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CALIFORNIA—IL 
Brief Notes of a Horticultural Visit to 
California by Marsliui I*. Wilder, Clins. 
Dotvniiiu, Geo. Kllvruiiirer, and I’. Barry. 
BY P. BAHKY. 
Sonoma. 
On Thursday, June 30, we visited Sono¬ 
ma, a place famous lor its vineyards. We 
went from Napa by carriage. The ride 
over Lite finely wooded hills, through a rich 
farming district, was delightful. As wu 
came in view of the valley with its broad 
fields of grain, dotted over with live oaks, 
vineyards, orchards, and gardens, with finely 
wooded hills in the distance on either side. 
Calistoga is the terminus of the California 
Pacific Railroad, There are hot sulphur 
springs there which begin to attract atten¬ 
tion, and it is expected to become a popular 
resort. A large number of neat little cot¬ 
tages are already provided for the accommo¬ 
dation of visitors, and what most attracted 
our attention about them was a fine palm 
tree growing in front of each, giving them 
quite a tropical aspect. 
From this place we rode to Geyser Springs, 
part of the way in coaches and part in open 
wagons. The distance is called tweuty-Bix 
miles over a mountainous district of country. 
came in view of the valley with its broad >pj JC ,. oa( j rung along and curves around the 
vineyards—more tban 1,000 acres—and fields ct ]g es () f the mountain, sometimes along the 
of grain, with the richly wooded hills ho- e( jg 0 0 f a precipice several hundred feet of 
yond, the scene was enchanting. perpendicular depth. Nothing can surpass 
Our chief point of destination was the this ride in wild, picturesque beauty, but 
vineyards of the Buena Vista Wine Com pa- t hc sense of danger which nervous people 
ny. The President, Wm. Branding, Esq., experience detracts IVom the pleasure which 
had kindly invited us and agreed to meet us it wo nM otherwise afford. The drivers, and 
there. In approaching this establishment eepecisLlly Mr. Foss, the proprietor of this 
we left the main road and passed through lino 0 f poaches, are noted for fast driving, 
several vineyards. At that of Mr. Louis We certainly came down those fearful bill- 
Tichnor we made a brief halt and visited 8 i ( i e s and around sharp comers at the rate of 
his collars., lie kindly presented samples of j}f| ecn miles an hour. 
his wines—Rclsling, from the famous German q„ onr W ay we met with the Pinus Sahin- 
Reisling grape 5 another from Reisling and a nd Rnt/uimiana, and also the Douglass 
Chasselas combined, and a red wine of Bur- g| H . llce> The last named we saw in large 
gundy character made from the Zinflndul; u ,oves and ol immense size. 
Muscatel, from the Muscat of Alexandria, At the Geysers we found the thermometer 
which is used in flavoring other wines. Mr. 
Ticfinou’k vineyards cover 110 acres, and 
he makes 40,000 to 50,000 gallons of wine 
annually. One of his cellars contains 
100,000 gallons and another 150,000. Our 
party were well pleased with these wines. 
The cellars and all their appointments were 
of’ the most, complete character. 
The Buena Vista Oompnuy’s Vineyard 
was commenced some fifteen years ago, and 
contains now, according to their annual re¬ 
port of last year, 441 acres:—127 acres in 
full bearing; 116‘-£ acres in half hearing; 
120 acres partly in bearing; 7t l 4 acres 
planted in 1807-8-0; nearly 300,000 vines. 
The product of 1800 was 58,435 gallons— 
said to be not more than half as much ns the 
year previous—partly owing to the heavy 
crop of 1808, and partly to unfavorable 
weather during the ripening of the grape. 
The principal wines made by them are the 
White and Red Sonoma and Sparkling. The 
grape used is eh telly the “ Mission," as it is 
known here. The price of the Slid wines is 
fifty cents per gallon, and the sparkling, 
$10.50 per case of a dozen. The cellars arc 
cut out of the solid rock, are very extensive, 
well arranged and kept in perfect order. 
