aiiforiiia Agriculturist 



Emmwrn, 



e 'T o OK j^ o ^ Fi Iff ua 



Vol. 6. 



Saa Jose, Cal., Deceraber, 1875. 



ITo. 12 



DAMPNESS INSIDE OF DWELLINGS 

 AND HOW TO OBVIATE IT. 



A lacly subscriber writes that the recent 

 wet spell of weather, although good for farm- 

 ing out-of-doors, has been rough on house- 

 wives who have large washings to do, and 

 that the damp has accumiilated in sleeping- 

 rooms so that the walls are mouldy and even 

 the bedding is damp. She wishes to know 

 how to remedy this, or rather, how to prevent 

 it. 



In reply we will say that much of the damp- 

 ness complained of has probably come from 

 the tea-kettle and other vessels that are al- 

 lowed to steam upon the stove in the kitchen. 

 The steam does not condense upon the walls 

 of the kitchen, because the ceiling is warmed 

 in that room; but it escapes from the kftchen 

 through doors into other rooms that are cold, 

 and whatever the particles of steam and mois- 

 ture from oft' the stove comes in contact with 

 in cold rooms it condenses upon them, so that 

 the walls, furniture, bedding, etc., all accu- 

 mulate moisture by condensation in this way. 

 Another thing we will call attention to in this 

 connection — whatever is boiling upon the 

 stove, be it ham, cabbage, onions, corned beef 

 or other food, if the doors leading from the 

 kitchen to other parts of the house are open, 

 the scents are carried with the steam and de- 

 posited upon whatever is cold enough to con- 

 dense the steam. This is why some houses 

 are filled with a smell " peculiar to the fami- 

 ly," as all the clothes catch a share of it and 

 carry it, too. 



Our advice in this case is, first, whenever 

 any vessel is steaming on the stove, shut the 

 doors that connect with other rooms and open 

 window or outside door of the kitchen to al- 

 low the steam to escape. Don't allow steam- 

 ing upon the stove excepting when necessary 

 to do cooking, washing, etc. When there is 

 nothing steaming upon the stove and a clear, 

 dry heat alone is generated, then open the 

 other door and allow the dry heat to circulate 

 through the rooms. At other times it is well, 

 in fact necessary, to open windows and air 

 the rooms thoroughly. The best time to do 

 this in Winter is usually after ten o'clock in 

 the morning, when the air is the dryest and a 

 breeze has sprung up which is drying. With 

 a little studious care no room or article in the 

 house need to get moist or musty. It is only 

 necessary to understand the philosophy of 

 the thing, ventilate thoroughly at suitabl 

 times, use the dry heat from stoves and fire- 

 places whenever it is convenient, and be care- 

 ful to observe and enforce such rules as are 

 in accordance with reason. 



QuicKxiME and wood ashes, made into a 

 whitewash, will destroy the moss on old hide- 

 bound tree. Try it. Lo not use it with much 

 potash on smooth-barked or young trees, as 

 there is danger of injm-ing them. 



FINANCIAL. 



Dr. Scott's article on the "Danger of Bor- 

 rowing," in this issue, is worth reading and 

 pondering upon. It is certainly better for us 

 all to get down as near first principles as we 

 can, and "go slow, " as the saying is. In 

 other words, depend upon self more, and 

 make industry and close application to busi- 

 ness within our means the method of acquir- 

 ing means with which to branch out, and grow 

 like the oak — slowly but surely. 



As the year draws to a close, it is a fit time 

 to take a retrospective glance at the prospects 

 and realizations of the past, and pondering 

 upon the lesson, determine the best course to 

 pursue in the future. If our mistakes have 

 led us into difficulties, let us not be cast 

 down, but arise suijerior to them and do bet- 

 ter next time, or try to, at any rate. Those 

 who have lost by borro^^-ing should in a great 

 measure blame themselves, although the pres- 

 ent financial system is certainly oppressive 

 upon industry and ought to be revolutionized. 

 Bankers, like men in other speculative trades, 

 naturally try to take advantage of the market, 

 and even \\-ill control it. if thej- can, to their 

 own advantage. To be sure they are to blame 

 for tightening up their purse-strings, advanc- 

 ing interest rates and foreclosing upon a man 

 who has a show to save himself; but until a 

 better financial system prevails, what else can 

 we exi^eot of coin-hardened, case-hardened 

 men? A better financial system! How is that 

 to come about? Who is to give it to us, and 

 what will it be? These are questions that in- 

 terest tis all, and upon which there is self-in- 

 terest of the money-power ujion one side, 

 and the poor, divided-in-opiuion common 

 people on the other side. Who, indeed, will 

 give us a better sj'stem, and how? Not the 

 bankers, you may depend; not those whose 

 interests are with the banks. Like every 

 great reform that ever gained sway, the peo- 

 ple must be the ones to move and to jiue it to thetn- 

 selves, in spite of all opposition. This means 

 revolution— peaceable if we can, forcible if 

 we must. An honest system must spring from 

 an honest people. An intelligent system 

 must be the progeny of an intelligent people. 



