The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-12-01
AN OVERLAND JOURNEY.
California---Her Resources.
MARYsvILLE, Cal, Sept. 2, 1853

Since last wrote, from San JOSEF,
have traversed the rich valley of San Jose
looking through some of its choicer
gardens and orchards, and stopping at
Santa Clara, Warm Spring, Old Mission.
Sac Leandro, County seat of Alameda
and Oakland. returning to San Francis,
CO, and coming thence by Steamboat to
Sacramento and by much smaller boat
up to this city, which reached last eve.
Mug. in season to listen to the Annual
Address, by Mr. Rhodes of Oroville, at
the Agricultural Fair, and to break my
own voice for time in attem ptiDs to fol-
low him in some off. hand remarks. The
edifioe erected by the public spirit Of Ma
rysYille for the Fairs which are to be held
here annually, aud at which all Northern
California is invited to compete for very
liberal premiums, is quite spacious and
admirably adapted to all its purposes ex-
cept that of public speaking; aud herein
Vegetables | ever saw at anything but a
State Fair. Indian Corn not less than
twenty feet high; Squashes like brass ket-
ties and water elons OF the size of buck
et', are bot average samples of the won
derful productiVeness OF the Sacramento
aud YuHa valleys, while the Peaches,
PIuns, Pears, Grapes. Apples, &c., could
hardly be surpassed anywhere. The
show OF Animals is not extensive, but is
very fne in the departments of Horses
and Horned Cattle, though lanentably
ueager 10 every other respect The most
interesting feature OF this show was its
young stock-Calves and Colts scarcely
more than year old, equal in weight and
size, while fsr superior in form and sym
metery, to average Horses and Bulls of
ripe maturity. With generous fare and
usage, | am confident that Steers and
Heifcrs two years old in California will
equal IN size and development those
year older iu our Northern States, and
CalifOruis Colts of three years be fully
equal to Eastern colt- Of like blood and
breeding a good year older-an immense
advantage TO the breeder Oh the Pacific,
| an reliably assured that Steers a year
old, nrSer fed but on wild grssr, and new
er sbcltere0; have here dressed six hun
drec pounds Of fine beef Undoubtedly,
California is one of the cheapest and best
Stock growing countries 10 the world
and will be. after these great, slovenly
ranches shall have been broken up into
neat, modest farms. and when the cattle
shall &c fed at least three months in each
year on Root, Hay and Sorghum, or 9th
er green fodder.
Marysville is the CHE. town of North
ern California, aud disputes the claim of
Stockton to rank third among the cities
of the States. Unlike Stockton, it is quite
compactly built, mainly of brick Its
population Is probably littler over 49,
O00, and it expects to be soon connected
by railroad with Sacramento and San
Francisco, which will give a new and
strong impui>e to it, alread rapid growth.
Located at the juuctloun of the Yuha and
Feather Rivers, just above their union
with the Sacramento and at the head of
steamboat navi cation in the direction of
the Northern Mines. il needs but the Rail-
road connections aforesaid so render it
formidable rival to Sacramento herself.
The census of 1870 will probably find its
population exceeding 5O,0O0
The valleys of the rivers first named
are exceedingly deep and fertile and their
productiveness in this vicinity almost sur
passes belief. [ visited this morning, in
the suburbs, gardens, vineyards, orchards
of rarely equalled frui:fulness. The or
ehard of Mr.. Briggs, for example, covers
100 acres, all 10 young fruit. probably
one half peaches. He has had squad
of thirty or forty men picking aud box
ing peaches for the last month. yet bis
fruit by the cartoad ripens and rots un-
gathered. The wagons which convey it
to the Mines have their regular stations
and relays of horses like mail stages, and
are thus pulled sixty miles up rough
mountaiu passes, per day, where twenty
Gye miles would be heavy days work
for any one team. But be is not sending
to the Mines only, but by steamboat to
Sacramento and San Francisco as well.
His sales last year, | am told, amounted
to 500, 900; his net income was not less
than $4,000. And this was realized
mainly from Peaches; Aprieo.s and Nec.
taribes; bis Apples and Pears have bare
ly begun to bear; bis Cherries will yield
their first crop next year There are of
course heavier fruit growers in California
than Mr.. Briggs. but be may be taken
as fair sample of the class. Their sales
will doubtless be made at lower aud still
lower prices; they are now little higher
than those realized for similar fruit
grown in New Jersey; they were once
many times higher than DOW; but though
their prices steadily decrease, their in
comes do not, because their harvests con-
tnued to be mented BY at least twen-
ty-6ye per cent per annum.
Let me give one other instance of cue
cessful fruit-growing in another district;
Mr.. Falcon, the Mayor of San Jose, has
a 6ne garden, in which are some ten or
twelve old peartrees-relics of the Span
ish era and OF the jesuit Missions. The