California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



In this lengthy and, we fear, tiresome 

 HI tiele, we have not touched upon a tithe 

 (if what iiiight be s-iid. We leave much, 

 very much, to the reflections of our read- 

 ers. One thought more and we have 

 done. 



How were these creat and good men 

 produced? Through what subtle train- 

 ing — by what wonderful alchemy — were 

 they brought to the perfection of mind 

 and character in which we behold them? 

 Wo think these questions can be an- 

 swered in two words, home education. 

 Their schools were the fire-sides, and 

 their colleges and uuiversities the sitting 

 rooms of their homes. Their professors 

 and teachers were their fathers and 

 mothers. The first taught them tlie prao- 

 tical iesNO/is of life; the second, its moral 

 ohllqat'wns, and engraved the principles 

 of virtue so deeply upon their hearts that 

 no time or circumstances could eftace 

 them! Has there been much of that 

 kind of teaching during the latter half of 

 our first century? We fear not. And if 

 not, may not the negative fact account, 

 in great measure, for the universal and 

 acknowledged want of public and jirivate 

 viriue, honesty and moral jirinciple? 



SHALL WE PLOW DEEP ? 



En. AoEicrLTiTEisT: I did not promise 

 to \\rite you an article on deep plowing, 

 therefore you will not be disappointed if 

 I do not do it. There seems to be a 

 .spirit of inquiry into the reason why, 

 and a desire to prove that deejj plowing 

 is what farmers most need to be success- 

 ful in raising large crops on worn-out 

 land. Mr. Burrell's statement, I think, 

 is good and sound as far as it goes. But 

 he said nothing of the soil to be treated 

 after bis stj'le of cultivation, only that it 

 was mountain land. That he regards 

 deep plowing as a played-out hobbie, 

 and he is not willing to admit of any ex- 

 ceptions, even on fine, sandy loam, I 

 think his last stej) rather long for the 

 times. 



The gentleman one from San Jose, in 

 his reply to Mr. Eurrell, takes Mr. B. 

 rather roughly by the scalp in his "cri- 

 tgue" on Mr. B.'s style of cultivating 

 mountain land. He thinks Mr. B. wants 

 to evade "my facts" in regard to deep 

 plowing. He states that he plowed a 

 field "deeply." Now, Mr., how deep 

 did you plow? Was it six inches, twelve 

 inches, or fourteen inches? Much might 

 depend upon the depth it was plowed. 

 He gets a largo crop on the land that was 

 plowed deep, when, on the shallow 

 plowed land, he only gets eight sacks of 

 potatoes. It proved his hobby to his 

 satisfaction. He also states that the soil 

 was a tine, sandy loam. I must say 

 that was good land for his hobby. But 

 he does not state that he saw a piece of 

 heavy, clay soil cultivated in the same 

 manner, the same season, and in the 

 same, or adjacent, neighborhood; and 

 that the result of such cultivation on 

 clay soil was the same as on fine, sandy 

 loam. Now, right here is where the 

 trouble all centers in deep or shallow 

 plowing. It is to know what kind of a 

 soil will be benefitted by being deeply 

 plowed, and what kind of a season to 

 plow it deep. The gentleman one mile 

 from San Jose must not think that he 

 can Um-i: his "tai;ts" and "hobbies" on 

 all kinds of soil and all kinds of seasons 

 and be successful. There are thousands 

 of farmers who are sensible that will tell 

 him it can't be done with profit. What 

 kind of a crop, think you, could have 

 been raised last year on our high, clay 

 soil if it had been plowed twelve inches 

 1 deep, with the best surface cultivation 

 ! within our reach? Not having a "hob- 

 by," I simply assert, no crop at all. At 



the same time, on a fine, sandy-loam 

 soil, a good crop could have been ex- 

 pected by the carrying out of the gentle- 

 man's "hobby, deep plowing _and tho- 

 rough surface cultivation. 



" Mechanic" gives us some wonderful 

 statements of "facts" in regard to deep 

 l)lowing. But ho fails to tell us what 

 kind of soil the facts grew out of, and 

 only a partial statement of facts as to the 

 seasons — whether wet, dry or average. 

 In his concluding remarks he becomes 

 somewhat mixed in his observations. In 

 fact, he don't really know which is the 

 best under all circumstances, but inclines 

 to deep plowing for corn. That is well. 

 Query: If "Mechanic" has farmed it for 

 forty- two years, why call himself "J/c- 

 dicinic y 



But, to sum up the question of deep 

 or shallow plowing, I will venture this 

 assertion: No general rule will success- 

 fully apply to all kinds of soil. The 

 farmer must consider, first, his soil; sec- 

 ond, the season. What is good practice 

 for A may be ruin for B. Farmers can 

 settle the question only by experiments 

 wpon the land thej' work, and by close 

 observations. 



