California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



DEEP PLOWING. 



Experience is said to be the mother of 

 philosophy, and certainly it does teach a 

 great many things, and ought to teach 

 more than it does. I do not mean that 

 mother Experience is at all to blame for 

 nuy failure to teach. We ourselves 

 sometimes fail to learn from the facts 

 she gives us, as well as sometimes rash- 

 ly jump to conclusions which the facts 

 of our dear mother do in no way war- 

 rant. 



But if experience is so valuable, as I 

 concede it to be, j'ou, Mr. Editor, will 

 probably consider it a piece of imperti- 

 nence to weigh my inexperience against 

 Jubu Smith's, or John Jones's, or John 

 of any other of the numerous families 

 of Adam's experience. But then, is not 

 reason of some account? If a man 

 should measure and then declare from 

 experience that a straight line is not the 

 shortest distance between two points, my 

 reason might possibly rebel, even though 

 I liuew nothing from actual measure- 

 ment. 



Deep plowing is, to my mind, some- 

 thing like an axiom. There may be ex- 

 ceptional cases, as where the surlace soil 

 is underlaid by sand, but the rule is cer- 

 tainly in favor of deep culture. On 

 lands liable to drouth, the reason for 

 deep culture is strongly re-enforced. 

 What is the Editor's opinion? 



Amateur. 



[It has talien Amateur some time to 

 get to his subject, and one or two simple 

 assertions is all that his argument con- 

 .sists of. This is not the kind of reason- 

 ing needed to convey information or 

 show the "reason why." Experience 

 has in many cases taught directly oppo- 

 site to the assertions of Amateur. Thor- 

 ough surface tillage, in a dry climate, has 

 in many cases proved the best on soils 

 subject to drouth. The reason why is 

 plain. The surface tillage, by making a 

 soft mulching of earth on the surface, 

 prevents evaporation of moisture from 

 the soil lying under this mulching. Deep 

 plowing adds no more moisture than 

 shallow plowing does to the soil. The 

 main and desirable thing is to retain the 

 moisture already in the soil, for the use 

 of plants — not allow it to escape in the 

 air. 



Some claim that if the soil is deeply 

 plowed before the rains, it will hold 

 more water. The difi'erence will nut 

 amount to much at any rate, for the 

 earth will settle together if left light. In 

 its natural condition, the subsoil is usu- 

 ally lighter than after plowing, because 

 the roots of plants decaying leave it full 

 of pores. Also insects fill it with holes. 

 After a deep j^lowing it may sodden to- 

 gether and be more solid than ever, par- 

 ticularly in clay soils. Thorough sur- 

 face cultivation is best for drought, and 

 every good reason will show what expe- 

 rience on this coast has abundantly 

 proven. 



I 



"Beatrice." — Such of our subscri- 

 bers as have not seen " Beatrice, " may 

 think fifty cents too much money for 

 the picture. The fact is, fifty cents 

 is just no money at all for the chromo. 

 We have seen it sell in S.an Jose at auc- 

 tion — several copies— in frames not worth 

 five dollars, for $15 each, quick sale. 

 It is a magnificent chromo, after one of 

 the very best paintings in existence. We 

 are glad for this opportunity of putting 

 it into the hands of our subscribers, 

 and no one who gets it can ever regret 

 the trifle required to procure it. 



The huit piece offered this month is 

 equal in merit — a really elegant affair. 



THE EON DU LAC, (WIS.,) HAR- 

 ROW. 



The cut herewith given is of a harrow 

 tooth of peculiar construction, such as 

 belongs to the Fon du Lac harrow, which 

 the Farmer's Union are introducing on 

 this eo.ast. Mr. G. V. D. Brand, lately 

 from Wisconsin furnishes us with the 

 cut. We have exauiiued the harrow and 

 think it altogether the best one out. The 

 tooth is of cast-steel, three cornered, with 

 a spine on the back to give strength and 

 hold it firmly in place. The end is 

 brought to a tine point, as shown in the 

 engraving. Farmers have but to see the 

 harrow and tooth to at once adopt it as 

 just the thing to do thorough work on 

 any kind of soil. 



