The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-12-01

pound. The other trees similarly treated
bore him six to seven hundred pounds
each of that large. delicious fruit, which
he sold at the same price. And, every
year since. these trees have borne large
yields of these capital pears. dare not
hope for equal success in the East, but
surely the expedient of grating fine. large
varieties on our worthless Pears, at the
same time bounteou-ly enriching the soil
beneath them, ought to be more generally
adopted than it has yet been.
just a word now on Grain. Califor-
MIA is still young State, whose industry
and enterprise are largely devoted to Mi
ming; yet she grows the bread of her Half
Million we'll fed inhabitants on less than
q iortieth part Of her arabic soil. and will
this year have some to spare l am con
fideut her Wheat-orop of 1859 is over Four
Millions of bushels, aud think it exceeds
twenty five bushels for each acre sown.-
To-day, its price in SanFrancisco is be-
low a dollar per busbel. and it is not like
ly to rise very soon Though grown, bar
vested and threshed by the help of labor
which costs her farmers from thirty to for
ty dollars per month. beside board, it is
still mainly grown at profit; aud so of a
very large breadth Of Barley, grown here
instead of Oats as food for working hor.
ses and cattle. Though Wheat is proba-
bly, the fullest, judge that Barley is the
surest of any grain-crop grown in the
State. 1t has never failed to any serious
extent.
Indian Corn is not extensively grown;
only the Russian River and one or two
other small valleys are generally supposed
well adapted to it, And yet, never saw
larger or better corn growing than stand-
today right here on the Yuba--not few
acres merely, but hundreds Of acres in
body. ljudge that nearly all the inter-
wales throughout tue State would produce
good corn. If we'll treated, On the hill
sides, irrigation may be necessary, but
not not in the valleys. None has been
resorted to here, yet the yield Of -helled
grain will range between a aud 100 bush.
els per acre. And this is DO solitary in
stance. Back of Oakland, across the bay
from San Francisco, Mr.. Hobart, good
farmer from acbusett,, showed NE a.
cres Of heavy Corn which be planted last
May after the rains had ceased and the
dry season fairly set in, since which DO
hoe nor plow had been put into the field;
yet the soil remains light and porous,
while there are very few weeds. Not one
drop of water has been applied to bis
farm; yet here are not only Corn, but Po-
tatoes, Beets, &c, with any number of
young fruit trees, all green and thriving,
by virtue of >ub-soiing and repeated
plowings last Spring. The ground (sward(
was broken up earl in the Winter, and
cross plowed whenever weeds showed their
heads, until planting time; and this disci
pline, aided By the droutb. has prevented
their starting during the Summer. Such
thorough preparation for crop costs
something; but, this once made, the crop
needs here only to be planted and har-
vested. Such farming pays.
The Fig-tree grows in these valleys
side by side with the Apple; ripe figs are
now gathered daily from nearly all the
old Mexican gardens. The Olive grows
finely in Southern Californis, and l be-
lieve the Orange and Lemon as WE'LL
But the Grape bids fair to become a STA
pie throughout the State Almost every
farmer who feels sure of bis foothold on
the land be cultivates either has his vine
yard already planted, or is preparing to
plant one, while most of those who have
planted are extending from year to year.
| have looked through many of these
vineyards. without finding one that is not
thrlfty-one that. if two years planted is
not now loaded with fruit The profusion
aud weight of the clusters is marvellous to
the fresh beholder. [ will not attempt to
give figures; but it is my deliberate judg
ment that Grapes may here be grown as
cheaply as Wheat or Corn, pound for
pound. and that Wine will ultimately be
made here at cost per gallon not excee-
ding that of Whisky in Illinois or Ohio
Wine will doubtless constitute heavy ex-
port of California within very few years.
So. / think, will choice timber, should
the wages of Labor ever fall here SO as
to approximate our Eastern stand ards
At present, | estimate the average cost
of labor 10 California at just about dou-
BILE the rates paid for such Labor in the
Middle States; which, with Wheat and
Beef at New York prices or lower, and
Clothing little higher in climate which
requires little fuel, ought to make the con-
ditlon of the effective worker here very
fair one. Such | consider it to be; while
| am assured by practical men that fall
of even twenty. FIVE per cent. 10 wages
would incite large and prompt cxten-
sion of Mining, Farming, &c, affordg en-
ployment to additional thousands of la.
borers. Should fair average day labor
ever fall here to dollar per day, think
the demand for it 10 Mining would very
speedily be doubled. and soon quadru-
pied. do not imply that such reduction
is either desirable or probable; but | can
see Why the owners of large estates or of
mining claims should strongly desire an