The vines are grown in tree form, without 
stake or trellis. The stems from two to three 
feet in bight. Some of the oldest arc fully 
six inches in diameter. No summer prim¬ 
ing is practiced, farther than the renibval of 
superfluous shoots early in the season. The 
bearing canes arc allowed to run their full 
100 in the shade, and we were satisfied with 
a brief visit to the wonderf ul boiling springs. 
The hillside on which these springs are lo¬ 
cated is thickly interspersed with these boil¬ 
ing, hissing, sulphurous springs. One im¬ 
mense cauldron is not inaptly called the 
Devil’s Wash Till). Another, his Ink bottle; 
the fluid iu it is black, and makes a good ink. 
We shall waste no more time on these 
curiosities, but pursue our yisits to the or¬ 
chards, &c. 
Tlie Alhambra Valley. 
On the oil) of July we visited the Alham¬ 
bra gardens of Dr. Strenzel, in the Alham¬ 
bra valley near Martinez. The urea of 
ground in fruit is about ninety acres, the 
whole ranch embraces some seven hundred 
acres; thirty-four acres are covered with 
grapes, one-half of which is the Mission 
Grape, SO called; the other sorts embrace 
White Muscat of Alexandria, Flume Tokay, 
White Chasselas, Black Hamburg, White 
Corinth, Palestine, *tee. Bunches of the last 
named we found on measurement to he 
eighteen inches in length, though of course 
the berries were not more than half grown. 
Isabella and Catawba have been tested and 
found unsuccessful. The vines are planted 
seven feet apart, and arc grown in tree 
form with stems about eighteen inches high. 
Ho, unlike most of the others that we have 
visited, performs a kind of summer pruning 
twice during the growing season; ten to 
twelve bearing canes are left, to a vine. He 
applies sulphur four or five times during the 
length, spreading over the ground, which is season> beginning as soon as the leaves are 
kept clear and well cultivated. They arc j m q- g rown; by this means he prevents 
pl&nted eight feet apart. The cost of culli- ni jldew. 
vating is estimated at $25 per aero, but oth- 'pi u . vineyard here we thought to be in 
ers put it higher than this. The average quite as good a condition, all things eonsid- 
produet per vineisaboutten pounds. Twelve ere j ( a s any we visited. Dr. Strknzel has 
to fifteen pounds give a gallon of must. The given much careful thought to the subject, 
Mission grape is most productive, and fre¬ 
quently yields forty to fifty pounds to a vine. 
The Reisling not over four or live pounds. 
The soil and situation of this Company's 
vineyard are both highly favorable for the 
business. Wm. Branding, Esq , president 
of the company, is also president of the 
California Kith Company, 
at Davisville, in Yolo county. The com¬ 
pany has there 350 acres in trees, 100 acres 
in mulberry for feeding the silk worm; 10 ,- 
000 Languedoc soft shell almond, the fruit of 
which sell readily at twenty-five cents per 
pound, and the balance in cherries, figs, 
grapes, &c. A short distance from the Buena 
Vista Company’s grounds, we visited the 
Vineyard of 8. A. (Shaw, Esq., 
given much careful thought to the subject, 
and evidently understands it well. Prices, 
we were informed, were for Mission, three 
to five cents per pound ; others, seven to ele¬ 
ven cents, except Flame Tokay, w hich com¬ 
mands a higher price. The average crop 
was slated to he about ten pounds to the 
vine. Borne parts of tin* vineyard are sixteen 
years old. The stems of many of the vines 
are six inches in diameter. The grapes arc 
mostly grown for the table. 
Tbe orchard contains 1,200 apple trees, 
1,000 pear trees, 1.800 peach trees, besides 
plums, cherries, almonds, apricots, figs, wal¬ 
nuts, pomegranates, quinces amt oranges. 
All these were in a vigorous and fruitful 
stale, promising a full crop. Of figs, White 
Marseilles and Brown Turkey were ripe; of 
President, of I ho Fruit Growers’ Society of apples, Early Harvest and Red Astrachan. 
Sonoma. His vineyard covers sixteen acres, 
and is composed of Muscat of Alexandria, 
Black Hamburg, Rose of Peru, and a few 
other sorts, planted in 1858 and 1859, 
grown in the same way as those of the Buena 
Vista Company. Stems of the oldest vines 
from four to six inches in diameter, set eight 
feet apart. The fruit is all sold for the table, 
and usually averages ten cents jkt pound. 
