Don't Get Crazy About Special Crops
Categories: Grains and Forage CropsI want information about flax as a crop. I have been having some land
graded for alfalfa and I have had to wait so long I am now doubting the
advisability of seeding it all under these conditions until fall, as hot
weather will soon come. I want some good crop to plant in the checks and
give two good irrigations. What would you think about rye for straw for
horse collars? I do not wish to consider corn, as the stalks would be
troublesome. Potatoes would necessitate disarranging the land too much
and would require more attention than I am in shape to give just flow.
Everybody grows wheat, barley and oats. I want something that I can get
a special market for.
To succeed with flax, the seed ought to be sown in the fall, or early
winter, in California, and the plant will make satisfactory growth under
about the same conditions that suit barley or wheat. Spring sowing would
not give you anything worth while except on moist bottom land. Rye is
also a winter-growing grain. To grow rye straw for horse collars would
be unprofitable unless you could find some local saddler who could use a
little, and it is probable you could not get a summer growth of rye
which would give good straw, even if you had a market for it. You could
get a growth of stock beets, field squashes, or pumpkins for stock
feeding. In fact, the latter would give you most satisfaction if you
have stock to which they can be fed to advantage. Sorghum is our chief
dry-season crop, but that makes stalks like corn and would, therefore,
be open to the same objections. Has it never occurred to you that people
grow the common crops, not because they are stupid, but because those
are the things for which there is a constant demand and the best chance
for profitable sale? Efforts to supply special markets are worth
thinking of, but seldom worth making unless you know just who is going
to buy the product and at what price.
More
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Cutworms And Young Trees
What method should be used to protect young fruit trees from cutworms? Hoe around the trees or vines and kill the fat, greasy grubs which you will find near the foliage. Put out a poisoned bait which the worms like better than the foliage, viz... Damping-off
My orange seed-bed stack has "damp-off." Same say "too much water;" "not enough water;" "put on lime;" etc. I use a medium amount of water and more of my stack is affected than that of any other grower. One man has kept his well soaked since pla... Darkening Pickled Olives
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In August the air is hot, and the surface of the ground is dry nearly all the time. A shower may be followed by hot sunshine, and the water at the surface evaporates quickly, leaving the ground covered with a dry crust. There are two essential things ... Deep-seated Abscess
I have a mule which has a swelling on the throat about where the throatlatch touches. It just seems to be swollen hard and not sore. I am using caustic liniment to fester it so it will come to a head and I can open it, but the liniment does not ... Defective Urination
... Defects In Soil Moisture
I have apricot trees that appear to be almost dead; all but a very few small green leaves are gone, and they look bad, still I think they might be saved if I only knew what to do. Presumably your apricot tree is suffering from too much standin... Deferring Bloom Of Fruit Trees
Have any experiments ever been carried on definitely to decide what causes early blossoming of fruit trees? For instance, have adjacent trees of the same variety been treated definitely by putting a heavy mulch around one to hold the cold temper... Definitions
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Which is the best way to dehorn cows and calves? The best time to dehorn cows is in the spring, before the fly season starts. It is best not to have a cow too far along in calf before dehorning, as she is very apt to lose her calf. It is also ... Depluming Mites
My chickens are losing the feathers from their necks, some three inches down the front and then extending around the neck. The loss of feathers is probably due to the depluming mite. Dust well with buhach through the feathered portion of the b... Depraved Appetite
I have a colt about one year old that continually delights in chewing up harness, ropes, chews on the manger and, in fact, anything it can get a hold of. This is a condition caused by something being lacking in the system (lime, salts, etc.).... Depth In Planting Fruit Trees
... Depth Of Cultivation
I would be glad to know whether in cultivating an orchard a light-draft harrow could profitably be used, which cultivates three and a half inches deep? I have used another cultivator, and try to have it go at least seven inches. A depth of 3 ... Depth Of Ground-water
Is there probable harm from water standing 12 feet from the surface in an orchard? Also probable age of trees before any effect of said water would be felt by them? The soil is almost entirely chocolate dry bog. - ... Depth Of Soil For Fruit
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Underdrains may be placed too deep in close soils for best results. In an early day it was advised that the drains be put down 4 feet deep. We now know that a tight clay soil may give best results from a drain only 28 inches deep, or even a little les... Desirable Physical Condition Of The Soil
