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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (July 18, 1884)
VOL. XVI. SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1884. NO. 23 "jQorHcnHuraL A SYSTEM OF ORCHARD PRUNIHO. Your note at the end of L. U. Mc Cann'a article on orchard pruning in the issue of January 26th, shows so plainly the good results of rightly training a fruit tree, that I am inclined to pro long the discussion so appropriate at this season of the year, by giv ing nn account of my system of pruning peach and apricot trees. A lit tle orchard of 450 trees planted about six years has been my teacher, and the author of my system. The trees of this rchard, as is often the case with trees planted now were shortened a little in their branches and tops to balance the loss of roots in transplanting, and in af ter years, as the stem shot upwards, the branches, fruit-laden, shot outward and downward, so as to get constantly in the way of the team, and I. was obliged to lop them off, for I could not, as Mr. Mo Cannsays, afford to do hand work about my trees. By way of contrast, in the same or chard, a few trees happened to branch low, two or three feet from the ground ; and some that I had grafted, I had sawn off at that height and the scions becom ing branches, had taken the oblique di rections, you speak of, as also did tho branches of all those which started near the ground, and that without any special training. From these trees, I do not have to remove largo branches nearly every year, because they hang down in the way, and I can plow as close to thorn as one could wish. Having made these observations, of courso I could not be blind to the ad vantages for cultivation only of lower branches, obliquo-limod trees. Although my orchards are in tho southern part of tho State, where tho sun shines, scarce dimmed by cloud or fog the whole summer long, and almost tho whole winter too. vot low pruning is not necessary here to shadethc trunk; what is necessary, however, is proper irriga tion, succeeded by sufficient cultivation, and then the most exposed stem will not blister in tho sun to be afterwards in jured by borers. Now, whenever I plant a new orchard, I pursue this plan : I train tho stem to a sing'o cane and cut them all off uni formly, knee high, i. e., somewhat less than two foet from tho ground. AVhcn the young growth is two inches long I rub off evory shoot from tho stem, except from threo to five at, tho top, preferably three. I repeat this several times dur ing tho season of growth, and it is a very rapid operation. Tho following spring I cut back these three shoots to a stub three to six inches long, for tho double object of making theso limbs stocky, to bear their future burdens of fruit, and to enublo mo to control tho shape of the tree nioro perfectly. Shortly a groat quantity of young growth will cluster about theso stubs, which, by a fow min utes' work with your unaided lingers, you can thin out to a few shoots tending obliquely upward from inside buds most ly. These will make a lusty growth, which you must shorten in tho next sea son. Indeed, every season you should shorten in at least ono-half of tho fruit bearing growth of tho preceding sonson, as well as thin out branches that impair the symmetry ol tho tree, and overbur den it with fruit, and likewise those with branchlcts that may Mart to grow on tho outside of the throe main brunches and their prongs. This simple plan, which a novice can understand, if not from my description, at any rate from a brief practical lesson, constitutes a uniform method of pruning so regular that it may merit thenamo of a system. In tho third year tho tree has attained shapo it is ever after to keep ; a short trunk about two feet high, having no central stem beyond, and its summit, di vergent branches, strong to support their weight of fruit and ever keeping out of your way, and yet ready to yield their bounty to your outstretched hand (if you stand five feet ten in your boots and havo kept the tops properly shortened each 6eason). This kind of an open top, too, is best adapted to let in all those in fluences of the sun needed to mature the fruit. Theso desirable results are, it teems to me, secured by a method of pruning so simple and so easily followed from year to year Uiat your boy or your Chinaman can do it. Chas. It. Paine, in linral Press. "Overton's Leap." The following story of tho fate of John Overton, who sold the land on which the city of Portland, Oregon, now stands, has been handed down by tho Indians "After Overton left Oregon ho next ap peared as a trader between the Mexicans and Indians on the frontier of Mexico. But having outrageously cheated both parties, the Indians 'shook' him, and the Mexican government, for somo crime not recorded, set a prico upon his head. Ho disappeared for a long time, but one day a party of Comanches camo across him in Texas and immediately gave chase. Overton was mounted on a pow erful mustang, and for a time distanced his pursuers; but coming to a deep chasm, which was about twenty-five feet wide, was suddenly checked in his escape. His horse was now too ex hausted to make the leap, and the In dians being out of sight behind a hill, ho resolved to resort to strategy. Dis mounting, ho pricked his horse with his knife, causing the animal to leap over the precipice. A large hollow log lay a short distance from the edge of the chasm, into