This vineyard is in fine condition, and was 
inspected by our party with much pleasure. 
The proprietor, Mr. Siiaw, and his brother, 
who has a vineyard adjoining, accompanied 
us very kindly, and gave us much informa¬ 
tion in regard to the culture of that neigh¬ 
borhood. Wo could have spent another day, 
or even two, very profitably in that district, 
but our engagements made beforehand at 
other places hurried us along. 
Tin* Gcyners. 
On the evening of the 30th we returned to 
Napa, and took the train to Calistoga on 
our way to the Geyser hot springs. 
In passing through the Napa valley, some 
thirty miles to Calistoga, w r e were delighted 
with the beauty of the country; immense 
Among apples the following were named as 
most profitable:—Red June, Early Straw¬ 
berry, Swuar, Rawin'a Janet, Ncwlown Pip¬ 
pin, Red Astrachan. 
Pears looked well. Kinds run same as in 
other places. The leading sorts appeared 
to be Bartlett, Washington, Vicar of Wink- 
field, Flemish Beauty, Bcurre d’Anjou. The 
trees were about twelve yearn planted, stand¬ 
ards, with stems four feet high and hut little 
pruned. 
The quinces—about 200—were the finest 
we ever saw. The price obtained for them 
is three cents to four cents per pound. 
The pomegranates (180) are superb plants, 
about six feet in bight, covered with fruit 
and flowers. A splendid sight of the kind, 
and such an one as we never enjoyed before. 
They ripen in September and October, and 
sell for eight to fifteen cents per pound. In 
good seasons they produce 600 pounds. 
Walnuts (English) begin to bear at. fifteen 
years old, and produce sixty to seventy 
pounds per tree. 
The Alhambra Valley is narrow, wholly 
occupied by this plantation, and sheltered 
on two sides by bills some 600 feel high. 
The climate is, therefore, very warm. A fine 
Osage orauge hedge encloses two sides of 
the orchard. During the warm period, oc- ; 
curring about the 1st of July, the mercury 
rose to 109 in the shade—very unusual. 
The whole plantation of Dr. Strenzei. 
appeared to be managed with great intelli¬ 
gence and system, and gave us much satis- . 
faction. 
Onltlnmi. 1 
July 6 th we visited Oakland, across the 
Bay from San Francisco, chiefly with a view I 
to see the ornamental 1 reesand plants in the ; 
gardens of that city, of which we had heard 1 
much, lu going our rounds we saw many 
small collections of fruits looking well. One 
is specially deserving of mention, that of 
Mr. Jonathan Hunt. It contained a good 
collection of pears and other fruits in full 
bearing ami a large and beautiful collection 
of dwarf apple trees, also in full bearing, 
1 lie finest any of us had ever seen. The 
trees were perfect in form and laden with 
the largest and finest of fruits. Peaches 
also looked quite as well as any we had 
seen. This garden had many ornamental 
trees and plants worthy ol note, which wc 
shall name hereafter. 
(Sacramento. 
On the 7th of July we went to Sacra¬ 
mento to visit the gardens around that city. 
Our first visit, next day, the 8 th, was to the 
plantation of Mr. Cjiaki.ks W. Reed. Here 
we found an orchard of some 10,000 pear 
trees, dwarf and standard. The oldest tree 
had been planted nine years, and some of 
them were twenty-five or thirty feet high. 
Like other orchards we had seen, the trees 
are too closely planted. We were shown 
Beurro Clairgeau and Winter Nelis, said to 
have been four years planted, twenty feet 
high, and stem full six inches in diameter— 
heavily laden with fruit. 
The following varieties were observed to 
be very fine: — Bcurre Giffard, Rostlezer, 
Bartlett, Winter Nelis, Duehessc D’Angou- 
leme, Vicar of Winkfield, Soelcel. Of the 
Beekel, the orchard contained 1,000 trees. 
Of Winter Nelis a long avenue. The Bcurre 
Giffard were extraordinary, and nil were 
very fine. Of the. Vicar of Winkfield Mr. 
