Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-10-02
Farming In California.
oorrespOpdenoe Of be New YOrk Void.


san Francisco. Sept ], ls6O.-During last week
your correspondent made an excursion into SOnOma
and Napa counties to take look at the Petaluma,
SOnoma and Napa valleys, which constitute one of
the finest agricultural regions of the State. These
valleys lie to the nOrthward of San Francisco and
distant only from thirty to forty miles by water.
At Petaluma the Agricultural Society of SOnOma
county was holding its annual fair upon my arrival.
which gave me a favorable opportunity to learn
something of the resources of the State indepen
dent of its mines. Ten years ago there was hardly
a white man residing III either Of the valleys nam
ed now they filled with our cOuntrymen and
their families. Thousands upon thousands of acres
of wheat are cultivated each season and the grape
vines and fruit trees in full bearing count by hun
dreds of thousands.
These counties too, are fairly overrunning with
fine stock the progeny of mportations made from
the Eastern States and Europe. Think for an in
slant of over two hundred entries of superior live
stock at a little county fair away off in this
down edge Of creation. Is not that something for
California to brag of? You have heard, time and
again. of our big vegetables, our forty to eighty
bushels of wheat to the acre, our mammoth trees.
with diamater of thirty and forty feet, and the
general extravaganza of vegetable life in CalifOr
MIA But animal life also seems subject to similarly
remarkable development 1t Is a well ascertained
fact that full grown" cattle raised in the East often
increase in size after arrival in our State. Certain
it is that Stock of all descriptions attains its full
development here much earlier than with you. For
instance, saw IN OOnOlud county d GoIl less IMAM
sixteen months old large, and apparently as full
grown as the average of carriage horses driving in
your Central Park. And this is no rare exception.
for fine horses in harness at two years Old is
common event.
At the Petaluma fair were exhibited specimens of
California tobacco both green and cured. The ex-
peTments in this culture have only been made dur
ing the present year and we do not know yet there
fore, whether compete in qualify with Nir-
gina and Cuba rs tobacco, like wine requires age
ORC ifs inc ans he Rnt +6a
plant grows here very luxurantly TO the height of
four feet and the experts in the culture decided
in opinion that it will prove very fine Another
rev crop IN California is one of hops, specimens of
which were exhibited far eXceling the best have
ever seen in New York. Our imports of that arti-
Gle have been very large; but next year we shall
probably raise all that need for our own supply.
The vine is twice prolific here with you. EX
periments upon the side-hil lands of SOnoma cOUn-
fv have demonstrated clearly that they peCU-
liarv adapted TO the culture of grapes for making
wine Il is only three four years since Hunga-
rian (Col. HaraZstiny by name,) tried the expert
ment and the results have been so satisfactory as
to raise the selling price of the vineyard lands from
five TO one hundred dollars per in that short
time while the best wheat lands of the bottoms in
the same nelghborhOOd can be had for from twenty
to forty dollars per acre
Our grain-fields present very attractive scene
| at the present time The harvest was over several
/ weeks ago but as we have no rains from harvest
time until the winter sets in, our farmers leave the
grain standing in the field until It Is convenient TO
thresh it. This weather process is now completing.
! and the grain-in every case put up IN neat white
cotton sacks-s piled upon the fields IN squares and
oblongs about breast high where 1t will remain Sc
cure from any danger from the weather until the
! farmers are ready to send It 70 market. These
mvrigd piles of sacked grain, scattered over the
level valleys look like little Notifications and when
viewed from distant height suggest the idea OF
great field peoped with an invading army IN repose
But must not longer dwell on this interesting sub
Jcct.