Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-07-27
Juiy 22d, 1929.

Climate, Soil and Pegetabie Produeiionsof o.
RECON Territory. From the Journal of French
gentleman.
"The mouth of the Columbia IS situated in
16 degrees and 10 OF 20 minutes of North lati.
fude and between l2b and 1915 degrees of West
longitude from the me ridlan Of Greenwich. A.
the mouth Of the river the tide rises nine feet
perpendicularly, aud is percep,ibIe from 10 to
80 miles from the sea. During the three years
which spent at the Columbia river, The cold
seldom passed the freezing point, and think
the hent WINS never greater than rs or 70 de.
grecs. The West wind is most frequent IN
Spring and part Of the summer. II commonly
rises with the tide ard dimiuishes the heat Of
the day. The Northwest wind is almost con-
slant during the latter part of Summer and first
of Autnmh When the North West wind ceas
es, il commences from Southwest. aud blows
almost continually from the frs, of October i'll
the end of December or beginning OF January
This i. the rainy season, and the most disagree
able in the year.
The surface Of the soil in the vales is coat
OF black vegetable earth moi more than five or
six inches thick. --Beneath this is n kind OF
gray earth, extremely cold. Under this subsoil
Is coarse sand or gravel and beneath this,
stones. On the high lands the soil is very thin
Point Adams, we fouod a KIND Of white cartl,
resembling pipe clay. The Indians brough,
specimens of red green aud yellow earth, aud
"A shining mineral substance resembling lead
ore. These were found al distance further
South We were unable to find any lime
stone, and iailed in several attempts TO make
lime.
We had inken care to bring with us in our
Tonquin, all kinds Of garden seeds which we
planted in the month of May. The garden had
fine appearance in August but although the
vegetables were left in the grOund until the
end Of December, nothing came 10 maturity
but the radishes, turnips and potatoes. The
turnps were of prodigious size. One of the
largest which we had the curiosity TO weigh
aud measure was 80 inches in circumstance,
and weighed l5b pounds. They were sili
green at the end Of December, and had been
left in the ground on this account, but the seeds
we're all destroyed by the mice, which conceal
ed themselves in the stamps which had been
lie Il in the garden, and did US much damage.
The dozen of potatoes which were all we had
been able I preserve produced ninety. These
were preserved with the greatest care, but to
| no purpose. We planned them the next Spling
but the second season was much colder than
the first they produced nothing tail.
| Ii would seem to result from these facts thai
the soil along the Columbia is unfit for culliva
ton where the vegetation is so extremely slow
| But the land is not every where the same, ant
there are probably places more fit for gardening
than that which we had selected This suppo
/ sion is the more probable when we conside
that the vegetable productions Of the counir,
are very different near tho upper and lowe
parts Of the river.
The most commun trees near the mouth @
the river and in the vicinity of our establish
ment, were Cedar, Spruce, white Pine, Hem
lock, &c.--The cedars there are four OF fy
fathoms in circumference, and the hemloci
from IL to 20 inches in diameter but the mo-
extraordinary tree which saw in the countr
was white pine. This tree rat been Stripe