California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



TIMELY HINTS. 



-V-'VOW that your plants are all growing 

 A'l ■ — "'^^^'^ '^^ season of planting, etc. 

 'fV' ■ — a few timely hints as to summer 

 (J^j care will suffice for this month. 

 (t/g Ste that your heavy plants are 

 properly supported with stakes and 

 strings, and provide trellaces for climb- 

 ing plants, if not already attended to. 

 The skeleton of an umbrella, a clump of 

 brush, and many other things, when cov- 

 ered with climbers of various kinds will 

 look pretty. 



"Water, and plenty of it, is ;he great 

 esiential to success in the garden during 

 the hot mouths, particularly out of doors. 

 The growth of plants, during hot weath- 

 er, requires a constant supply of moist- 

 ure. They might be able to live with 

 little, but the growth would nearly cease, 

 the foliage on the lower stems of plants 

 would turn yellow, and very few blos- 

 soms, and poors ones would result. With 

 all the water they want, the growth will 

 be vigorous, the foliage heavy and green 

 imd the flowers profuse and beautiful. 

 Generally too little attention is given to 

 this subject of supplying water in proper 

 quantities. In cool spring weather but 

 little watering is necessary for plants. It 

 is then easy to give too much. The 

 plants are usually small, and the loss 

 by evaporation from the leaves slight. 

 Now with full foliage, and a very drying 

 atmosphere, the case is very different. 

 It is a good thing to mulch the surface of 

 the soil with saw dust, tan bark, or sand, 

 to prevent it from drying out quickly, 

 and to keep it cool. Keep an eye on the 

 weeds that they do not absorb the moist- 

 ure and richness of the soil and crowd 

 the plants. Wash the dust from the 

 leaves with a sprinkler, or a brush dip- 

 ped in a bucket of water. And again we 

 say, give the plants plenty of water. 

 Don't neglect them a single day. 



House and pot plants need an abund- 

 ant supply of water also, but remember 

 that it is not a good plan to keep water 

 standing in the pans which the pots set 

 in. It is likely to get stagnant and do 

 injury to the plants. Water your pot 

 plants in the top of the pots, and allow 

 them to drain. Hanging baskets need a 

 daily bath, morning or evening, in a 

 tub, besides a cup of water at mid day. 

 A spoonful of ammonia in a quart of 

 water once a week is a good excitant of 

 growth. 



Mistakes in Flokicultube. — It is fif- 

 teen years since I commenced gathering 

 material for flower a garden, and the loss 

 of time and money suffered in the effort 

 to make my garden what it is, prompts 

 me to publish something of my experi- 

 ence for the benefit of others. Of my 

 failures I am not ashamed, for they were 

 only incidents in honest endeavors for 

 success. 



lly first mistake was in getting too 

 many kinds of flowers — a very common 

 fault with beginners. The catalogues 

 were faulty in not noting the periods at 

 which the difTerent varieties would 

 lilooin. Consequently I had the same 

 shade of colors and form, in Asters, 

 Dahlias, and Zinnias at about the same 

 time — and so with many earlier flowers. 

 I have learned that one of a class of flow- 

 ers, with a full variety of its colors, is 

 enough to bloom at once; and that from 

 three to live classes may be represented 

 at the same time. 



^ My second was a mistske of propor- 

 tion. I obtained too many annuals and 

 bedding plants, .^t the end of the sea- 



son I found that, with the annuals, I was 

 left just where I commenced — with no- 

 thing but seeds, and not even those 

 should they fail to ripen. Bedding 

 plants proved expensive, both to procure 

 and to care for. Three of the best 

 double Geraniums and two double Pe- 

 tunias are enough, and if they did not 

 bloom all summer would most certainly 

 be too many. 



My third mistake was in getting too 

 many small flowers — in the style of the 

 low Lobelias. It is a very difficult mat- 

 ter so to arrange a garden as to have low 

 small flowers appear to advantage. A 

 flower garden should be showy, and to 

 make it so, showy flowers must be em- 

 ployed. 



My fourth mistake was a big one. I 

 mixed things; and here the laugh come 

 in — though it has been a great while 

 coming. I mixed annuals, biennials, 

 perennials, and bedding plants. All 

 sorts, low and tall, were put just where 

 there might be convenient room for them 

 — and the effect was perfectly stunning. 

 It was as if I had mixed the different 

 kinds of seed in a bag and sown them 

 broadcast. It did not take me long to 

 decide that something ailed that garden. 

