AUS 44 
626 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
raisins, would be injured if they grew up in 
the air, by the swaying of the vine in the 
wind, and when nearly ripe, the vines would 
bond so as to let in the sun, which might scald 
the fruit; so the rich clusters lie on the ground 
just us a melon or squush would. Not a weed 
can be seen in the vineyard, and the reddish 
soil is very mellow and in flue tilth. The 
vines ure planted by setting cuttings 12 feet 
apart. In three years those tear fruit and by 
six or eight years are in full bearing. As be¬ 
fore noted, the vines when trimmed are hut 
short stumps, about four inches high, and 
have a few buds left for producing fruit wood. 
In consequence of such trimming, cultivation 
Is very easy in the Winter when the rains 
come and the ground is thoroughly prepared 
for the long drought of Bummer. 
Though no ruin hud fallen for some teu weeks 
before my visit, the vines were wonderously 
green and growing rapidly. No rain is ex¬ 
pected until after the raisins are cured. This 
explains why weeds do not trouble at this 
season. There is no moisture in the top soil 
for the weed s to start. This dry top soil acts 
as a mulch and prevents evaporation : at 
six iuhees I found it us damp as one could ask. 
At picking time the great clusters of Mus¬ 
cats are laid on hurdles made ol boards, two 
by three feet “square,” resting on the ground 
between the rows of vines. These hurdles are 
inclined slightly to the south so us to get the 
full force of the sun. Iu this valley the air is 
dry and the temperature high at the curing 
season. Mr. Cowles claims for it better con¬ 
ditions than those of any locality in the State 
for making a flue sun-dried raisin. After 
lying a week or ten days, the grapes are 
turned by placing an empty hurdle on top of 
that holding the grupes, and quickly inverting 
them. At the end of three weeks the grapes 
are cured, and are gathered into texes hold¬ 
ing a couple of hundred pounds each. In 
these sweat boxes the brittle stems gather 
enough moisture from the fruit to become 
flexible and pliant so as to handle without 
breaking. 
The raisins are sorted and pressed into tive- 
poUlld layers, which are put four in a box 
ready for market. These grapes grown with¬ 
out Irrigation are so Arm in flesh that only 
from two and a half to three pounds are re¬ 
quired for one of our raisins. 
El Cajon seems to me a paradise for 
raisin making, for there is a wonderful com; 
bination of soil and climate for that pur¬ 
pose. Borne 600 acres of vines were planted 
last Winter, and from two to three thousand 
more w'ill be set the coining season. Planting 
is a simple process here. After the ground 
has been thoroughly prepared, it is marked iu 
cheeks 12 feet square. A hole is made with a 
crow-bar, and a cutting, about 15 inches long, 
is inserted. Great care is ueeessary to get the 
soil firmly pressed about the cutting. The 
vines arc tended much us corn is in the West, 
and when they are properly started, no diffi¬ 
culties seem iu the way. 
There are already some beautiful homes in 
this valley, and it will have many more ere 
long. 1 predict it will be given up to raisin 
making entirely. Mr. Cowles came, to it in 
search of health, which he regained, and is 
working faithfully to advance the good name 
of the valley and fill it with settlers. Lands 
cost from $75 to $106 per acre. Mr. Cowles 
sets the net profits from raisins at from $50 to 
$150 per acre tier annum. With such results 
the lands are not dear yet, though vising in 
value. Bo far, the raisins put in the market 
have sold readily at high prices. As to the 
yield, Mr. Cowles is ready to prove that he 
has grown from a single acre 16 tousof grapes. 
The usual yield is from three to six tons. 
St. Diego Co., Cal. W. A. HENRY. 
£axm &0|jks. 
THE DARK SIDE OF FARMING.—V. 
HENRY STEWART. 
One of the greatest drawbacks to prosperity 
and pleasure in the business of farming is the 
want of stability and persistence in any chosen 
pursuit. Some men cannot even make up 
their minds as to how they should go about 
any necessary business, and consequently per¬ 
form it in a most inefficient manner. They 
change their minds with every fancied reverse 
of fortune, and break up plans that have be¬ 
come settled by lapse of time, so that the 
breaking up is productive of loss and perhaps 
disaster. “Unstable as water thou shall not 
excel” might l>e said of many farmers who 
blame then- chosen pursuit for their partial 
failures, instead of bluming their own mis¬ 
takes. There is the man who begins business 
as a dairyman, let us say; he goes into it with 
a rush; perhaps he succeeds moderately well, 
but he finds it hard work, needing the closest 
application. While it is novel he is interest¬ 
ed, but as the novelty wears off and he finds 
he is only making a bare living and is not 
laying up money, or able to indulge iu luxu¬ 
ries, he becomes dispirited and w r ants a 
change. He declares that the dairy is an un¬ 
profitable business; that bogus butter ruins 
it, and that something else pays a great deal 
better. There comes a boom in hops; the 
price goes up to a dollar a pound, and he gets 
rid of bis cows at any sacrifice and buys hop 
roots and poles, and reads up hop-growing. 