In reference to the tap root of the 

 wheat plant, I will saj that to call a man 

 a fool does not make him one, and that 

 the gentleman one mile from San Jose 

 may put me down as one of the unpar- 

 donable mud sills, for, after forty-eight 

 years of hard work, and some observa- 

 tions, on the farm, I fail to accept the 

 wheat plant as belonging to the tap-root 

 family. Therefore I have concliulad to 

 give my evidence in favor of Bro. Bur- 

 rell's statement of facts. I believe he is 

 sound on the wheat point. Bro. B. has 

 a good subject, and I hope he will mine 

 it "deeply." Yours, Hruly, 



Samuel Spuel. 



San Jose, March, 1870. 



[The above came too late for last 

 month. We are pleased to see our farm- 

 ers discussing this question, and hope 

 they will keep good natured over it. 

 Error is something hard to root out of 

 the soil, but truth must stand on it own 

 merits. — Ed.] 



FRIENDLY APPROVAL. 



Ed. Ageicultueist: The members of 

 the People's Deliberative Association, in 

 token of our thanks to the Editor of the 

 Califoenia Ageicultueist and Live 

 Stock Jouenal, submit the following: 



We take pleasure in recommending 

 the Califoenia Ac;kicultueist to the 

 public as a worthy of patronage for its 

 out-spoken and fearless manner of at- 

 tacks on monopoly, rings and frauds of 

 every character; and we regret that other 

 journals will not do as much for the 

 common good of the country. May the 

 spirit of this paper be felt in the capitals 

 of both State and Nation. 



John Foetney, Secretary. 



Paso Eobles, March 'li, 187(>. 



REPORT OF THE COWIJVIITTEE ON 

 LAND IV!ONOPOLY. 



To the People's Jh-Uljeratice Assoniaiion: 



Wc, your committee, submit the fol- 

 lowing report, and request its publica- 

 tion in the Califoenia Ageicultueist: 

 Wheekas, the i)eople of the State of 

 (California have sntt'ereil from the unset- 

 tled condition of land titles, and all ap- 

 peals to law have proved fatal to tho 

 settlers, and intimidating to other wish- 

 ing to SI tt-le; and, 



Whkkeas, President U. S. Crautof the 

 Cnited States, and the United States .\t- 

 torney-General and tho Secretary of the 

 Interior, having set on foot a move to 

 settle all land titles, which we believe 



will greatly advance the farming inter- 

 ests of California, and throw open mil- 

 lions of acres to actual settlers heretofore 

 held by frauds, which frauds have rob- 

 bed the Government of millions of dol- 

 lars for which said frauds ought to pay 

 heavy rents to the Government; 



Resolved, That no bill has heretofore 

 been recommended to the Congress of 

 the United States so vital to good gov- 

 ernment as the settlement of land titles 

 in California; and, 



2d — That we extend our prayers to the 

 gi-eat Kuler of the universe that He may 

 endow our President with a competency 

 of wisdom to execute his noble move and 

 meet out justice to all jjarties; and, 



3d — That it is tho duty of every lover 

 of Uberty to sustain the President in this 

 move, and as W"ashington was called 

 "defender," so may we have full reason 

 to call U. S. Grant deliveeek of our 

 State. 



J. M. Stone, 

 D. G. Weight, 



Committee. 

 John Foetney, Secietary. 



Paso liobles, March 20, 1876. 



TOKEN OF RESPECT. 



[Published bj' request oi/ tbe Committee ] 



E.STKELLA School Disteict, | 

 San Luis Obispo Co., Feb. 29, 1«7G. ( 

 We, as a committee in behali of the 

 patrons of this school, extend our most 

 humble thanks to Miss Adella Madden, 

 of Sail Jose, as a teacher, and for the 

 kindness she has shown her »tn lents, 

 the manner in which she has conducted 

 her school, and her unlimited eft'orts in 

 imparting knowledge to her puiMls. We 

 very much regret the closing of her 

 school. Hoping prosperity will go with 

 her, we freely recommend her as a teach- 

 er worthy of her high calUng. 



J. M. Stone, | 



D. G. Weight, 

 Waltee Gbaham, 

 John Foetney, j 



- Com. 



Farm Laborers Here 

 where. 



and Else- 



It may be a matter of interest to some 

 of our readers to know that, according to 

 the last census, there are in this coun- 

 try 188,0(10,001) acres in improved farms, 

 and 5,922,000 agricultural laborers ; which 

 gives about 31 acres to each laborer. 

