California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 





iiiPiiiBiiii 



1- m AND j 



$1.50 Per Ar\r\urr\. 



PTTELISHED MONTHLY BY THE 



CAL. AGEICULTURIST PUB. CO. 



S. HARRIS HERRING, Editor. 



,s'a/>. JoHt 0^*(;e— 338 First Street. 

 San Francisco Business Office ftewpora- 

 r;///;— 406 Market Street.' 



RATES OF ADVERTISING: 



per one Column $12 UO Per Month 



" half Colninn GOO " 



" tourtli Cohimu n 00 " " 



" eighth Column 2 00 " 



" sixteenth Column 1 00 ** " 



'^' We are determined to adhere to our resolu- 

 tion to admits nonebut worthy business advertis- 

 ing in our columns, and to keep clear of patent 

 medicine, liquor, and otter advertieements of 

 doubtful influence. 



The large circulation, the desirable class of 

 renders, and the neat and convenient form, rend, 

 ers this .Tounia[ a choice medium for reaching 

 the attention of the masses. 



Notice to Eastern Advertisers and 

 Advertising Agencies. 



ft-^ Hereafter no proposition for advertising 

 in this journal will be entertained without pay 

 in advance. Our published rates are the stand- 

 ard for all. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Occasionally a person to whom we 

 li:ivc scut ilie AoRicULTUUiST-is behind in 

 liis paynieni, and orders the paper stopped 

 witliout paying his dues. Of course no honest 

 person will be guilty of so mean an act. Such 

 bill we shall place in the hands of suitable 

 persons for collection, and we shall not hesi- 

 late (o expose all such dishonest delinquents. 



New Work on Grape Culture.— We 



hav« received from A. L. Bancroft & Co., 

 San Francisco, a volume devoted to grai)e 

 ciillure, written and compiled by T. Hart 

 Hyatt. It is a revision of the work by the 

 same :uitlior which ai)|ieared tome ten years 

 ago, and, in a very condensed form, includes a 

 good deal of practical information njion grape 

 culture in California. In some resnccts it is 

 not as complete as we could desire, but it is 

 worthy of the patronage cf tlie people. 



Persons who receive the Califohnia 

 A(niici'i,Ti;RiST on trial, are especially re- 

 'luested to exiwiine it on its own merits. If 

 yi/u like the magazine and think it cheap 

 enough at $1 .lO a year, please order it sent 

 ri-gularly to yonr address If you don't want 

 It, remember that we have no desire to force 

 you to lake it. We simply wish every one 

 not aci|uaiiited with the journal to see it for 

 themselves, for we know that among all the 

 I'eople lliere are a goodly number who will 

 fnid il jnsl suilcil lo their wants. 



Steadily our list increases. This 

 momh we print, .''j.OUO copies ot the Cali- 

 PouNi.v Ai.iitcui.rtiHisT. We don't want a 

 single sabscriher to "go back on us" now. 

 Scud in your Bubscripl ions, ami coulimic the 



best, cheapest, most independent and practical 

 agricultural and household journal in Cali- 

 fornia, and you will never regret it. The 

 next volume will in many respects snrpassin 

 worth and attractiveness any of past issue. 

 Send in you renewals, accompanied with the 

 new subscriptions of friends, wherever pos- 

 sible. 



The Santa Clara Echo has changed 

 hands within the past month, E. R. Painter, 

 formerly of Colorado, taking charge. The 

 present proprietor has had considerable ex^ie- 

 rience both as a publisher and ])nnter, and 

 brings with him high testimonials from his 

 former home. We are assured no pains will 

 l)e spared to make the Echo a lirst-elass local 

 and general newsi)aper, sncb a one as will be 

 a necessity to every reading man, woman and 

 child in Santa Clara and vicinity. Send your 

 address to the publisher tor a specimen copy 

 and be convinced of what we say. 



Ordering Frames. — Persons order- 

 ing frames for pictures would do well to 

 associate together and order several. It will 

 cost no more by express, or little more, to 

 send a package of several than it would to 

 send one. .Send us your orders and we will 

 return estimate ot cost ; then when we re- 

 ceive the money the frames will be made aud 

 returned to you as soon as possible. .Should 

 you wish pictures mounted and varnished we 

 will do that also. But any one can do this at 

 home if he will follow dii-ections given else- 

 where, and save one-half the expense. 



human love and kindness should lead neigh- 

 bors to study eacli other's good as well as 

 their own. 