By the time he has any hops to sell, spared 
through painful effort from the lice and mil¬ 
dew and the various other troubles incident 
to their culture, the price is down to eight or 
10 cents, and again he is discouraged and on 
the ragged edge which separates hope from 
despair. Bishop yard is plowed up and he 
tides something else which is better, but al¬ 
ways with the same result. He tires of it, or 
perhaps utterly fails, which is probably be¬ 
cause of the unfortunate want of persistence, 
and losing at every change and turn, he is 
soon iu distress and goes over to the dark 
side. 
Perhaps there is no other cause of failure 
that is so prolific and common as this. If we 
examine into any special business iu the grand 
industry of fanning, we fiud the men enter- 
it mostly of this class, and who have 
given up pursuits in which thousands of far¬ 
mers live happily iu sunny homes. We find 
the Florida orange groves in J'uluro chiefly 
hoped for but not seen—as yet) occupied by 
many such men. Fancy cattle men make 
money out of them. They are the chief pur¬ 
chasers of novelties in seeds, pluuts, imple¬ 
ments, and all are restless, looking and hoping 
for some readier way of making money than 
persistent, effective work. The crowds of 
frauds, like parasites which live upon diseased 
matter, prey upon such misguided men and 
make victims of them, and every disappoint¬ 
ment adds to their misery. Those persons 
who are iu a position to know, the editors who 
receive so many urgent letters of inquiry 
about this new place, or that new pursuit, 
and which is best to be done under such cir¬ 
cumstances as no stranger could possibly form 
an opinion of, know how many such unhappy, 
unstable, undetermined men there are exist¬ 
ing, but not living, upon farms. A time 
comes to many of them at last when, like old 
Enuas, “tossed and driven by adverse fates,” 
they are cast upon some shore, wrecked amid 
storms and clouds. Then a ray of light breaks 
through ujkju them ; for they are where they 
cannot get aw ay and must, stick at least, and 
like men, go to work at whatever they are 
driven to, and persisting by force of adver¬ 
sity they finally find that they have been 
wasting a life in seeking. But it is thrust 
upon them in spite of themselves. 
Many a man who lias thus suffered, or 
who is now suffering, may look back to his 
childhood and sec how his early training led 
to this instability and consequent failure. 
In his boyish pursuits many things were be¬ 
gun but none finished, and as he grew in 
years the habit grew, and became Continued. 
This is a matter for parents to consider. They 
have the forming of the character of their 
children, and if any child has fallen into this 
habit they should correct it at once. To 
finish what lias been begun, to adhere to a 
choice which has been made after mature and 
careful consideration, to persist and persevere, 
and never lose sight of the end in view or 
turn aside from its straight pursuit, are in¬ 
dispensable to success. Think of the men who 
have made a mark iu the history of the time; 
of the leading farmers, stock breeders, horti¬ 
culturists, dairymen, all of whom are sought 
as advisers, leaders, teachers, examples, and 
what is their history I An unbroken course in 
pursuit of aims which they have reached, and 
of ends which have brought pr osperity and 
success and honor to them. 
The business of fanning has two sides: one 
lies full in the glow of the warm bright sun¬ 
light; the other is on the shady side, buried 
iu gloom and darkness. Every man can 
choose which side he will live upon. The path 
to each diverges from a plain road plainly, 
so that it canuot be mistaken. The business 
of farming is one in which no man can fail 
who uses common prudence, who Is in¬ 
dustrious, persevering, careful, foresighted, 
economical. It ha» the world’s wants to sup¬ 
ply. The farmer feeds and clothes the world, 
and every product of the soil has its wating 
consumers. 
CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS. 
