The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-09-27

1 patient observation Of the relations Of eli
mate, varieties Of soil, and its fitness 70
various kinds Of culture, we will becomt
eminently qualified 10 ascertain and thor
| Oughly unfoll our mountain resources
This county has an area Of $3.50 square
miles, nearly ORe-half Of which is sus
ceptiblc Of cultivation by the grape grow
err and orchardist. II, with an area great
er than that Of two Of the States-fOr VIZ
exceed, in square miles, Delaware ant
Rhode Island, -One.half as many as Con
necticut, almost one-third in extent, re
Spectively, of Massachusetts,, Vermont
New Hampshire and New Jersey, we can
not keep up the reputation Of our home
so as to retain the long conceded appcia
ton Of 1.-The Empire County" Of ihC
State, then we would deservedly bsar t
be- called the most indolent and incnerget
ic people on the Pacific coast. The are,
within our county boundaries, reduced t.
acres, amounts, in round numbers. t.
100000. BY the County AssesSo ;.
report, dated August, 1861, we 6nd tn,
total dm0Lit;>e> >eA3 ClsdIcd In me, coun
ty to be 205,923 acres, scarcely one sew
enth Of our surface, and not one-third O
the cultivable land while of the amount
claimed, there is under actual cultivation
but the meagre amount of 2S,75S acres
leaving tor grazing purposes, 177,1Gt
acres. have been unable to ascertain
the amount regularly pre-ernpted ont o
the total amount claimed, but do not think
that the laws regulating such claims hav,
been observed to over 0Re.d1Y IF tht
amount BY instituting a general com
parison Of the re~4lSss N0i the labor OK
formed at present, on the comparativel,
small number Of acres under cultivation
we form an idea Of our thriving in tn,
time to come. Should the grape. cultur,
within our borders, prove in the future a,
| favorable an e1Hr2lAss2t~ as in the pas
five yF@ys, We may expect to behold ar
increase Of population that will astoniSl
the reader of statistics. Our hillside.
and valleys will be clothed with wei
! trained vineyards and fruitful orchards
and dotted with cottages while their in
mates will be more prosperous than wer,
ever those who dwell in the vine-cat
portions of Europe. This will not be sur
priSing, for few acres well cultivated
here, can be made far more rrmunerativ,
than vineyards Of similar extent in Snnn,
France, or large farms in the AtIanri,
States. Let US compare the statistical ia
blcs furnished ny the Assessor Of thi
county to the Surveyor General Of tht
State in 1856, with these returned b,
| him in 1861 showing the increase tlu
ring the period Of five wears: In 1856
we were reported to have 5000 appl
trees; peach, ll,o19; pear, 46l plum
800; ch rry, 200; liz, 90 apricot, 80
ounce, 70; grape vines, $3.50 total
26, 725. The report flr- 1861, is as fol
lows: Apple trees, S+.065 peach, u,
1903; plum, 1900; cherry, 2,497 pear
$3.50; apricot, / SIG; nrctarinc, 1887
almond, 1876; fig, 1876; ounce, 3,3O3
aud grape vines, CIT. 02S making tota
Of SOB, 2l2-an increase of 77G,4S7 i.
five years, Of which amount, fruit tree
has an excess of oC5, $40, and grape vines
61O,G3S.
II cannot be doubted, from the abov
ratio Of increase. that the Assessors re
port for 1862 will show our grape WING
( to exceed 900, 900 in nutnbcr.
I II will be readily observed, without iii
qating further Oh this portion Of cur sub
ject, that eur county can be made to sup
p rt population As dense as that Of az
most crowded portions Of Germany or 1t
ally, whose prosperity will equal il not ex
coed that Of the dcnizenS Of any othc
county in this State, or any other cult
waited portion of the Union.
In 1856, we were possessed Of horses
1905 mules, 53S Jacks, 100; work OK
en-, 1924 neat cattle. 1000 cows. 1873
calves, So sheep, $50; swine, G,0U0, =
total, l4.l29.
In 1861, we had of horses, 1927 colts
42l; mules, 1880; jacks, 80; COWS. +,
02l; calves, 1865; work oxen, 1854
neat cattle, 4,772; swine, 1862; sheep
1926; and goats, $40, total, 27.573.--
The increase in the number Of live stock
during the same term Of y airs, bears 1
favorable comparison, when we consider
that large share Of it is constantly heiE,
consumed by the small traders or butch
crS who supply our home markets.
has not previously been, aud will not now
BE- expected, that at the annual fairs o
this society, our exhibition of stock woul,
compare tavurably with those Of the NOR,
purely agricultural counties Of the State
and although cur stock display is small
it is crcditable to us of the mountains, ant
the society is determined to induce ;
! greater Interest in this department IN TIN
! future, by the continued liberal Offer o
premiums aS rewards to the competitors
who, 1t is sincerely hoped, will soon b,
aroused to the necessity Of devoting more
care to the breeding Of stock than hereto
fore, enabling them hereafter to fill oul
stalls with hardy. serviceable roadsters
choice Durham and Ayrshire cows, rarl
MeIino, Saxon and Soulhdown Sheep anC
plump suffolk and Berkshire swine.
There is greater need of securing ;
proper breed Of draft horses and mules il
this county than in any other in the State
where so large 4 proportion Of our popu
lation is engaged in freightlng on our grea
highways over the Sirrras, with supple,
to the rapdly Increasing residents Of Ne
vada Territory. And it is estimated tina
four. lifthS of the freight required to furn
ish this Territory which, from the lat,
discovery Of Incompatible mines of nearl,
all the mineras-haS attained growth o
unexam led prosperity, passes over tn,
nountain roads Of this county. Many U
the teams are composed of California mus
tangS, totally inadequate to compete viii
regular American draft horses in strength
and endurance, consuming as much for
age, hauling less loads, and sccuring
lower compensation 10 the owner than il
secured to the tcanStcr who possesses tn,
same ntlinber Of horses of suitable size
\ correct statement Of the amount q
freight, and number Of tcans engaged OF
I our mountain roads, showing the magni