San Andreas independent., 1858-03-27

'hiiu ycai IL VIII uo ollii icSo III qudutity,
and well nigh worthless in quality; while
we have never known farmers to be par
ticularly troubled in ridding their land of
it entirely, as single plowing, after it
has gerlninated in the fall, effectually de-
stroys it. 1t never becomes a trouble
some weed, tenacious of existence, as our
author has been led to apprehend, nor is
any difficulty encountered in changing
crops because of its presence How the
soil in California, when once exhausted,
is to be restored, is considered problem.
We suggest, however, it will be done by
the same processes and appliances else
where resorted to for that purpose, of
which deep plowing alone will, for long
time, be sufficient.
As regards the enormous growths of
California, it should be understood that
they are not ordinary The ordinary
fruits, for example, are not larger than
ours, and, where the trees are overloaded,
are commonly small. The extraordinary
growths appear to be easily accounted for.
First, there is a soil too deep and rich for
any kind of growth to measure it. Next,
there is either natural under supply of
water, or an artificial irrigation Next,
the settings of fruits are limited And
then, as no time is lost in cloudings and
rain and the sun drives on his work, un-
impeded, month by month, the growth is
pushed to its utmost limit So pear
will occasionally be produced, weighing
three and half pounds, or an apple tree,
OF cherry, will grow stem 10 or II
feet high in season. The mammoth
turnips, onions, beets and cabbages, de-
pend on like concurrence. But these
are freaks or extravagances of nature
only they are such as can be equalcd no.
where else. The Big Trees depend, in
part, on these same contingencies, and
partly On the remarkable longevity of their
species. A tree that is watered without
rain, having deep vegetable mold in
which to stand, and not so much as one
hours umbrella of cloud, to fence off the
sun, for the whole warm season, and ca
pacity to live withal fer 1000 years or
more, may as well grow $50 or 400 feet
high, and 25 feet in diameter, and show
the very centre point or pith still sound,
at the age of | 300 years, as to make any
smaller figure with conditions proportion
ally restricted.
The agricultural capacities of Califor-
mia, it will be seen, are very great as re-
CARDS the rate and facility of production
The only drawback now experienced is in
the want of reliable and sufficient mar
ket The mines and the cities are now
the principal consumers The result is,
that if the product is little short the
prices rise extravagantly, because there is
no other supply. On the other hand, if
it is little over the demand, the prices
fall extravagantly. This fuctuation in
prices renders the rewards of farming a
little uncertain. They will be more reli
able by and bye, when markets shall be
opened beyond our limits and the whaling
fleet shall come here to get supplies and
reft 7
The old Spanish breed of cattle is Civ
ing place to improved races, and stock
raising has become highly lucrative pur-
suit to those engaged in it. The herds
are kept without fodder during the win.
ter, and though they get much reduced,
recruit rapidly on the return of grass in
the early spring, and generally keep fat
throughout the summer and autumn, and
until the early rains have destroyed the
substance in the grass. Sometimes the
grass is set on fire and the cattle ranges
burnt over, just before the rains set in
that the old grass may not interfere with
the cattle cropping the new blade as soon
as it springs up. At such times the all
is filled with smoke, and the flames run
ming rapidly over the dry grass soon con
sumo it, changing the color of the hills
before drab or yellow, into gloomy black
and leaving not so much as the stalk
of weed or flower in their track The
pasturage promises soon to exceed even
the plowing interest, as the market for its
products is more steady and reliable.
With all these advantages of soil and
climate, California must become one Of
the richest countries on the globe, apart
from her mineral wealth. The latter il
inexhaustible. A thousand years viii
hardly suffice to wash out all her pay dirt
while the quartz within her borders viii
literally last forever Her quicksilvel
mines alone must be source of immense
riches, being so prolific as to render all
other mines of the kind comparatively
worthless Besides these, there are de-
posits of borax, alum and sulphur, with
beds of marble, coal, iron and other min
erals, making this one of the most highly
favored countries in the world, in the
richness and variety of its geological pro.
ductions
/ Having discussed the various points
connected with our soil, scenery and eli
mate, the author comes to speak of the
commercial position of our State, aud the
social, political and moral aspect of the
inhabitants
California is on the great water high.
way of the Pacific, and her Gate the Ger.
tain goal of its travel; for it is remarka.
bic that this Golden Gate is at the south.
most limb of the variable trade winds,
and that these, blowing in, little from
the south Of west, and out. from little
north of cast, will drive ship directly
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