I don’t like the way pitchfork handles are 
made. The handles are too large round to¬ 
wards the fork. I had one such and the men 
all shunned it. I used it and my hand was 
cramped grasping so large a hold. I could get 
no others at the store, so I bought two of the 
usual size and shape. I took them into my 
shop and with plane and spoke-shave altered 
one-third of the lower part to an oval, the 
widest way up and down. These forks are 
now the favorites in the field, as the hand 
easily grasps the handle and it w ill not turn. 
Try one and you will like it. Borne manufac¬ 
turer might use this idea to his advantage. 
Creedmore, L. I. n. 
People complain about our poor country 
roads. My opinion is that the principal cause 
for this is the laziness of the men when work¬ 
ing out their taxes. They lean on a hoe 
handle and talk, as though they had plenty of 
time. They ought to work for the public as 
they work for themselves. F. R. L. 
Prospect, Me. 
I had a few vines of Agawam, Brighton, 
Catawba and Concord Grapes in bearing last 
year and this. Agawam has been suitable for 
table use tour weeks now-. Bags on the 
bunches prolonged their use about 10 days. 
All fine, large and well flavored. Having 
only a few vines of each, I disposed of the 
grapes here at 10 to 15 cents per pound. An¬ 
other year I ought to have quite a crop. Do 
you think they would bear shipment from 
here to Northern cities during the time they 
ripen here, while the w T eather is so hot? [If 
packed in refrigerator cars they would doubt¬ 
less go through all right.— Eds.] j. m. m. 
Green Cove Spring, Ida. 
Many good farmers think they must leave 
their comfortable homes and move into the 
town or city, so that the children can have 
the advantage of eity schools and city wavs. 
At first they do not mean to leave the farm per¬ 
manently, but almost before they know it, the 
city becomes the home. The farm is rented 
and runs down. When at last the children 
grow up to be a little ashamed of father and 
mother, and the old folks go back, they have 
to spend their old age in bringing up t.he ne¬ 
glected farm. This plan is all wrong. Why 
not improve the country schools so that there 
will be no need of running to the city for an 
education? The farmer’s place of business is 
on the farm. K. d. 
Fairfax Co., Va. 
I know men about me w ho think they must 
have their own reapers when they have not 
work enough to keep such machinery busy, 
and have to run in debt for it. It would pay 
them better to have their grain cut by a 
neighbor, but they have a pride in doing it 
themselves. They get into debt for the im¬ 
plement, and the note is sure to fall due just 
at the wrong time. They have no place to 
house such a machine, and the consequence is 
that it is about destroyed by the weather. 
They hail better wait till they can buy the 
implement right out. m. j. 
Lawrence Co., Kan. 
On page 465 the N. Y. Times is quoted os ad¬ 
vising farmers to lot law-making alone. We 
have heard this old story about farmers being 
the “salt of the earth” about long enough, it 
is getting stale. We have hud our backs pot¬ 
ted until they are sore. Buch palaver does 
not make as forget that farmers have to carry 
the heaviest part of the burden of supporting 
these “law-makers” and paying them junket¬ 
ing bills. We also have to bear the heaviest 
part of unwise legislation. We can’t hide our 
property from the tax collector as the holders 
of stocks and bonds can. The question of luw- 
makiug is not merely a question of morals 
and principles, but a question of finance as 
well. The farmer should devote as much at¬ 
tention to such questions as he does to any 
proposed expenditure of his capital. We shall 
ulways have those among us who will swallow 
anything iu the line of political bait. We 
want to increase the number of those who will 
not forget the action of many legislators on 
railroad matters, oleomargarine, and the vari¬ 
ous questions directly affecting farmers. Ex¬ 
tortionate chargee for transportation and 
monopoly oppression, are legalized and made 
possible by these legal legislators. It is the 
direct business of the lawyer to make money, 
and he cannot help being the sworn friend of 
monopoly. I say do not follow- the advice of 
the Times. If we did there would be no use 
in our going to the polls at all, unless to vote 
upon some question that affects farming 
directly. Let us rather take more interest in 
politics and protect our own rights. 
Norfolk Co., Va. E. e. b. 
Many- farmers who complain of lame horses 
have themselves to blame. The}- start into 
town and forget to oil the wffieels. Before they 
start home they oil themselves up w ith a little 
cider or something stronger, and home they 
come too fast for the horse. In the uioruiug 
the horse shows a little stiffness in front. They 
hitch up the old mare in his place, and throw a 
foot of straw under him to induce him to 
lie down. Buch treatment is ail w-rong. Bet¬ 
ter take him out and exercise him a little. 