 California, in 1870, had 3,000,000 acres 

 of cultivated laud, and 48,000 agricultu- 

 ral laborers, an average 75 acres to the 

 laborer. In England there are about 15 

 acres to each agricultural laborer, and in 

 France 5%. In general terms, we may 

 say, therefore, that one agricultural la- 

 borer works as much land in California 

 as three do in the Atlantic States, five in 

 England or twelve in France. This is a 

 showing which may lead some (jalifor- 

 nians to boast of their State; but when 

 we remember that the careful cultivation 

 to which the lands of England and 

 France are subjected, keeps the land as 

 good as ever, while the lands of Califor- 

 nia are being constantly skinned and 

 made poorer by a prodigal waste of the 

 resources of the soil, wo are inclined to 

 think that it would bo bitter for Califor- 

 nia if it had more agricultural laborers to 

 the acre and had more labor and fertil- 

 izers put upon its soil. The fact cannot 

 be (louied that a groat deal of the land in 

 California is being rapidly wiu'u out by a 

 bad system of farming, and that the 

 grandsons of some of the present tillers 

 of the soil will have hard work to get a 

 living on the ancestral acres, and will 

 want to "go West," or give up farming. 

 — Xapa, Heijister, 



GOING TO THE SHOW. 



We have always had a weakness— if 

 weakness it is — for witnessing the won- 

 derful manuevers of good circus perform- 

 ers, and for seeing the wild and trained 

 animals constituting a first-class menag. 

 erie. Man, the superior animal, exhib- 

 iting his animal jiowers and training, 

 may be deemed by some to be below such 

 as exhibit man's mental and moral qual- 

 ities, ideas and sentiments. But while 

 a sound physical body is essential to 

 man's comfort and happiness and fullest 

 development intellectually as well, an 

 exhibit of physical training in a high de- 

 gree, must be interesting to evei-y 

 student of mankind as well as to the 

 mCiO lovers of sport. While we have 

 always enjoyed the jollity and fun-pro- 

 voking part of such performances, and 

 have drawn quicker breaths at startling 

 and amazing feats, we have also enjoyed 

 the study in its more serious significance. 

 And whatever others may think or 

 preach we have never regretted either 

 the time or money spent in witnessing 

 such scenes. 



As to an* exhibit of animals, it is, or 

 should be, as much a study as a matter 

 of curiosity. The boy or girl who visits 

 a menagerie should be given an illus- 

 trated book of animal natural history, 

 and also a geography, and be encouraged 

 to commit to memory the natures and 

 habits of the various living things seen, 

 and the country and natural characteris- 

 tics of the country they inhabit. Who 

 would not like to know what sorts of 

 beings inhabit tho planets? And yet 

 how many will say it is silly to attend a 

 show where many beings that inhabit our 

 own planet, the earth, can be scan. 



This train of thought has been sug- 

 gested by the fact that the greatest show 

 of animals and the finest circus ever upon 

 this coast, viz., Montgomery Queen's is 

 now making the tour of the State. If 

 we did not ajiprove of going to see such 

 shows we should not encourage it. 



The Model Farm. 



As the large ranches are splitting up 

 into smaller and better cultivated farms, 

 the competition in size is exchanged 

 for emulation in thoroughness. The very 

 idea of what is called a " model farm," 

 probably never entered the head of a Mex- 

 ican ranch owner. How many miles could 

 be ridden over without passing one's own 

 boundaries, seems still to be more a mat- 

 ter of pride with some, than the less im- 

 posing, but more efi'ective merits of order, 

 thrift and comfort. The agricultural ed- 

 itor of the New York Times has, we think, 

 hit the mark in a recent description of, 

 and plea for model farming, and we can 

 not do better than to give place to his re- 

 marks on the premium system : 



It is unfortunate that the local, as well 

 as the State, agricultural associations al- 

 most altogether ignore tho cultivation of 

 the soil in their competition for premi- 

 ums. .\s the success of agriculture de- 

 ponds ill a much greater degree upon the 

 excellence of cultivation of the farms, 

 than upon the size or beauty of the stock 

 raised upon them, it would seem to be 

 more conducive to tho attainment of the 

 ends for which those associations are sup- 

 posed to have been instituted, that they 

 should attract attention to this especial 

 feature by otl'oring premiums for tho best 

 ploughed field, the best crops, tho best 

 cultivated, best managed and best kept 

 farm, as well as for the best horse, cow, 

 hog, or trio of poultry. 



Sf If you intend to do any mean thiu.^ 

 wait till to-morrow. If you are to do a 

 noble thing, do it now. 