Family Vegetable Garden.— Farm- 



erb generally seeai lo be iiiipreased with the 

 idea that tlicy cannot grow vegetables for 

 tlieir own use on npland Boils, each ae are used 

 for grain. Now we assert that it can be done, 

 and iirofitably done, too. Our own expe- 

 rience in this State twenty years ago proved 

 it, and we have not been asleep to the subject 

 since. We know tltat it can be done, and 

 will tell you how you can have a vegetable 

 j^ai-den at yoiw own door. 



In the first place plow your ground and 

 cultivate it, not deep but thoroughly. If it is 

 naturally crumbly, all the bettei- ; but if not, 

 pulverize the clods with a maul. One acre, 

 or even half an acre, .will do for you to ex- 

 periment on, if you are skeptical. Now haul 

 upon this piece of ground a large qu.intity of 

 manure. Don't plow it under, bul spread it 

 thickly over the surface, iio thiclier the bet- 

 ter. It ought to be thick enough to make a 

 good mulching. Let it lie upon the grouiul a 

 eouitle ot weeks, then hanow ayain to 

 kill weeda. "Von may harrow the Binfacc ' 

 agam after nmnunng. but unless you can irri- 

 gate do not jilow the manure under. Now 

 lay oil the rows with a line that will reach 

 the Icnyth of the patch, marking with the lioe 

 a shaUiiw tiench. Plant beeta, carrota, onions, 

 peas, turnips, i-adiehea and lettuce, anytime 

 in the month or January. Start cabbage and 

 cauliflower plants in a manni-ft bed made of 

 Ihree-fourtha manure and one-foujih earth 

 thoroughly nii.xed, in a place where you can 

 shelter the plants floni frosts. When larj^o 

 cn'JUgh transplant (in January or Kebruary). 

 You can plant mangel-wurzel beefs for stock, 

 also white Belgian c;>rrotB, iu large (juanti- 

 ties it you chnose. They will get a pretty 

 fair growth before djy, hot vrealher, and will 

 atand in the groiuid all Sunuuer if you wunl 



to leave them till Fall, and then grow again 

 when rains come. In planting seed, press 

 them down, cover lightly and press firmly 

 After they come up hoe out the weeds, and 

 the vegetables will grow lo surprise yon 

 You can plant potatoes in lurrows, covering 

 thickly with coarse manure and straw, any 

 time now for an early crop; alao again in 

 February for a later crop. By middle of 

 Apiil and first of May you can plant squashes, 

 tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, beans, etc. But 

 remember they must be put upon ground 

 kept dear of weeda and other plants (unless 

 you irr'gate). or they will not find the requi- 

 site moisture to complete a growth. It will 

 be an advant ige, where sand can be obtained, 

 to mix sand with the surface soil in both veg. 

 etable and flower garden- This is generally 

 easy of access to most farms, in some creek 

 bed or old drift. 



Try the " experiment," brother farmer, 

 this once. Pulverize the soil, pile on the 

 manure, put in the seeds, and you will never 

 again be without a home garden. 



Honey. — E. H. Lewis, of Gilroy, who 

 has been on a visit East, says that some 

 ten car loads of southern California 

 honey arrived at New York while he was 

 there, and the best sold at 15 to 16 cents 

 per pound wholesale. Probably the cost 

 from San Francisco to New York was 

 $50 per ton, or 2% cents per pound. 

 Allow ^ per cent from Los Angeles to 

 San Francisco, and an average of 12 

 cents par pound will probably come at 

 the actual value at shipping point. Here 

 in San Jose we have to pay 25 cents 

 for San Diego honey at retail. 



The Close of the present volume and 

 the approach of a new year, is an event 

 in the life of the Calitoenia Agkicul- 

 TCEisT. Never has it been on so popu- 

 lar and permanent a footing. Its friends 

 are multiplied, and friendships strength- 

 ened; its field is extended, and its work 

 grown more and more into favor and 

 usefulness. We acknowledge the many 

 kindly words with thankfulness, and the 

 material aid with leelings of gratifica- 

 tion and gratitude. The past has not 

 been without its trials as well as pleas- 

 urcs. The future gleams brightly, and 

 hope will only inspire to greater efforts 

 and expectations. Wo determine that 

 the coming volume shall be everything 

 that a labor of constant application and 

 love can make it. 



