San Andreas independent., 1858-05-29
Agriculture in the Mountains.

! belt OF eternal SHOWS on the East, and the
sombre brown of the many golden hills, form
ing the Sierra Neyada's crest on the North
and West coast of our continent During a
recent visit to the Big Tree Grove we more
particularly noticed the great agricultural and
horticultural advantages of this temperate re-
glon-the seasons having none of the features
OF the South in summer or the North in win
ter. The climate and soil is peculiarly adapted
to the ralslng of summer crops, the cereals
and escnlents, which are planted and contin-
uouSly produced from spring to fall. In Cali
fornia, the potato is first and foremost the
most essential article for domestic food, that
can be cultivated by the farmer; it is the most
profitable and produces the most abundant,
and in this region of light sandy soil, it is cul-
tivated at less expense than any other CROP
Turnips, beets, carrots, onions5 cucumbcrs,
pumpkins, aud in fact everything found in "a
complete horticultural garden, grows almost
spontaneously, without care or cultivation (af-
ter planting), in the vicinity of the Big Tree
Grove, and in fact the whole region of coun-
try from Murphy's to east of the Big Meadows,
a distance of forty or fifty miles.
The crops of wheat and barley are also i'm
mense, but on account of the valuable timber
and the great expense of clearing land, but
little of this kind of grain will be cultivated
Tor years to come-farmers preferring to con-
line their operations to more profitable crops.
Buckwheat, Indian corn and rye, will take the
place OF potatos, peas and beans, when Il
change OF crops necessary to rest the soil),
is made.
In order that the reader may more fully un-
derstand the nature of the soil. climate and
facilities of this region, we will premise by
giving few of its landscape and geographic
cal features. In the first place. the mountains
are composed of sandy sub-soil, covered
with rich alluvial deposites. This grand pla-
teau is located far above the volcanic stratas in
the gold region;-such as limestone, quartz
slate, lava, cement and concrete sand is here
unknown. The entire surface is a system of
gentle, unduating slopes, forming little val
leys, irrigated by crystal streams of never
failing water, and a thousand other genial ap-
piiances (in the absence of sunshine) to help
the native plant to mature beneath the eternal
shade of forest pines. 1T is in these valleys
that exotics produce the most abundant, and
where the greatest labor is required to clear
away the timber, so as to afford room for eul-
tivation, and sunshine to mature the CROP
Millions of acres of such land never before
touched by the spade or plough--unincum-
bered by the surveyors speculative chain or
Spanish vampire grants-suitable to perfectly
mature any plant OF fruit produced in the
richest valleys of the middle States, lie nri-
tingly throughout the entire region. In these
districts are no mighty rivers to destroy, by
flood, the growing crops; no deep inaeeessi-
BILE mountain gorges where contracted Geld
and noon-day sun meet in focus to deter
the energies of the farmer, and burn to a crisp
the growing crops The air, in these noun
tain valleys is pure as the streams that mean
der at the feet of the majestic pines, carrying
tribute of thousand floral beauties to the
precipitous mountain gorges, where, if so
designed by nature, the aqueous element is
contracted to be again taken up by the hands
of man and made subject in administering to
his wants, in the broad and expansive gold
region, below.
The largest of these valleys, and the finest
ranch we noted was that of Mr.. Caldwell four
miles west of the Big Tree Grove where plot
of ground, of some two hundred acres, is en-
closed with good substantial Virginia worm
fence over half of the land is cleared and
about seventy-fve acres under a high state of
cultivation, mostly planted in potatos. One
mile west of CaldwelPs ranch, on the same
series of valleys, north of the Big Tree road,
Jacob Robinson & Bro, have another fine
potato ranch, which is also under good culti-
vaton, and produces abundant crops. At
Sleepers mill, the Union Water Co.'s MILL
Hanfords mill, and other ranches, improved
equally good results in the quality and guam
tity of the potato, have been obtained, and
this crop generally yields better, and is more
valuable than any other which could be planted.
At the Big Tree Grove, we also noticed a
large field planted and preparing for cultiva-
ton, in potatoes The variety now raised and
most preferred, is the Lady Finger" which
is certainly the finest yet raised on the Pacific
coast. The table of the Big Tree Hotel is sup
piled with these superior esculents, and the
visitor will find in them, treat well worth
a journey to the justly famed Grove, even if
no other inducements were offered. The Blue
Noses and Irish Greys also produce finely, and
grow to a wonderful size but are not so fine
as the " NashanockH (white and variegated)'
which we think should be preferred to either
of the last mentioned
In gardens and horticulture but little has
hecn done; the only effort in that line we OBJ
served, was at the Big Tree Grove, where
handsome flower garden has been laid out, and
superior soil and facilities are afforded for
raising both exotic and native plants. 1t Is
the intention of Mr.. \. S. Haynes, the propr-
etor, to establish botanical garden and herba-
ry, to preserve and cultivate the numerous
flowers and plants which spontaneously grow
in IL, q,