Frames for Pictures.— Our Santa 



Cruz correspondent, and others, have inquired 

 as to the price ot picture frames. Unless w e 

 have the dimensions of the picture to be 

 framed, and know the style of frame wanted, 

 we can give no estimate. But to such as de- 

 sire oar aid we can offer very nearly whole- 

 sale rates. We have made arrangemt-nts 

 with frame manufacturers so that we can offer 

 the following figures on frames for the 

 " Gypsy Girl," 12x16 inches (persons order- 

 ing to pay transportation from San Jose): 

 1^-iuch oiled walnut moulding with lialf inch 

 gilt liuing, 05 cents; IJ-iuch oiled walnut 

 moulding with one inch gilt lining, $1; '^-inch 

 gilt moulding frame, 80 cents. The frames 

 are solidly made, nailed and glued. We 

 might offer lower prices on inferior frames, 

 but will send out none but first-class ones. 

 These rates are only one half (or less) than 

 what dealers ask Persons ordering frames 

 through us for any size or style of pictures, 

 will get them proportionately low. We will 

 he glad to serve all subscribers without pay 

 for our trouble. 



No notice win be paid to returned 

 papers unless there is wr'.tten upon them the 

 pustoffice address of the person returning, so 

 that we can know from what postoffice, as 

 well as from what name, the papers are re- 

 turned. As the names of subscribei-s are ar 

 ranged in our books by postoliices, we cannot 

 know where a paper comes from without the 

 postoffice address. The proper way to do 

 when you wish to stop a ]>aper is to write to 

 the publisher, settle up to date, and order the 

 paper stopped. If it still comee, get the post, 

 master to notify the publisher, and further re 

 sponsibility on your jiart will cease. 



Santa Clara Diet Bread.— M. Frank 



Kingston, the proprietor of Ihe famous Santa 

 Clara Cracker Factory, is making the very 

 best diet bread in the world It is made from 

 pure, unbolted wheat Hour, with no grease, no 

 leaven to .deteriorate its nutritive purity 

 These crackers are put up in large or small 

 packages to order, and are sold ,at only $7 per 

 hundred pounds. This is cheaper than any 

 other first-class cracker made at any other 

 factory. Invalids and healthy people who 

 want a real good diet bread should obtain 

 some at once. We know that they are un- 

 surpassed for excellence, as we are using 

 them in our own family. We speak this 

 gratuitous word for the lienefit of our friends. 



The subject of co-operation is one 



that appears to be enlisting more and more 

 the attention and sympathies of the industrial 

 masses. This we arc very glad to notice. 

 The more that neighbors co-operate together 

 in getting fine stock to improve what they 

 already have; to procure machinery lo put in 

 and harvest crops ; to obtain fair jirices for 

 their produce, and to provide themselves with 

 necessary stores for consumption at wholesale 

 rates, the better fur all concerned. Co-opera- 

 tion on a small scale, and on a large scale, will 

 pay all the time. Our common schools are 

 cooperative under llio law. The law of 



Pay in Advance. — There are two 



ways of running a pajter. One is on the plan 

 of prepayment, notifying the subscriber when 

 his time is up and stopping unless ordered to 

 continue ; the other is to keep on sending and 

 trust the subscriber, unless he orders it dis' 

 continued. The first cuts off" a good many 

 who would continue, and who would like to 

 continue, but neglect to go to the trouble just 

 then to attend to the matter. The latter hangs 

 on to a good many who intend never to pay 

 at all, and who think it is legitimate to swin- 

 dle a publisher out ot his just dues. We have 

 always aimed to notify our subscribers when 

 their time was up, with the request that they 

 would order the paper stopped if they did not 

 wish to continue. We have now concluded 

 to come down to the bed-rock principle, and 

 discontinue, after notifying, all such as do not 

 pay in advance. We will then know how we 

 stand, at any rate, and our subscribers will 

 know what to depend upon. Hereafter our 

 terms will be either a promise to pay within 

 a limited time, or pay in advance. 