Reed sent twenty tons to New York in 1869. 
Apricots were superb, and sell at two 
cents to ten cents per pound. 
Peaches arc grown extensively, and the 
early varieties pay well. 
A fine dish was set before us — with 
melons, tigs, Lawton blackberries and pears 
—which were partaken of sitting under fig- 
trees, ns huge ns good sized orchard apple 
trees, full twenty-live feet in bight. Brown 
Turkey is regarded as the most profit¬ 
able fig. 
Apples are grown to a considerable extent 
and succeed well. The most profitable sorts 
were said to he Kesw ick t'odlin, Red Aslra- 
chan, Early Harvest, Red June, Newtown 
Pippin. 
Of grapes the culture embraces some 10,000 
vines. Eight acres are wholly Muscat of 
Alexandria. The fruit was about two-thirds 
grown and looked well. Black Hamburg 
and Black Prince were named as profitable 
sorts. 
A few years ago this orchard was much 
damaged by the flood, but it now appears to 
he in an excellent condition. It, is located 
within two miles of the city of Sacramento. 
At the time of our visit Mr. Reed was pre¬ 
paring to ship to New York some car loads 
of Bartlett*. These cars are specially con¬ 
structed for the purpose, and contain each 
ten tons. Two of them are on our train, as 
we now return home, July 27th. 
Smith's Orchards. 
We next visited the orchards of Mr. A. P. 
Smith, also within a short distance of Sacra¬ 
mento. Mr. Smith formerly carried on an 
extensive nursery business, in addition to 
fruit growing, and his grounds were regard¬ 
ed, and no doubt were, the finest in the State; 
lmt the floods so destructive around that city, 
swept away a large portion of the grounds 
near the river, and covered other parts some 
three to five feet deep with sand. The finest 
portions of ‘he grounds were thus destroyed. 
The wreck is still to be seen. A considera¬ 
ble portion of the orchard remains, and is 
bearing a heavy crop. 
Pears ami plums wero especially fine. 
Among pears, the following were prominent: 
Dearborn’s Seedling, Bartlett, While Doyen¬ 
ne, Winter Nelis, Easter Bcurre, Di.x, Glout 
Morceati. The Dearborn’s Seedling and 
Glout Morecau surpassed iu size, beauty and 
quality, any crops wc have seen. Trees of 
Dearborn were bearing eight to ten bushels 
of fruit. Dix were high colored and fine. 
White Doyenne in all its ancient beauty and 
excellence, 
, The crop of plums was so heavy as to 
break down branches of the trees. The 
Early Orleans were just gathered and ready 
’ for market. Washington plums were su¬ 
perb. The ground on which these fine 
fruitful trees were grow ing was covered by 
1 sand to the depth of two to three feet, 
washed on by the flood. In our climate 
they would have perished. 
Wc could not but share in (lie sympathy 
so generally felt and expressed for the 
Messrs. Smith. They were the pioneers in 
this culture, and highly respected and es- 
; teemed by all.—[To be continued. 
i|bf }.loultrn-Bari). 
POULTRY EXPERIENCE; 
And Description of a Practical Poultry 
House. 
Geo. L. Cornet.r, Westchester Co., N. 
Y., writes’the following in response to in¬ 
quiries which have lately appeared iu the 
Rural New-Yorker for a practical plan 
for a poultry house, together with his twelve 
years’ experience in keeping fowls. He 
says: 
" I keep sixteen hens and two cocks. The 
house is 20 by 10 feet in the. clear, ten feet 
post, lathed and plastered throughout, and 
under the roof, as there is no upper loft, ihe 
floor cemented ; fence round the yard 100 
by 50 feet, 8 feet high ; on the north side a 
tight fence, the other three sides slats. The 
laying apartment is 0 x 12 feet,; setting room 
by 12 under sloping part where droppings 
fall, and go down in entry 3j.£ by 12 ; door 
opens east side to go in and clean out. The 
roosts are set in notches secured to wall so 
as to he taken out and cleaned; roosts two 
feet above sloping part, which is of grooved, 
seasoned plunk, perfectly tight and white¬ 
washed spring and fall, when the whole 
house lias a thorough cleaning and white¬ 
washing. There is a large window in south 
side to open in roosting part. 