which he crept, unpereoiv- ed, as he thought, by his enemies. The Indians, however, had reached tho top of tho hill and saw his last movements. They rode up to the log and commenced, for his beneht, a narration of tho tor tures which theyintended toinllict when they should catch him, and ouo of tho party proposed having dinner on the spot. Overton's feelings may bo imag ined when they proceeded to light a fire within a few inches of him, beside the log. His position, of course, becamo un tenable, and ho slid ut, preferring to be shot rather than be roasted to death. His persecutors opened firo on him, and, desperate as tho chance was, bo mado a dash tor tho chasm. To the amazement of the Indians ho cleared it by a foot. Unfortunately for him, however, one foot alighted on a looso stone ; ho lost his balance, staggered backward, and rolled to tho bottom of the chasm, where his nianglod body was found bosido that of his horse. Tho chasm bears tho name to this day of 'Ovorton's Leap.' " Is Water Power Disappearing In New England? There has not been a timo in many years when the wator in the various streams and rivors has been so low as at this season. Streams which have never given out beforo have been so low that they were practically worthless, and this emphasizes tho fact that tho steam en giuo is tho coming power, for tho long vauntod water power of Now England is giving out. Various rauses havo ap peared to mako tho water power less, and even less than it was supposed to bo, and theso causss havo been working all the time and increasing in practical ef fect, so that now it is giving out in al most every place of any account, with some very few exceptions, whoro the timber has not yet been cut off back in tho sources of supply on tho hills or mountains. The effect upon the goods trade upon this account is already ap preciable, and thero is a demand for tho best kinds of cotton, which was not ex pected so eaily in the Reason, if we are to tako all the views which aro expiessed upon tins matter and put them together. 'ilio curtailment of production on ac count of drought will work, in the pres ent state of tho market, a verv creat ad vantage, and really it will be out of tho reach of buyers to mako a very largo break in prices of manufactured cottons, for the reason that the supply is very much cut down at present. In this way it will make a brighter fall trade, more especially if we havo such a winter as wo havo had in two or threo instances where tho water has not been in its u-nal quan tity until almost spring, instead of in tho early fall, as usual, and it will bo an other instance cf exceptional conditions to prevent tho market from breaking down under tho head cf accumulated goods. One thing is beyond question now, and that is that the water poworol the Eastern States ii fust fading away, and that it is less than it was a few years ago, and is growing Jess each and every year. I-et us look, therefore, to steam with a clearer eye, and leam more of it, and how to handle it, so we can keep up the busy wheels of a million cotton spin dles and thousands of sets of woolen machinery. Water power in tho Eastern States is doomed, ami it will not be long until we aro a steam spinning section of country. Cotton;Wool and Iron. three feet in diameter, says tho Massa chusetts Plowman, is a very good one if tho water is to bo drawn up with buck ets, but if only with a pump it is a very poor way ; for if, as is tho usual custom, the well be covered at tho top, it leaves a very largo space for dead air, which often becomes so bad that it affects tho quality of the water, and also makes it unsafo to enter tho well. When a well thus stoned has only a pump in it the covering should bo under water, or very near it ; but 'if it is known that only a pump is to be used the expense of ston ing may bo saved and tho water kept in a much better condition. This is done by digging tho well in dry time, and when dug as low as possible a cement pipe, some two feet in diameter and two or threo feet long, is sunk at tho bottom and worked down as low as possiblo by uiggiug uui uu iumuc. jliiu pipe snouia bo covered over with a flat stone, through the middlo of which a two-inch hole has been drilled; directly over this hole stand up drain pipe, then begin to fill in the hole. When filled as Inch as the ton of tho first piece of drain pipe put on ano- tner, being carclul to have it straight with tho other and the lino perpendicular. Continue filling and adding drain pipe until it is as high as the surrounding ground, or, if tho pump is not to stand directly over tiio well, then when it is filled within four foet of the surface put in the pump pipe and lead it off in a trench to whoro tho pump is to stand. When it is found that tho pipe is all right finish filling the well, leaving some durable mark, that iho position of tho well may be known. A well of this kind is reliable and per manent, requiring no repairs; tho water is coot and free from impurities that open wells are subject to; no insocts or auiaials can find their way into it, and the cost is not moro than ono half that of a well that is stoned. If dug, as it should be, when tho springs aro low, a constant supply of water that is as pure as tho underground springs is secured. As tho well is always full, there is no chance for bad air to injure tho water, and in fact, but little danger of being polluted by surrounding cesspools