 I could see the Portulaccas by going be- 

 hind the Dahlias; while a strong hedge 

 of Balsams and Zinnias stood on guard 

 before the Verbenas. Could I have 

 changed the ends of that spot of ground 

 I would have done it. This being im- 

 possible, I concluded to wait another 

 year and change the arrangement. I did 

 this, but it proved no better. The per- 

 ennials got in the way — and as I was 

 adding every new thing that I could get, 

 chaos might have been deemed order as 

 compared to my garden. Some of my 

 friends said it was nice, and perhaps they 

 thought so. But others thought I had 

 reached the extreme of insanity — and 

 well they might; for the whole thing was 

 so exactly arranged that I never could 

 tell where anything was till it presented 

 itself, and sometimes was well grown. 



At this point I might write another 

 chapter. The points I wish to make 

 would render this one too lengthy. Per- 

 haps I ought to say that during all these 

 years I made the natures and periods of 

 blooming of the dili'ereut kinds of per- 

 ennial plants a special study — and I now 

 know that no class of flowers will give 

 such thorough satisfaction as a really 

 good selection of them. They are always 

 ready, and, whether the season be early 

 or late, they come along and bloom about 

 the same time every year. Thus you 

 can calculate with certainty what flowers 

 you will have in each week of each 

 month. This cannot be said of annuals 

 and bedding plants, for seed is uncertain 

 and our climate variable. But peren- 

 nials are sure, and need little care. We 

 have, withal, so many kinds that the 

 garden can be made gay with them from 

 winter to winter. 



For beginners I would suggest the fol- 

 lowing short negative rules as ensuring 

 success : 



Do not get too many kinds; some will 

 be neglected. 



Do not get too many of a kind; they 

 will weary the eye. 



Do not get too many bedding plants ; 

 you can buy perennials for the same 

 money, and they will last. 



Do not get too much small trash; it 

 will not show. 



Do not mix low and tall; it destroys 

 the effect of both. 



Do not plant too much ground; there 

 •will be sameness. 



Do not neglect to care for them; flow- 

 ers like company. 



Follow carefully these negatives, and, 

 as surely as the rain falls and the sun 



shines, you will succeed. — E. ITuftelen, 

 Le Boy, Genesee Co., N. T., in American 

 Oarden. 



^\\n\) and aioat-s. 



CALIFORNIA BRED MERINO 

 SHEEP. 



(fjifalSTOEY shows that centuries ago 

 njiY fine wool was in demand for manu- 

 jNl f acturing fine fabrics. The Merino 

 Q} of to-day is the result of ages of 

 Sfv," pure breeding — that is, selecting 

 the best fine-wool sheep to breed from 

 constantly. Within the last hundred 

 years, however, more care has been taken 

 in the direction of improvement than 

 ever before. And in America the Span- 

 ish Merino has reachedijits greatest ex- 

 cellence. Vermont has sent to California 

 finer Merino sheep than Spain ever sent 

 to America. Our berdsmen can, some 

 of them, show, when it comes to superi- 

 or growth of carcass, finer sheep than 

 ever grew in Vermont. Some have de- 

 clared that the wool deteriorates in fine- 

 ness in our climate, but where care in 

 breeding is used, such cannot be the 

 case. The impression seems to have 

 gained ground from the fact that the 

 common sheep of this coast, brought 

 from Mexico, were coarse-wool sheep, 

 and although they have been bred with 

 Merino rams for some years past, there 

 are many coarse-wool sheep among them 

 yet. Pure-bred Merinos in our climate 

 are as fine as any produced anywhere in 

 the world. In this connection, we ask 

 anyone doubting it to examine the wool 

 upon the backs of Merinos belonging to 

 B. F. Watkins, of Santa Clara. His 

 stock is from the best imported Vermont 

 stock, bred with reference to superior 

 fineness, and is certainly equal to any- 

 thing that can be seen in any colder cli- 

 mate. 



The Late Importation. — Harrison G. 

 Otis, editoi of the Santa Barbara Press, 

 a gentleman who has taken a good deal 

 of interest and who's well posted upon 

 .\ngora Goat matters, publishes the fol- 

 lowing in relation to the recent Harris 

 importation, which is sound and to the 

 point: 



A press telegram says that "John S. 

 Harris, of California, arrived at Baltimore 

 a few days ago with twelve Angora goats 

 which he brought from Asia Minor after 

 a difficult journey lasting a year. They 

 have already cost him $525 apiece. Har- 

 ris hopes to make them profitable in the 

 Sierras of California." This is an illus- 

 tratisn of how difficult and expensive it 

 is to import this valuable stock from the 

 distant home of the race, nine or ten 

 thousand miles away. The telegram cur- 

 iously adds; '-This is the first importa- 

 tion of the kind" — which it is not, by 

 any means, as is well known. (That 

 information is exclusively original with 

 the Intelligent News Agent.) 