Successful cropping of land is dependent upon favoring soil conditions. The plants to be grown must have ease in root extension, so that their food may be found. There must be moisture to hold the food in solution. There must be air. There must be de... Destroying Bushes
The absence of sheep is evident in the appearance of the greater area of permanent pasture in the mountainous regions of the eastern states. Bushes, briers, and other weeds must be destroyed if pasture land would be kept in a profitable state, and onl... Determining Lime Requirement
It is wasteful to apply lime on land that does not need it. As has been said, the man who can grow heavy clover sods has assurance that the lime content of his soil is satisfactory. This is a test that has as much practical value as the analysis of a... Diameter Height Capacity Diameter Height Capacity
10 feet 25 feet 36 tons 14 feet 34 feet 115 tons 10 " 28 " 42 " 15 " 34 " 131 " 11 " 29 " 60 " 16 " 35 " 158 " 12 " 32 " 73 " 20 " 3... Die-back Of Apple Trees
What causes the death of the top shoots in apple trees? New wood is sometimes diseased by mildew, but die-back is usually due to two different causes: One, the accumulation of water in the soil during the excessive rains of mid-winter; second,... Dipping Fowls
How do you dip hens to kill lice? To dip fowls you must have a very warm day, or a warm room where you can turn them in to dry. I have know people to use tobacco stems, but it requires good judgment as to the right strength to use. The dips us... Dipping Roots Of Fruit Trees
In planting an almond orchard would it be of any benefit to dip the young trees in a solution of bluestone and lime dissolved? We doubt if it would serve any good purpose. If done at all the dip should be carefully prepared in accordance with ... Dipping Thompson Seedless
What is the process of dipping and bleaching Thompson seedless grapes? One recipe for dipped raisins is as follows: One quart olive oil; 3/4-pound Greenbank soda and 3 quarts water are made into an emulsion, and then reduced with 10 gallons wa... Direct Use For Corn
The practice of spreading manure on grass land for corn is based upon much good experience. The custom is nearly universal in regions where corn is an important part of a four, five, or six years' rotation, and all of the corn and hay is fed on the fa... Diseased Uterus Of Mare
I have a brood mare that has given me two fine colts, but for the last two years I have not been able to get her with foal. She takes service and then refuses service for three or four months, and about the time I come to the conclusion that she... Disinfectants
What can I use to disinfect poultry belongings? Sulphuric acid spray is good, but you will need to be very careful that you do not get it on the hands or clothing. Get 16 ounces sulphuric acid (50 per cent solution), water 6 gallons. Have the ... Distribution Of Alkali
I am told by all the ranchers on the east and south sides of the valley that their wells are excellent. But they all say that on the west side - they are bringing up alkali. One also said that the water level was rising throughout all the valley... Do Not Plant Almonds In Place
I have 30 acres which I intend to plant to almonds and peaches, and I thought of planting the sprouted nuts and pits where I wanted my trees, and budding the same there in orchard form. As one or two years' use of the land is not considered, wha... Don't Get Crazy About Special Crops
I want information about flax as a crop. I have been having some land graded for alfalfa and I have had to wait so long I am now doubting the advisability of seeding it all under these conditions until fall, as hot weather will soon come. I want... Double-cropping With Potatoes
I am told that here two crops of potatoes can be raised by planting the second crop in August. I have five acres which will be ready to dig in July. Can I dig these Potatoes and use them for seed at once for another crop, or won't they grow? I h... Draining A Wet Spot
I have a spot of about an acre that in a wet winter becomes very miry and as a rule is wet up to July. Can I put in a ditch two and one-half feet deep and fill in with small stones for a foot or a foot and a half, until I can afford to buy tiles... Dried Blood
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If I set chili pepper plants down six or eight inches lower than the surface of the ground and fill in as the plants grow larger, will this help in case I could not get water enough? My soil is a deep sandy loam. We have had between five and six... Dry Farming With Grapes
I have heard that they are planting Muscat grapes on the dry farming plan. Will it be successful? Grapes have been grown in California on the dry farming plan ever since Americans came 60 years ago. Grapes can be successfully grown by thoroug... Dry Plowing And Sowing
I dry-plowed my grain field to a depth averaging seven inches; it turned up very rough. I then disked and harrowed it, but it is still very rough. I intended to drill the seed, wait for sufficient rain, and harrow to a satisfactory condition, bu... Dry Plowing For Grain
We have land that we could very easily plow now with our traction engine and improved plows, but the people here claim that it does not pay to dry-plow, that is, before the land has had a good rain on it and the vegetation has started. I believe... Dry Plowing For Soil And Weed Growth