Mv boxes for laying arc sixteen inches 
| square, six inches high, with hack fifteen 
inches high uud a. hole in to hang them up 
by; the bottom projects in front eight inches, 
so that the hen steps from that Into the 
nest; use broken straw for nests, but put 
first in the box two incites of wood ashes, 
then two tablespoons full of flour of sul¬ 
phur, then straw. Do not let a hen set 
twice on same, nest ; clean out nest after 
setting, and whitewash all the boxes in-ide 
and out. before using them. 
Twelve, years ago I commenced keeping 
the yellow-legged Dominique fowls, which 
did well, and 1 lmd plenty of eggs and good 
chickens for the table. But hearing so much 
of the Black Spanish fowls, 1 procured a 
number of them, hut was disappointed in my 
& *ff & , m 
(how originating 1 know not) they are rap 
idly improving (?) off the face of the earth 
the old compactly formed, light-legged breed 
of Game fowl, to make room for a dark¬ 
legged, weedy bird that cannot possibly 
carry half the flesh of the old kind, and 
whose purity I should say is^nore than 
doubt fid, judging from the various-colored 
progeny I have seen on more than one occa¬ 
sion, resulting from the union of two prize 
birds. Certainly I know for a fact that 
many successful exhibitors cross brown-reds 
and black-reds, and then pick their birds for 
exhibition, and I think it is very likely, 
owing to this practice, that dark legs have 
become so fashionable among black-reds. In 
conclusion, 1 may say that I am not a disap¬ 
pointed exhibitor, never having shown Game 
in my life, hut it grieves me to seethe * finest 
of all breeds’ being, as I think, utterly 
spoiled.” 
I heartily concur in the remarks or plea of 
our trans-atlantic cousin in behalf of the 
Derby Reds. No finer birds, to my mind, 
were on exhibition at the New York State 
Poultry Show last year than ilmse self-same 
Derby Red Games. If they arc bred pure, 
110 “ new-fangled” fowls bred in these latter 
days prove more worthy and hardy in the 
cock-pit, as layers, breeders and for the table 
than they do. I do not say this much in 
favor of the breed because I have them for 
sale, for 1 do not. breed them, neither have I 
for years,—but what T have here writ ten is 
from a conviction of right and juxtirt i to a 
much neglected breed of fowls. T do not 
even know of n single breeder of Derby Red 
Games in the United States. I have, with 
my neighbors, watched the advertising col¬ 
umns of the Rural New-Yorker and 
other Agricultural papers to see who bred 
them for sale, but thus far have looked in 
yain, J. Brace. 
-♦♦♦- 
POULTRY NOTES. 
Inform at i 011 XV an ted. 
J. S. W.. St. Louis, writes us for informa¬ 
tion upon the following queries:—“Are 
there persons raising chickens or Guinea 
fowls near New York, on a large scale, for 
their flesh or eggs? If so, what is the ad¬ 
dress? How many does he keep, and with 
expectations. They arc good layers, but the dress? How many does lie Keep, amt with 
flesh is dark, and not inviting as an article of what success? How long lias he been in 
jool l ' the business? What kind of location and 
After a trial of three years, 1 disposed soil is necessary ? What kinds ol grain and 
of t hem and got the Dorking breed, which is vegetables are fed ? How many can be kept 
a handsome, full-breasted fowl, and thought successfully V How many are kept tognther V 
I was suited; hut, to my regret, the hens What space is required for a given number ? 
laid each six eggs and wanted to set. After 
breaking them up they soon began to lay, 
and after producing six eggs would again 
set. This did not suit me, and I then tried 
the Creve-Coeur. They are good layers, but 
t heir chickens are delicate, hard to raise and 
their flesh dark. I then tried the While 
Brahmas, which are good layers, setters and 
nurses; raised from them last summer one 
hundred and fitly chickens and had as many 
eggs as my family needed. They lay well 
in winter, but the chickens arc not full- 
breasted until grown; large thigh and leg, 
but rather coarse. The broilers have but 
little meat on the breast; with this excep¬ 
tion they are the best of the foreign breeds 
that T have tried. I then understood that 
the Houdan breed were superior to any 
other for all purposes; 1 procured some at 
a high price, and found them good layers, 
but chickens small and of slow growth. The 
hens do not set; but I had Brahmas to put 
their eggs under. I set at least t wo hundred 
What, price per pound or per dozen do 
chickens and eggs command ? What capital 
is required for the largest number that can 
he handled successful /!/?" Will any of the 
Rural readers “posted” give our corres¬ 
pondent the information lie desires? 