compared to that of open wells. A Hew Food. M. Moridohas introduced a new kind of food to tho French Academy. It is prepared by working into a pulp raw meet previously deprived of bono and tendon, and then mixing this with bread or farinaceous substances, which absorb tho watery constituents of tho meat and thus form a paste. This paste is .dried in air or a mild stove and then ground and sifted. Tho powder is gray or yellowish, according to tho material and proportions, and is said to havo an ngiecablo flavor. Ily mixing this with albumon, fats or gummed water it is mado into cakes or cylinders, to bo after ward used for soups, sauces, etc. It will kocp for nn indefinite length of time when thus prepared, provided it is not moistened. M. Morido affirms that this is more assimilable than cooked meat. He gives it the namo of "Nutriciue," ami proposes among otfier applications of his invention, to prescrvo tho refuse of slaughter houses, the flesh of horses, blood, etc., for tho feeding of hogs, pigs, ducks and fowls. In this he is antici pated by tho English manufacturers of tho "meat biscuits" that have long been used for feeding hogs, fowls, etc. If tho materials could bo guaranteed this mode of combining flour, with meat to produce a portablo, unchanging, nutritious food, requiring tho minimum of cooking, would bo of incalculable utility, es pecially if tho act of union of tho meat with the farinaceous matter effects an in cipient decomposition or loosening of inn original bonds or chemical union that renders tho compound more easy of digestion and as-imilatiou than were either of tho original materials. M. Morido seems to suppose that something of this kind occurs, and thero aro good analogies in hiipport of such n theory. Tho soldier, the sailor or tho workman away from home might thus carry a penny cylinder which, merely moistened with u little hot water, would include all tho material of soup, entree, joint, vege tables, bread and cheese.- Manufacturer and Uuilder. Scenery of the Pacific Northwest. The desire to possess artistic pictures of tho scenery of the Pacific Norhwest is a feeling shared in common by tho residents of this region, and tho thousands of tourists who annually travel great distances to behold it. To mako a satis factory collection of photographs is almost imposillo, and is only accomplish ed at an expenso far greater than tho majority of people aro willing or able to undergo. To meet this urgent want, a "Souvenir Album of the Pacific North west" has been Issued, containing thirty- livo art photographs of tho most promi ncnt and representative sconces of Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho and Montana. Among them aro excellent pictures of Cascades, Willamette Falls, Crater Lake, Mt. Hood, Multnomah Falls, Yellowstone Park, etc. Tho album is neatly bound in cloth, embossed with gold, and makes a neat ornament for the center table. Tho price, soventy-five cents, only represents tho cost of threo onlinnry photographs, and brings this collection of thirty-five beautiful scones within tho means of all. Sent ostago paid upon tne receipt ot u cents. J.. Samiiki, Publisher, Portland, Oregon. Sorghum Seed. The real valuo of sorghum seed is not, as a rulo, appreciated. A very small portion of the amount raised is utilized than to allow it to remain on the ground for hogs and chickens to run over and eat a part while thoy destroy the balance. Sorghum seed is equal to corn for feed ing nearly all domestic animals, and when ground with oats is even better than corn. It is very rich, and when properly saved is said to bo better than buckwheat for cakes, being a better ila- vor. In saving the seed great care should be used to prevont its heating. As soon as shelled it should bo spread on sheets or a clean floor and allowed to lie until thoroughly dried, when it can bo put in barrels or bins until needed for use. Tho usual way of allowing it to lie in a pilu on tho ground, whoro hogs can run to it, is dangerous, for when thoroughly heated it is liablo to cause hogs to bocomo diseased. Nebraska Farmer. Wasp Stings. This being the season at which potty questions and grievances arc most likoly to bo lclicved or redressed by tho public ity offered by the prow, u considerable number of corresjiondonts aro express ing tho burning interest they tako in tho treatment of "wasp stings." There can bo no doubt that under certain con ditions tho sting of a wasp may prove very injurious, or oven dangerous to life. Wo aro unablo to indorso tho opin ion that thero is no danger unless thero bo fear. It is quite possible that tho sting of any insect capable of generat ing u poison may bo fatal without tho intervention of panic. Tho nervous system is in somo of its states exceed ingly susceptible- of sudden impressions, which, as it were, "staggor" tho nervo centers by shock". Tho bites of unnll snakes probably act in this way, and tho sting of a wasp may prove fatal in th" same lastuon. As to remedies, ammonia is, of course, tho obvious recourse; but almo-t anything "strong," in a popular benso, will generally miilico to decom poe and destroy mi organic poison if instantly applied. This is why tho juico of an onion answers tho purpose. Anything equally pungent would do as well. Lancet. A Wonderful Collie. Tho Prairie distance of four miles, without losing one. Ho will also separate chickens from hogs, and hens from roosters, at com mand." Wo