for each of the three essaye, to 

 be open to all writers who choose to compete 

 therefor, in this and other conntriea : 



1. The Scientilic; embracing the Chemical, Phy- 

 siolojiical, and Medical aspects. 



2. The Historical, Stalislical, EconomicHl, and 

 Political. 



3. The .Social, Educ.itional, and Keligioiis. 



The fnnd at conmiand, thrunyh the eliblts of|Job 

 11. Jackson, of West Giove, Chester county. Pa., 

 eiuibled the Connniltee to olfer one year ago Prizes 

 of $'>(I0 and S3I10 for accepted nianuscripis for Part 

 I, and the responses of writers, now ouuer examin- 

 ation, lead the Committee to hope for a work of 

 value eouMuensurate with the great cause it ia ex- 

 pelled to pnmiole. This encouragement and the 

 fnnd at command, and personal guarantee of Mr. 

 Jackson, now further enables the Committee to 

 annou[ice Two Prizes for Part II — the Hi.^toncal, 

 Statistical, Economical and Political, and Two 

 Prizes for Part III, embracing the Social, Educa- 

 tional and Keligious relations of Temperance: viz.: 

 For the best essay for each of these jiarts, adjudged 

 satisfactory, the sum ot $5U0 will be p.aid; lor the 

 second best essav, the sum of $300 will be paiil — 

 accepted manuscripts to become the property of the 

 National Temperance Society. 



The offers lor Part II and Part III will remain 

 open to all competitors one year, till July 1, ISTfi. 

 Manuscripts [with the names and addresses of the 

 writers by whom they are forwarded for competi- 

 tion, enclosed in separate sealed eurelopes, not to 

 be opened till alter the award has been made] 

 should he forwarded to A. M. PowELL, 5S Keade 

 street. New York. 



The essays should be of such a character that, 

 ■while adap'teii in style to iuterest the general read- 

 er, they will also meet the demands of scholarly 

 criticism. 



Those who intend to compete for the prizes of- 

 fered for these essays, and who may desire more 

 information as to the scope of the work and sni;- 

 gested subdivisious, will be furnished with further 

 particulars by applvin.g to Mr. Powell, as above. 



In order that the complete Standard Work may 

 be placed before the public at the earliest practic- 

 able day, the Committee urgently appeal to friends 

 of temperance to promptly supply them with funds 

 to meet the prizes announced and to publish the 

 work. The sum of SoOO, at least, additional to 

 that on band, will be required. Coutribntions may 

 be sent lo Job II. Jacicson, Treasurer, West Grove 

 Chester county, Pa.; to J. N. Stearns, PublishiuK 

 Asent of the' National Temperance Society, 58 

 Keade street, New York, or to any member of the 

 Committee. 



A. M. Powell, 1 

 Ja-mks Black, I 



E. C. YlTMAS, '-I 



A. A. MlHEK, 



Nkal Dow, J 

 5S Keade St., New York, March, 1875, 



Committee. 