The intelligent masses of the work- 

 ing, producing people, want a paper that is 

 thoroughly independent to the backbone; that 

 courts no favors from leading men in any po- 

 sition, whether in politics or out of politics, 

 in the grange or out of it, in rings or out of 

 rings, whether monopolists or anti monopo- 

 lists ; a paper devoted purely and singly to 

 the best interests of the people to whom it 

 goes , one whose sole aim is to be right ; that 

 fearlessly works for principle from motives 

 of principle. He who is sure that his paper 

 may be truly classed in this list will most 

 likely stand by it, even should he in some re- 

 S|iect3 differ in opinion from its editor. An in- 

 dependent editor doesn't try to agree with 

 everybody; he only tries to be agreeable, 

 through motives of tolerance and justice, 

 and to stick to the right just because it is 

 right, believing this is the best in policy 

 as in principle. The AguiCUI.tuhist is the 

 peopb^'s pajier, if such an one exists or ever 

 existed. We invite the most radical sxpres- 

 sion upon all subjects alfecting the interests 

 of tlio producing classes. We proiiMse to work 

 for the advancement of every worthy person 

 and enterprise, and oppose every evil that 

 grows out of the sellishness, greed and monop- 



olizing disposition of men. We want the sab- 

 8cri]>tion6 of honest and earnest workers ^ 1] 

 everywhere, and are determined to deserve, 

 by our efforts, a wider field and stronger sup- 

 port. 



Home Improvement and Home 

 Enjoyment. — The season for selecting 

 such ]>eriodical8 as are desired for the coming 

 year, is at hand. Every family needs sever.al 

 papers and magazines to give them the va. 

 riety of choice reading that intelligent minds 

 require in our age of civilization. The edu- 

 cation of a growing-up family is aided by a 

 supply of fresh, interesting and useful read- 

 ing more than in any other way the invest- 

 ment of an equal amount will bring. Young 

 folks are steadier, and less inclined to seek 

 entertainment away from home, when they 

 are supplied with the best periodical literatin*e. 

 There is more real, enlightened enjoyment , in 

 liomes where such reading matter is plenty. 

 Every one of the family is benefitted. The 

 social home circle is always enlivened by the 

 arrival of the mail, which is looked forward 

 to with something of expectation that gives a 

 zest to home enjoyments. Don't fail to supply 

 yourself with good reading matter, and, if it 

 suits you. please include the Califoknia Ag- 

 riculturist in vour list. 



San Jose Alden-Preserved Prunes. 



Mr. C. T. Settle, the Superintendent of the 

 Alden Fruit-Preserving Company, informs us 

 that they have this season converted forty-five 

 tons of fresh prunes into fifteen tons of vei-y 

 excellent dried fruit, worth $280 per ton. The 

 cost of fresh prunes at the factory was $1 .50 

 per hundred pounds. These forty-five tons 

 were produced on about ten acres of land, 

 about 9,000 pounds per acre. This, at the low 

 price of $1 50 per hundred pounds, is $135 per 

 acre for the fruit, which pays very well these 

 times. The cost of gathering prunes i i less 

 than any other fruit-crop. Straw or sheets 

 are sju-ead under the trees, and the ripe fruit 

 is shaken cff and picked up into boxes and 

 taken to the factory, at no greater cost than 

 gathering up so many potatoes, already dug. 

 The market for fresh prunes in the Eastern 

 States is good, and all the finest, above sup- 

 plying the home market, are shipped in re- 

 frigerator cars in a fresh condition. They 

 keep BO well that they may be even safely 

 transported in good order in ordinary cars. 

 The Eastern market for cured prunes is mostly 

 supplied by Europe, from whose ports im- 

 mense quantities are sent to New Tork, and 

 sometimes sold fs low as $5 the hundred 

 jiounds, after paying a 15 per cent. duty. The 

 fact that we have to compete with European 

 prunes at such low rates is worthy of consid 

 oration, and would seem to restrict our pro- 

 duction of cured prunes to our home market. 

 .Still it is tluHight tiiat the superior quality <if 

 our California prunes, cured by the Aldcn 

 process, will demand an advance over tlie im- 



{>orteil prunes sufficient to encourage the 

 lusiness. If prunes can be produced in 

 Southern Europe so cheaply, why cannot 

 they be here also, where s(ul ;iinl clunate are 

 so favorable? At any rate, so far, our or- 

 chardisls have seen no cause for alarm. The 

 demand, at pavin.i; prices, is likely to increase 

 with tho bupjdy for mauv years to come, at 

 least. 



Poisoning Squirrels.— Mr. w. ii. 



Ware, a large graiu farmer near San Jose, 

 has had a good deal of experience in poison- 

 ing squirrels, and has been quite snccessful. 

 His method this year is to poison sweet 

 apples, which the s(|uirrels are very fond of 

 The apples are cut across from sidetosiih' 

 (not from stem to calex) Iwo thirds the dis 



