The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-07-03
Productions and Climate of Ca,,torn,n

j. b. Crockett, senior editor of the St. Louis IN
tcH,gsneer, Is nov III California, and wri;in, home
u Sc les Of letters for his paper From long let
ter dated San Francisco, Apr! l5th we select tie
following paragraphs
But have seen in the market here such
vegetables as can be found no where else in the
United States-heets, turnips, potatoes. cab.
Oase', onions and caullflower of the most cnor
NOUS SIZE and OF the finest quality. And am
assured That vegetables require less cultivation
mere 10 produce them IN perfection, than any
o'her place IN the Cnlrn. Some idea NAV b,
To- med oi the pfoduclvenrss of the soI and il.
adaplaton to the growth OF small grain Fl ON the
iacttt vii! bring from fifty to seventy five bushels
OF wheat or barley 10 The acre, aud will brng n
second crop OF FORTY or fifty bushels without IL.
sowing, and third crop in like manner or twenty.
hve or thirty bushels. Su that when once Gown,
IL Wi'sProduce three successive crops lelore IT, Is
iesuwn. WAS almost lucreduluus uf this fact
until was assured Of 1t by gentlemen Of the
most unquestIUGable yerncity ] have not, rs vet.
Oren out ot the city since my arrival but learn
from reliable sources that there are portions Of
tins state, which for the productiveucss of the soil
tbs dcligh!fu' temperature ~ the climate and The
picturesque beauty uftbc scenery. elctl any DOR.
ton OF the continent. The Valley San Jose. which
Is about fifty miles south of tins place is reprc.
sentcd rs u second Eden, whilst Napa Valley is
considered scarcely inferior tn H. | am assured
that IN these valleys there Is scarcely any varia
uon IN the temperature, aud that perpetual
sprIng prevails, whilst the soil 4. fertile almost
beyond belief and the scenery as beautiful AS
can be imagined They are now becoming dense
Iy populated, and are, doubtless, the most dcsira
bIe portions of California. To me, who have been
accustomed to the variable weather of the West.
ern states, the climate Of the city appears deli
cous beyond measure The frenocns are Ger.
t'n'v as delightful US is possible to conceive Of
uut IN the afternoon strong sra oreer. general.
~ prevails which renders it uomewhat chilly
whilst the nights are just cool enough to b. myi.
gorating, and TO caVse one to sleep soundly and
comfortably under u blanket. That it il rcr.
irctly healthy climate, is conclusiyely proved by
the bills Of mortality he-e.
In this city, with population Of over thirty
thou@ord, the deaths average about six per week,
whilst ~ 81. Louis, with population Of ninety
thousand, tley range from fifty to two hundred
per week There are, however some very curl.
ous phenomena in the climate of California for
example the months, which in the Atlantic states
are the hottest IN the year, to wit july and Au
gust are here the coolest and mos, unpleasnnt
with strong winds, ! learn also there !. another
strange fact which is uuilniably true. 10 wit, that
IN the very midst of the dry season, when there
has been no ram lur months, the springs become
swollen aud overflow thciI usual bed. This oc
cu's annually m the drycst part of the dryest
par Of the season