havo known a butcher to rido out on horseback fivo to ton miles or moro, buy half a dozen to a dozen fat cattle, give them over to his dog, and tako no further thought about them. Every one was invariably taken homo and held near the yard until 601110 ono opened the gate for their admission. Wo havo often seen this dog goby our farm, conducting half a dozen bullocks, and the owner would rido, along on hour or two after. If this knowing animal wished to hurry on his charge a gcntlo nip at the heel of the laggard sont him forward ; beforo tho kicking heel wont up, tho dog was treat ing tho next animal in tho samo way. If approaching a cross-road he took good caro that no straggler turned into it. Ed. Prairio Farmer. Without Earnestness. "Without earnestness thero is noth ing to bo dono in life ; yet oven among tho people whom wo call mon of culture but little earnestness is often to Ihj found ; in labors and employments, in arts, nay, oven in recreations, they plant themselves, if I may sny so, in an atti tude of self-dofenso; thoy live, as they read a heap of newspapers, only to bo dono with them; thoy remind ono of that young Englishman at Borne, who told, with a contented air ono evening in somo company, that 'to-day he had dis patched six churches and two galleries.' They wish to know and loam a multi tude of things, and seldom not exactly those things with which thoy havo the least concern; and thoy nover seo that hunger is not apjtcased by snapping at tho air. When I become acuuaintcd with a man, my first inquiry is. with what does ho occupy himself, and how, and with what dogrco of perseverance Tho answer regulates tho interest 1 take in that man for life." (Joothp. A fiddle Found. A valuable raddle was found on the night after the circus was at Salem. rull particulars can Ik had by address ing or calling upon Wm. A. Taylor, at I with Digging u. The old way of digging a well and stoning it up so as to leave it about I Mackay Post Office, Marion county. Or, through Farmer boys havo often read of tho remarkable perfonnances of sbopard dogs in Scotland and England, but probably none of thorn exceed tho "work" dono by tlu prize collio Tweed II., owned by F. C. Pinbus, of Maryland. 'This dog," Mr. Plm-bus says, "bus taken a Hock of seventy-live sheep from tho stock yard at Baltimore to a farm thiity six miles away without loing ono of them. Ifisondi'raticecqiialshis sagacity. Ho will cross a road six ty-fivo feet wide twice a minute, and travel all day with out resting. With a wavo of tho hand ho will fly from the rear to tho front of tho dock. At another signal ho will divide a flock into two, and if I hold my hand up with five fingers extended, ho will sejierate that number out of tho Hock. He will tako a flock of eighteen ami tuvjuu moil! iiuo mrco groups 01 six each at a word, and never touch ono his teeth. He once took seventy tho streeti of Baltimore, a Negro baptisms aro u Sunday morn ing feature at this soason of tho year, and each congregation, in succession, witnesses tho immersion of the converts mado during tho past win tor. Hymn's aro sung, and ovory ono appears animat ed by religious zeal. On ono occasion, so tho story goes, a worthy colored woman with culinnry tastes got so much interested that she unconsciously pushed up to tho minister, nnd ho, regarding her as ono of his Hock, seized her. Sho resisted, but tho minister imagined that sho was merely afraid of tho coldness of tho water, so beforo sho could explain tho situation ho sousod her. Sho camo up spluttering, and exclaimed : "What you doin" Lmmo go, I tell you I" Hat ho exerted his strength, and sent her "Kor-chucu" below tho surfneo again. Sho emerged, clawing tho air wildly, and shouting: "fi'wuy fioni hero I Don't you chuck mo under ng'in, you nigger!" But tho clergyman was inexorable, and ho plunged he, under a thiid time, and held hor there for a minute so as to lot it soak in and do her good. Then sho camo up and struck for tho shore, and standing thoro, looking liko a draggled mermaid cut in ebony, she shook her fist at tho astonished pastor. and shrieked. 'Oh, I'll fix yuul I'll mm too Head oiler you, you or'nary trash! sousin' mo and nearly drowned me, when you knowod wolPuough all dr timo dat 1'so a Mothodist, and bin christened by dem dat's your bettors, and knows more about i eligion dun all do Baptises dat over shouted, you mis' ablo black scum! and mo got tho iheu maliz enough to set mo crazy' Oh, I'll seo what do law kin do for you! I'll havo you 'rested dis very day, or my iiamo's not Johanna Johnson, you woolly-headed hcrrln'l You hour mo?" Then Johanna went homo to re-dress. and the ceremony proceeded. It is as sorted that Jiiss Johnson lias sinco borno testimony that tho Ilaptlsts aro not any better than pagans. Tho I'aloiiMi Indians June decided to tako up land in severalty (100 aens homestead), This thoy agreed in pow wow ilh (!yrus Boobo, U, S. special agent interior department. Boobo toll them thoy would cither havo to do thut or bo put on their reservations by forco if necessary. Indians aro now figuring how to raiiso $22 apiece, fees, with which to file on lands. Thero wore about twenty fivo Indians at jww-wow. includ ing Bonos and other chiefs. This will ' probably mi to future trouble in tho iho Puloufeo country Utweon whites and reds. Lincoln header, Oregon's standard remedy for indi gestion, dyspeptic and loss of appetite, Jr. Henley' Dandelion Tonic.