With a fair field for this promising 

 pursuit, and a moderately numerous 

 stock of pure-blood and thoroughbred 

 animals to work with, which California 

 breeders now have, they can breed Ango- 

 ra goats cheaper and better than they 

 can be imported. It has been demonstra- 

 ted by practical test that the thorough- 

 bred California Angora is even superior 

 to his Turkish ancestor in all the essen- 

 tial points of excellence. Careful com- 

 parisons made by us of this fiber from 

 the two countries leads to the deliberate 

 conclusion that the California-grown mo- 

 hair is superior to the Turkish product 

 in the three essential particulars of 



length, fineness, and luster; and we be- 

 lieve the average weight of the clip from 

 animals of the same grade and quality is 

 greater here than in Asia Minor. 



It is a mistake to suppose that there 

 are no grade Angoras in Asia Minor, the 

 same as in America. Investigation 

 shows that the different breeds of fleece- 

 bearing goats in that country number 

 some twenty. Of these the Angora and 

 one or two others are confessedly 

 the finest. These different breeds are 

 more or less intermingled in some dis- 

 tricts. The result is, grade fleeces and a 

 marked difference in the quahty of the 

 mohair produced. This is shown in the 

 wide range of prices exhibited by the 

 quotations at Constantinople, the market 

 for Angora, and also at Bradford, the 

 principal English market. 



Notwithstanding what has been said 

 in favor of home breeding, importations 

 .are to be encouraged by all means. The 

 great point is to get the best blood and 

 to increase the numbers of our flocks, so 

 that the annual yield from them of good, 

 merchantable combing mohair will be 

 suflicient in a few years more to make ft 

 decided impression upon the productive 

 results of the State and country. 



The Angora t.akes most kindly to the 

 climate and herbage of Calfornia, and is 

 steadily winning his way. 



[In regard to this importation, the 

 goats arrived in San Jose in good shape. 

 They are a little smaller than California 

 grown Angoras, but are fine animals. We 

 have endeavored to gain the audience of 

 the proprietor, Mr. Hall, and learn full 

 particulars of this importation, etc., but 

 for reasons best known to himself he is 

 reticent, so we rest the matter for the 

 present. — En.] 



iMroKTANCE OF Puee-Bked Eams. — 

 The introduction of pure bred rams 

 will annually increase the fleece of flocks 

 one-half pound per fleece. Could farm- 

 ers be induced to reflect on the impor- 

 tance of this increase, then I have not 

 written in vain. I care not where they 

 purchase their rams, so they get them 

 from a good flock. , One to three rams 

 annually do not cost much money, and 

 yet an increase annually of oue-half 

 pound becomes an important item. — Fx. 



A General Complaint.— Here is one 



of at leafl lifty letter.^ tVoai all over tliis .Stale 

 received within the past nioutU by the pub- 

 lishers. We tiive it merely to show how 

 hard money matters are everywhere. WIku 

 is ilie remedy ? 



PDHLISHERS AliRlCUl.TlIKI.ST :— It is a 



shame that the owner of nearly three hund- 

 red acres of land in so fertile a valley as this 

 slionid he so cramped for ready cash as not to 

 be able to send the pay for the AcRICCI-TUU- 

 IST, so small an amount ; and thouj^h my at- 

 tention ban Iieen twice before called to tins 

 multer, each time I have said to myself "hold 

 on a (lay or two .ind money to send will be 

 easier with me." lint times have not grown 

 any better in this respect. Please conliuue 

 to send the paper, and I will try to j:et the 

 money for you before the end of ibis year. 

 ■ Youi's, truly, *>. B. O. 



Punfy the Press. — A subscriber 



writes as follows ; 



I like the Cai.. .-iGRicri.Triu.sT very much 

 indeed. It we could only purify the sem-ccs 

 of information, the newspaper press peneral- 

 Iv, so that the masses of the people learned 

 o'niv the truth; if the conductors of the press 

 could bo prevailed upon to (|uit coloring; 

 things to sustain their own side of public 

 questions, to quit publishing with favorable 

 comments quacks and quackery, buniliuf.'» 

 and humbugry, and give us onlv that tliat is 

 solid and reliable, society would make a bit;' 

 bound forward and upward; crime of every 

 character would bo lessened lifty per cent, in 

 the next decade. >. Junks. 





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