Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-02-05
makes hay equal TO timothy.

| TIC udtiNe SullOTHId CdtUe are III
form equal to any in the world--resem
bling in shape and fullness the celebrated
Durham breed. | have frequently sloo,
and admired the beautiful one year oil
calf, as il would gaze at and then rul
from me. Ii had possessed the advan
tage of having all its mothers milk, an,
also the richest pasture in the world
WHICH, combined with a good breed
makes il beautiful animal. | have pu
up at a Mexican ranch where the occu.
pant owned vast tract of land, and ma
ny thousand cai,lc; yet he had neithe,
butter nor milk--ioo indulent to procure
either. For milk cows, suppose the
cows are Inferior TO the American, caus-
ed by neglect Of milking: but this could
probably becured. The bulls ARE noble
animals. On some farms, or ranches,
for an unculuvated plain cannot be call.
ed firm, they are very numerous, in
consequence of the Incidence of the ow.
ners. 4 have seen forty or fifty large
bulls on ranch, in one view, where no,
one quarter The number of cows were
visible; this however is unusual. But
the native Californian is exceedingly i'm
proeiuent. lie prefers TO kill his young
.heiiers, even though in state OF gesta
ton, to killing the other ses;-he thinks
The young roosterunfii for the table, and
kills the pullet; hence the Scarcity and
high price Of chickens and eggs.
The climate of San Jose valley is
mild, pleasan, and healthful. During
the dry season The sun has great power
from 10 A. NJ. to 3 or A p. M; but . pleas
ant breeze is always blowing, so that in
the shade it is pleasant. The evenings,
nights and mornings are cool; and snltry
nights being unknown, sound. refreshing
sleep may alwavs be had. The rainy
season is like April weather,--showery
and cloudy, with mixture of sunshine.
The atmosphere is then heavy, and eve
rything is cool and damp, making fire
necessary for comfort. Ffosts frequent
ly occur, aud nearly all are white frosts,
making ice as thick as window glass;
This the sun OF the following day DIS
solves. Snow seldom falls in the valley,
and soon melts. The tops of the noun
tains, however, bordering the valley in
the distance, frequently put on their
white caps during the rainy season, and
sometimes wear them for months. The
cold winds which visit San Francisco.
from the ocean, so roughly, are tempered
before they reach this valley; but they
are felt there, as are also the fogs which
the Pacific rolls on the coast as the sun
loses his power.
Ii the usual rainy season fails TO visit
the valley, or il it comes in scaniy sup
plies, all the crops are diminished, or
cut OF, and all Spring sowing or planting
is los, labor, where irrigation cannot be
practised. The grain crops OF wheat,
barley and oats seldom fail, having the
benefit OF all the rain OF the season; but,
when it is scanty, their yield is less
plump. Water is found by digging from
two to twenty feet below the surface
The live or evergreen oak furnishes the
best bark in the world for tanning leath-
er. Hides, also, can be had from moth
ing up to S so each, according TO the
demand for cutting them up to use in
making fences; for, a very common mode
of making fences is, by tieing willow
posts and poles together with raw hide.
San Francisco will ever furnish mar
ket for The products of this valley. II
pays now SO so for chicken, three. to
five dollars per doz. for eggs, twenty to
thirty cents per povnd for live hogs on
foot; four cents pound for wheat, bar
ley, corn and oats; rs cents to 81 so per
pound for fresh butter, forty dollars per
ton for hay, eight TO ten dollars for a
sheer, two to five dollars gallon for
milk, flour twelve 10 thirteen dollars per
barrel, fifty cents to one dollar pound
for grapes--oiher fruits in proporiion,--
four tofive cents per pound for potatoes,
beets, carrots, cabbages. &C., &c. Beel
re,ails irom twenty 20 twenty i've Gems
per pound, mutton and pork 37a to 81
cents per pouad.
Much Of the land on the hills border.
ing the valley is admirably adapted fnl
stock farming having fine streams OF
spring water, never failing. and abun.
dance Of grass. But little OF this land
is taken up. The chief par, of the val
ley land'is claimed; but. doubtless, much
land could be obtained at reasonable
rates. The man who owns farm .ht
can irrigate, possesses one of the riches
gold mines in California, the treasures o.
which cannot fail.
American families are fast settling iht
valley, and will in twenty years make i
as the gardensof Eden. The above ar,
the views and observations of one VIII.
has resided in the valley between tw,
and three years, and who would gladl,
end his days there if other duties did DO
call him away. ia
PREsEEcE OF MIND IN BoYs.-Th,
Syrac,lse Journal gives n nnteable in