His stiffness is likely to become permanent 
if he is left too long, i like a medium-sized 
horse. I don’t want one so small that he has 
to strain every muscle to keep his end up, 
nor one so large that he never has to make an 
effort. w. R. T. 
Franklin Co., Kans. 
Hog cholera visits this section quite fre¬ 
quently, yet I have never had a case among 
my hogs. In the majority of cases that have 
come under my observation, the hogs were in 
small pens, which, as a general thing, were 
not kept clean, or in places through which ran 
weak, dried up streams of water. Stagnant 
water is always unfit for hogs. Many persons 
bed their hogs in stable manure or under the 
straw stack. This does not pay me. If they 
are too hot iu their beds and come right out 
into the frosty air, they are sure to suffer. 
A hog is a good deal like a man in his make-up. 
Montgomery Co., Va. J. M. E. 
COAL ASHES AS A FERTILIZER. 
Coal ashes possess little real value as a fer¬ 
tilizer, but the mechanical effect which they 
have on some soils is truly surprising. For 
loosening up stiff clays, that have stubbornly 
refused to yield to all attempts to break them 
up, there Is nothing that can lie compared to 
coal ashes. I have seen clay soils which would 
resist everything else, become friable and as 
loose as an ash heap after receiving a lil>eral 
application of cool ashes. 
When seeding such land down to meadow 
or pasture, a heavy application of coal ashes 
will be found invaluable. It renders the soil 
porous, so that the roots of the grasses readily 
permeate it in search of food, while it assists 
very materially in carrying off t.he superflu¬ 
ous water in the Spring of the year, which, if 
left to escape by the slow process of evapora¬ 
tion, will carry with it many valuable elements 
of fertility. If the readers of the Rural who 
have stiff clay soils, and who have been trying 
iu vain to break them up, will give coal ashes 
a trial, they will be agreeably surprised at the 
result . They are easily handled, and if they 
can be had without hauling too far. it does not 
cost much to apply them. Of course, the ap¬ 
plication must he heavier than that of lime or 
anything similar, three or four hundred bush¬ 
els per acre being the proper amount. One such 
application will be sufficient. Experience has 
shown that where such application was made 
10 years ago, the -oil is as loose and as easily 
worked as when the ashes were first, thorough¬ 
ly incorporated in it. 1 have often thought, 
after observing the effect of coal ashes on clay 
soil which had been seeded down to grass, 
that the ashen contained some valuable fertil¬ 
izing elements, notwithstanding the fact that 
a chemical analysis fails to show anything of 
value iu them in that line. The effect which 
they have on the soil is much the same as that 
of lime. Those of the Rural readers who can 
procure the ashes without too much difficulty 
should try them as an experiment J. C. P. 
Blair Co., i’a. 
fkllr Crops. 
SPORTS OF THE DIEIIL-MEDITERRAN- 
EAN WHEAT. 
I send the Rural some samples of the pro¬ 
duct of the Diehl Mediterranean Wheat, re¬ 
ceived from it two years since. The ripe 
wheat came from one grain of the first year’s 
planting, and from the only heads that were 
not bearded that year. The crop of it was 
ready to cut for four or five days before it 
was harvested, and but for the exceedingly 
cold Winter aud Spring, would have teen 
ripe May 1. The samples of the unripe heads 
show that this year there is not only a great 
variety of bearded heads, but that there are 
also many kinds that are not bearded. In 
looking over the patch, which was planted in 
12-inch rows, 12 inches in the row, anybody 
would be forced to the conclusion that the 
cross is not permanent, and that if the change 
continues as rapidly as it has this year, it will 
only take a few seasons to render the bulk beard¬ 
less, aud on the remainder the beards will be 
diminished to a great extent. With the heads, 
I send you a few of the plants with roots at¬ 
tached, from which it appears to me that in 
some cases the same plant bore bearded aud 
beardless heads. To one acquainted with 
wheat-growing and its characteristics, I think 
my patch would have been an interesting 
study, on account of the wide valuations in 
the heads produced from one variety of seed. 
I have never grown auy wheat except from 
the D -M sent me by the Rural. The heads 
sent, which are no better than those iu the 
rest of the patch, were raised on light, saudy 
soil, without fertilizers except what was put 
on it in September, 1884. 
Americas, Ga. "greyreard,” 
R. N.-Y.—Wo were enabled to separate the 
seemingly one plant bearing tetli bearded and 
beardless heads into two—the one bearded, 
the other beardless. We have raised five acres 