The honesty and the intelligence are both 

 sadly lacking; still there is hope that our peo- 

 ple will soon be prepared for a grand reform 

 in this direction. 



Thb Tkappee. 



We have received a copy of the Amateur 

 Trapper and Trap-Makers' Guide, which is a 

 complete and carefully prepared treatise on 

 the art of trapping, snaring and netting, con- 

 taining a great deal of useful information. 

 Written by Stanley Harding and published 

 by Dick iV: Fitzgerald, IS Ann street. New 

 York. Just the book for the boys. Price only 

 50 cents. Send for one. 



Vhe If est If umber comences a new 

 volumu with improvements. Subscribe now. 



Many subscribers to this journal have ex- 

 pressed satisfaction at and approval of our 

 admitting none but worthy business adver- 

 tisements in the California Agrigultdrist. 

 It ever has been and will continue to be our 

 aim to conduct our monthly strictly in the 

 best interests of its readers, guarding its col- 

 umns against the intrusion of anything that 

 is not honorable and worthy of attention. 



We feel that the trust reposed in or accept- 

 ed from us is a sacred one, and purpose to so 

 conduct the paper that none who are well- 

 meaning can take exceptions to it, while all 

 who love and respect the right shall be pleased 

 to continue to be its readers and our friends- 



Ramie and Jute. 



Of these prodncts the Commissioner of Ag- 

 riculture says; 



" There is, perhaps, no one. subject of ag- 

 ricultural production in which I have taken 

 more interest than that which relates to fib- 

 rous plants, especi.iUy ramie and jute. These 

 have been brought iuto notice within the last 

 four years through the influence of this de- 

 partment, and now they are about to assume 

 an importance which is only beginning to be 

 known. Both these plants will grow success- 

 fully in all our Southern States, and especially 

 in California. The impediment heretofore to 

 their production has been the diiflculty of sep- 

 arating the fibre from the gummy principle 

 and green covering of the jjlants. But this 

 jiroblem, it is believed, has been now solved 

 by the invention of machiner)-, which, with 

 the aid of certain acids, separates the fiber 

 perfectly and economically. The ramie is n 

 native of India and China, where the work of 

 separating the fiber is done by hand at a cost 

 of S1.50 per ton. The latest p.itentee of a 

 machine for separating the fiber claims that 

 the cost of separating it will not exceed $30 

 per ton. It is a beautiful and lustrous staple, 

 in strength and brilliancy almost equal to 

 silk; in fact, most of the dress goods made to 

 imitate silk fabrics are made in part of ramie, 

 and its value now in England is .€7.5, or $375 

 per ton; and it is said that in California 1,200 

 pounds of this fiber may be jiroduced on one 

 acre. If these anticipations be realized, of 

 which there is now a reasonable hops, the 

 country may anticipate the prosecution of a 

 new, usefnJ and profitable industry. Jute 

 produces a fiber of a coarser quality, but ad- 

 mirably adapted to cordage and bagging, and 

 because of its length and strength, greatly 

 superior to either llax or hemp." 



.* ^ — 



List of New Advertisements. 



.Jewelry for Holidays— Smith & Ryder, San Jose. 



Toys— Dollar Store, " 



Niirserj- — Jobn Rock, *• 



Jewelry — Jackson Lewi?, 



Lawyer— H. S. Lanipkin, ■* 



Los Gates Nursery — Sylvester Newhall, " 



Jewelrv and Holiday Goods— L. Houriet & Co., " 

 Oasis Baths— W. F. Barker, " 



Holiday Goods— Morton & Co.. " 



Drug Store — H. Piessnecker, " 



Farmers' National Gold Bank, " 



Agricultural Iinpleraents— H. B. ,\lvord, " 



Flower and Vegetable Garden, J. Vick. Rochester, N. Y. 

 Periodicals — H.irper Brothers, New York. 

 Christian Worker — Cubery & Co., San Francisco. 

 Garden Seeds — J. J. H. Gregory, Mass. 

 Sale of Clydesdale Stallions — T. G. Duncan, McLean, 

 Illinois. 