Frcsevvins Ksars. 
J. N. II., Blade Hawk, Colorado, writes 
that he desires information how to put down 
eggs so that they will keep for six months. 
We have tried several modes and never 
found any dilltculty in keeping eggs any de¬ 
sired length of time for culinary purposes, 
seemingly as good and fresh as when first 
laid. Our principal mode has been that 
recommended by Mons. Cuas. Jacque, 
which, from several years experience, proved 
one of the best we ever tried ; having suc¬ 
ceeded in keeping eggs nice for use from six 
to eight months alter they were laid. lie 
says;—“The most certain and most lasting 
mode of preservation consists in covering 
ego* and got hut ten chickens, and half of the eggs in a jar tilled with lime water, le- 
A . * A.. nn,1 Izo/mSno* 4 Iwmi in n nn/ ,1 
them died with the gapes, the first time I 
ever had the disease in my poultry yard. 
I have now come to the conclusion that 
the foreign fowls which arc so cracked up 
are no heller, if as good, as our own old- 
fashioned yellow-legged Dominiques, and I 
am now going to full back on that breed, 
and not pay such extravagant prices for 
foreign breeds. 
This is my experience iu poultry keep¬ 
ing for the last twelve years, and if you see 
fit to publish it. for the benefit of others, you 
can do so, as it may prove useful to some 
one.” 
-- 
OLD ENGLISH GAME FOWLS. 
I see a writer in a late number of the 
English Field enters his protest most vigor¬ 
ously and justly in regard to the extinction 
or loss of identity of one of the most cele¬ 
brated breeds of Game fowls ever produced 
in England. This breed was known and 
appreciated in this country years ago as the 
■ne plus ultra of fowls for all desirable quali¬ 
ties—as egg-producers and for the table He 
that are now the pets of the poultry shows? gt!l ic ’or musty 
And if they are not less pure, why are they ^ __ L 
pyl at any disadvantage in a show; es- - 
peeinlly when every one knows that as poultry inquiries 
white-legged birds thoy arc superior for the who has had expur 
tabic? Surely poultry shows arc not fulfill- would stateai win 
mg the object for which they are ostensibly ^ w^ 
held, viz., the improvement of fowls for use, ma rket? —that is, 
when by a capricious and silly regulation and early winter?" 
no stale or musty taste when brought to the 
table.—D. 
-- 4 -*-*-- 
Poultry Inquiries, — F. It. “ wishes some one 
who lias had experience in marketing chickens, 
would state at what age it is most profitable to 
send them to market. And has any one experi¬ 
ence in growing ‘spring chickens’ for winter 
market? — that is, hatching chickens late tn fall 
cently prepared, and keeping them in a cool 
place. The lime water is prepared from 
quick lime or that which has been slaked 
but lately, by placing it in a quantity of 
water greater than would cover the eggs. 
The milk of lime which is thus formed Is 
allowed to stand several hours. The clear 
liquid which separates itself from the excess 
of lime used is the lime water, which is 
poured oft’ for use. Lime water not only 
prevents the evaporation, since the eggs are 
plunged in the liquid, but the alkali which 
it holds in solution closes the pores of the 
shell and prevents all fermentation, either of 
the eggs or of the organic matter which the 
water might contain.’’ 
We have had good results also from pack¬ 
ing eggs in very dry barrel sail, which 
have kept for months in a we|l preserved 
state. Our mode was to stand a box or 
stone jar in a cool place in the cellar, put 
therein a layer of salt, then one of eggs, 
with the large ends downward, taking care 
that the eggs did not touch one another; 
continue this practice until the jar or box is 
full; cover the box and let. it stand without 
m 