Is there any scientific reason to support the belief that it is injurious to the soil to dry-plow it for seeding to grain this fall and winter? Will dry-plowing now cause a worse growth of filth after the rains than the customary fallowing in th... Dry Sorghum Fodder
Is Egyptian corn fodder good for cows? I have been told it would dry up the milk. I have several acres and would like to feed it if it is not harmful. Dry sorghum fodder is counted about the poorest roughage that one would think of harvesting... Dry-land Alfalfa
I am in a country of strictly dry farming. I have a wash or gulch on my place and would like to know if I could, with success, plant it to alfalfa without irrigation; soil is sandy loam, no evidences of springy moisture at all. What kind should... Drying A Persistent Milker
My cow is to come fresh about the middle of next mouth, and in the last two weeks her milk has changed in some way so that the cream makes very yellow butter and comes to butter nearly as quick as when the cow was fresh. Would it best for her to... Drying Plums And Prunes
I have plum trees of various kinds that are loaded with fruit. I do not know if any are of the variety used for drying as prunes: I know nothing of the process of making or drying prunes. One man suggests that I dip them for four or live minutes... Durability Of Manure
Tests of the durability of manure in the soil involve some uncertain factors, but we are interested only in the effects of applications. These effects may continue for a long term of years, and an example will illustrate. Land may be too infertile to ... Duration Of Effect
Soil acidity is not permanently corrected by a lime application. The original supply failed to prove lasting, and the relatively small amount given the land in an application will become exhausted. The duration depends upon the degree of acidity, the ... Dwarf Pears Not Commercially Grown
Will you kindly give the experience of pear growers in California who have grown the dwarfs? If you can give me the data or refer me to persons who can give data showing that the growing of dwarf pears can be made a commercial success the inform... Dwarfing A Fruit Tree
I am told that by pruning the roots of a young tree after the root system is well started (say three years old) that as a result this will produce a tree that is semi-dwarfed or practically a dwarfed fruit tree. Yes; cutting back the roots in ... Dying Back Of Fruit Trees
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Please inform me if young walnut trees grafted on black walnut stock will produce fruit within 18 months after being planted. It is true that the French varieties of English walnuts have produced fruit the second summer of their growth. This d... East? The Annual Rainfall Is From 12 To 15 Inches
The perennial grasses which they rely upon for pasturage in the East and which will maintain themselves from year to year, will not live at all on the dry lands of California, nor has investigation of the last twenty-five or thirty years found anyth... Eastern Seed Corn For California
The question has been raised as to Eastern-grown seed corn, comparing it with California-grown seed. Some claim that the former does not yield well the first season. We cannot give a complete refutation of the impression that Eastern seed cor... Effect Upon Moisture
Coarse manures should not be plowed down late in the spring, as they increase the ill effects of drouth. Decayed vegetation, well mixed with the soil, increases the soil's water-holding capacity, but undecayed material in the bottom of the furrow is ... Effectiveness Of Home-mixing
Van Slyke says ("Fertilizers and Crops," p. 477): "Manufacturers of fertilizers and their agents have persistently sought to discourage the practice of home-mixing, but their statements cannot be accepted as the evidence of disinterested parties. It ... Effects Of Blasting
I have land which is underlaid with hardpan two or three feet deep and this in turn is underlaid with sand or sandpan. What I would like to know is whether blasting the holes before setting trees would allow more moisture coming from this sandpa... Effects Of Ill-feeding Pigs
I have a couple of pigs, out of about 75 head farrowed last spring, which seem to have the staggers. They are looking fairly well, feed well on pasture and at feeding time are right there making as much noise as the others. They run around as if... Electro-agriculture
Kindly tell me of any one who is working upon the application of electricity to stimulating agricultural growth-especially here on the Coast. A friend who has done some work in this line seeks to interest me. I have seen notices of this work, an... Elimination Of Competition
Weeds pump the water out of the soil, use up available plant-food, and compete for the sunlight. Tillage is given for several reasons, and one is the destruction of weeds. A weeder which stirs the soil only an inch or two deep is an excellent destroye... Enlarged Gland On Neck
I have a calf that has a lump on her neck, which appeared when she was two days old. The lump is getting larger. This is probably an enlarged thyroid gland. Apply the following once daily for several weeks and let it alone unless it becomes to... Essex Rape Or Kale
... Establishing A Grade
If the grades are light, they should be established by use of a telescope level. Most of the cheap levels are a delusion. A stake driven flush with the surface of the ground at the outlet becomes the starting point, and by its side should be driven a ...