New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-08
California Farm.

w COPY no u tue 49,
Sacramento City, the following interesting &C
count Of some farming operations IN the toiaf9
swamp lands y ing nesrthe mouth OF the sacra
r epto Valley. Our worthy farmers OF she North
and West will fad the statement well worth
their perusal
pa,erving for a future occasion some account
y - rnmerons gardens containing from 70 81
,cres each which lie within few miles back oil
hi. civ. we will coDine our notice at present u
,ba oneratiops of neighbor on the opposite side
Of the river. Mr. James Alexander, who occaPie.
a onarter section Of land adjoining the town OF
Ws.bineton. and about one mile from the ferry,
m the road 70 Fremont. The claim was pur.
chased o1ly a few months since. Ii is located
chiefly upon tulsre land, and the experiment OF
Mr. Alexander in the cultivation OF this species
Of soil is the frst that has been made to any con-
adorable extent in the country. Had the season
inns far been less indicative Of drouth, II may be
doubted whether any attempt would have oeen
made as vet 70 improve these lands; indeed II
NAV vet be doubted whether they would be c.
pabe Of tilage in ordinary years without recourse
10 system Of drainage more expensive than the
circumstances ofthe ear occupants OF and Woolo
permit AS it is, with the unusual loW stage OF
the river which has continued throughout tne
Winter. water 10 found over all the tulsre Land at
q depth of from 70 feet. The system OF In
closing claims OF this character by aolfch 10 now
very generally adopted being recommended oy
the facility of its construction and its prospective
usefulness Is q means Of drainage. The circuit o.
Mr. Alexander's farm 10 nearly completed by
trench Ct feet in width at the surface, by 81 feet
in depth. This is dog in the most regular man
per and will cost him when completed : 300.
The soil is shown 10 consist OF stratum OF rico
black losm about g inches IN thickness, OF aIlsht
,popgy character and beneath it about the same
depth Of yellow loan is found lying above the
sand, which continues TO the bottom oil tue oltcn'
The water of the lake, which lies about miles
from the river seems to percolste this land, and
the source of supply being an untallng one, there
can be no fear but that the capillary attraction o.
the soil will always suffice TO draw moisture sui
fcent TO sustain vegetation IN the drlest perlods
IL is upon this conviction that Mr.. Alexander
has undertaken the very extensive operations
upon the tulare lands. At this time he has en-
pioyed tuo large prairie plOughs, which turn a
furrow of 20 inches vide and deep, and, when
we were on the ground, these were preceded by
two men dropping the potatoes, two others were
following to perfect the covering by the plough,
and harrow succeeding them to complete the
planting In addition to this force. nine men
were engaged at the same period IN ditching
The cost of ditchiDg is from 81 so TO 81 per
rod Of plOuehing from $40 to SIS per acre. hr.
A. has six teams of good ploughing cattle, worth
$3.50 team and q span OF horses constantly IN
use. But if the preparation OF the SOIL is an ex'
pensive process our Eastern farmers Will hardly
be prepared TO believe that the supply OF seeds
for planting which is with them comparatively an
Insignificant item, is a still greater tax upon the
serculturist. To give some idea of the outlay
for so acres which Mr.. Alexander has planted up
10 this time it may be stated that the onion seed
he has used alone coat him nearly 81 600. For
ls lbs of the globe variety he paid Mr.. Prince OF
this city, s24 per pound and that this was not an
extraordinary price is proven by the fact that the
same merchant has received s64 -four ouncesl per
pound for the same article For "a lbs Of turnip
and cabbage SIP per pound was paid With the
variety of other seeds, the whole outlay in this
item has been over 50 600.
In potatoes there is nearly completed the plant
ing Of three and one half tunG Of the California
S Sasy C S%as aoG, one nas u eui
tivation, Mr.. Alexander finds to be $4,000, rms
will be looked upon as large venture Tor the hrst
season. and vet it is but half of what Is contem-
nlated MA. has associated with him in the
crops. Menrs. John and Madison Whitney, OF
Calais County Maine. Mr.. James Alexander
himself halls from Mifflin Co. Pennsylvania. AS
an Illustration of the rewards OF steady labor In
this part of the world, we will cite ateT details
Of his California career;
When he crossed the Sierra Nevada, last fail'
be informed us be had sixteen dollars In ms
pocket. With his wife and daughter be reached
Sacramento City on the 9TH OF September, and by
their iont efforts they were able 10 loan out
1852 dollars in one month from that date. They
lsbored another month, with like success, out In
both instances their money was lnJudiciousiy
trusted, and so, unfortunately, it proved with
other subsequent investments, whereby, az the
end Of Winter, instead of being worth s3,OOO OF
$4,000, Mr. A. still found himself with not as
many hundreds, and the work OF securing an IN
dependence yet 70 be accomplished. Nothing
daunted, however, with 80 much Ill fortune, ne
has gone on striving, and thrift at last ablded
i IL % oka ba NM AZ
of his land since which all bis earnings have
been devoted to ito improvement. That ne will
realize the snticipations which induced the ad
venture, no one scarcely doubts, and in the event
of no disappointment, Mr.. Alexander will GER
tainly rank first among the pioneer farmers OF the
Sacramento Valley. We are precluded from a
further detail Of the interesting features OF this
enterprise, conducted, as 1t H. with such consum-
mate energy, judgment and skill A description
of the admirable ploWs-selfregustlng re-
curing neither guide or watch, and rolling over
the broad smooth furrow reeking with fertility,
the beautiful beds Of peas Just casting their YER
d1nt hue over the dark, dank earth, and al the
pleasing scenes OF mans most ennoolns occuPa-
tion the culture Of the soil this we must defer 30
another OCCASION and finish this hssty sketch Of q
single sicultural enterprise with some cAlcula-
tion OF ie fruits Of its happy Accomplishment.
Judging thereapon the yields OF previous year
under no superior advantages, and with all due
Allowance Tor the OepreClatloh Oh prices fOm the
greater competition and more abundant supplies,
we cannot, nevertheless, place the average pro.
duct Of tie land at less than 81 COO TO the acre.
California items,
Prepared for The Tribune from our California hles
"A new daily newspaper has been started in
Sacramento, called the e Union" Another 4
weekly, called the 4" State Gazette, has been
started at BeRecia. One is 70 be published AZ
Nevada another at Rough and Ready. These
are Up amorg the mountains and pacega Another
to be called the Star is TO be soon started at
Los Angeles.
From the census returns, it appears that Los
Angeles County coatAins a population Of about
four thousand persons, OF which the city of the
same name has about 1900. The County is well
provided with stock there are about 1000 head
of horned cattle and $4,000 hOrses A letter in
the Alta California, under date OF the 5th instant,