CO-OPERATIVE SELLING. 



It has been well said that more money 

 is to be made by farmers by co-operative 

 selling than from co-operative buying. 

 Thus far, however, more atttntion has 

 been given to co operative buying than 

 to co-operative selling. The bee-keepers 

 of San Diego county have formed an 

 association for co-operative selling. 

 They propose to ship all their honey 

 through this association, which will ex- 

 amine, grade and put up the honey, 

 the hoCiey cases will all bear the brand 

 of the association, and they jiropose to 

 gain a standard reputation throuL'h fair 

 dealing. Our wheat growers could asso- 

 ciate through the grange, or some other 

 medium, and be the gainers. The wheat 

 could bo all subject to examination and 

 grading as to quality and cleanliness, 

 and proportioned in price according to 



merit. The shipping could be done 

 through such agents as may be elected 

 each year from out the members ot the 

 association for that purpose. The farm- 

 ers themselves could furnish all the ne- 

 cessary capital, and be independent of 

 every designing person or corporation. 

 On the same principle our fruit growers 

 can associate together to ship fresh fruits 

 East; only in this case, where fruits are 

 put up by each person without inspec- 

 tion, the individual brand of the growers 

 is necessary, and accounts of value ac- 

 cording to quality would be subject to 

 gradation after sales. The whole scope 

 of eastern markets could be reached and 

 supplied through such co-operative ef- 

 forts. This is a subject worthy of at- 

 tention, and we are glad to see that our 

 producers are very generally thinking 

 upon it. 



ENQUIRIES. 



Ed. AoEictjLTUEisT; — Will you please 

 inform me where I can get some Black 

 Poland hens, full blood, and the price 

 of the same? And oblige, 



Y'ours, A. French, 



Salinas City. 

 Who can answer? 



Editor Agriculturist: Dear Sir — If 

 you know any party having the "Poland 

 China" breed of swine, jiure breed, 

 please to give me the P. 0. address. 

 J. Eathgeb, Sr., San Andres. 



Who can answer? 



A subscriber asks : " Who on this 

 Coast is buying mohair, and what is 

 first class mohair worth?" Ans. — No 

 one at present. Thos. Bailey & Co, 

 near the S. P. R. E. depot, San Fran- 

 cisco, are receiving and shipping to New 

 York. They sold Stockton & Buflum's 

 fleece last season with satisfactory re- 

 sults. First class mohair ranges from 

 60 to 90 cents, so we are informed by 

 Angora goat breeders. 



ILLEGAL VOTING. 



A Remedy Proposed. 



Says the IS^evada Transc7'ipt : It is a la- 

 mentable fact that there are American 

 citizens who so lightly regard the duties 

 of citizenship, that they will vote early 

 and often, and if it is necessary to com- 

 mit fraud to do it, they even then do not 

 hesitate. No good citizen desires to 

 have such practices continued, even if 

 his own political party gains thereby. 

 The Jlarysville Appeal resents a remedy 

 which we think will just fit the case and 

 put a stop to the evil. It says: "The 

 next Constitutional Amendment neces- 

 sary to save our republic, if it is savea- 

 ble, is one forever disfranchising any 

 man who in any way corrupts the ballot 

 box, either by voting illegally, inducing 

 any other person to do so, or buying a 

 vote. In the case of buying and selling, 

 both should be forever disfranchised. 

 Such an amendment would check the 

 villian whose work is making honest 

 men sick of universal suffrage. 



MiXD, Matter, Money, Beauty. — 

 Webster's Quarto Dictionary, as now 

 l)ublished, has cost more intellectual la- 

 bor, more money in its "getting up," 

 and contains more matter, and a larger 

 number of beautiful engravings, (3000 

 or more, with four pages of colored 

 plates,) than any single volume ever be- 

 fore published for popular use iu this or 

 any other country. It is largely ihe 

 standard in England as well as in this 

 country. BtU & Daldy, the publishers 

 of Bohu's libraries, are the London pub- 

 lishers of this magnificent volume. 



