The mountain Democrat., 1863-10-03

how far thi0 system can be adopted IN EXTENDED
vineyard culture, must depend much 90 the
price Of labor, - the method seems I" be At
tended With somewhat increased expense over
the old system If training. aS the old wood
must be cut away and the new carefully ~
cured to stakes every year.
Thus far climate, soil, enterprise, everything
appears to favor an extended wine culture
throughout an immense extent nf the kmihIll
and lower mountain country at Calit,rn!ai and
really there IL but One serious drawback and
this 10 found in the high price of labor M
man in California or elsewhere cah cultivAtes
vineyard upon large scale, paying two dgIlars
u day for labor. and compete successfully In
the worlds wine markets. II cannot be dong.
How, then, is il possible for US very materially
to promote or extend this great agricultural in.
terest, beyond the cultivation uf few thousand
vines Immediately around our hOmesteads3
answer, by the employment Ot Chinese labor.
ers. We must have cheap labor in this one Of
our great agricultural departments, or we can
not c"mpete with the cheap labor Of Europe, in
the production 0f wines, even though soil and
climate be largely in our favor.
have been, perhOpH just az much opposed
t. bringing Chinese labor into the mines in
competition with that Of the intelligent white
man as any Une of you can well be 1; but as we
cannot cunstitu'innally exclude them from the
country, would take them they cnttie, and
ut a cheap rate make paid servants und iubOrers
Of them, wheheveT their services can be made
available throughout any department Of agri.
culture.
Let me cite single instance of the profitable
application Of Chinese labor to vinevard cul-
ture in California. Col. Haraszthv, of SOnOma,
one Of the largest wine producers IN central Or
Northern California, employs nearly one hun.
dred Chinamen in his vineyards and wine cell
lars, u:d the number is increased annually
With this kind Of labor he can compete with
. = r
regards cost Of production. But suppose he
was compelled to pay the same number Of
white labUrerS fur doing the same amount Of
work two dollars day, he would be compelled
To aband"n the enterprise or lose money by its
continuance; but with the aid nf cheap labor,
he is not only largely extending his operations
frnm year To year. with profit tn himself, and
adding wealth TO the State, but in So duinR
keeps one hundred Cinnamon from going u
the mines. Now ! cannot see how this can
possible work The least injury to the white
miner.
As regards the capabilities Of your soil and
climate for the perfect Production of most nf the
valuable grains. fruits aud vegetables uf ten.
Derate zones, with many of the minor pruducts
Of horticulture, no further pronf is wanting
than is presented here Un this 0ccusinn. You
have reason to be proud Of the dis;.lav, fur
more peItec specimens were never on exhibi.
ti0n in California, and you know California
beats the world outside ui her, and in few
things US her gold product. and her
yield in numbers Of healthy, beautiful children
-Calii0rnia almost beats herself
But this Is no new thing for Ell Dorado Co.
She has taken the highest premiums for tine
fruits ut the State Fairs. wear after year. |
know this, tnr | have had the honor Of being
one Of committees that awarded them. The
valleys would bring forth their choicest sDeci.
menS, The tuothills and mountains would do
the same. and then Ell Dorado, from Coloma,
would beat them all.
This ought certainly TO encourage you to
still further effort, but be caI eful that your ei
fort be made in the right direction. MANY uT
the inner fruits are quickly periShable, and too
many may be easily Produced TOR Vuur home
market, more particularly the early fruits ut
the season but never, never Can you raise too
many winter apples or grapes. You cannot go
into the distant markets If the world with y,',,r
early or tender fruits but wine you can take
anywhere. and with the satisfaction uf knuwing
It 10 be equal Ia any The world eau p-Oduc-.
My cauiIon IN regard Iu the production Of
too much early nr summer trnit amung the
arises from IL five wears careful Obj
Scrvuii"n 0i the markets 1T the valley citirs
Many Of the hes! Keeping winter apples Of the
A AtlanIic States, grown III The low MarIn valleys
of California, ure found To be here only autumn
apples, hardly keeping Till January; whilst the
same varieties grnwn IN The mountains, ur ut
an elevation ut Two or three Thousand feet DOS
Sess not only better favor, but greatly superior
Keeping quantities.
THIS fact would indicate that the true policy
f the mountain cuunteS, is To- cultivate n large
If winter fruits and especially sp.
piles. No limit can be assigned to the demand
which The opening up Of the great mining dis.
tricts Cast Of the Srrras. will bring TOR winter
apples al'ne. There is no other fruit that cun
be- so successfully transported, as the apple,
and none is found more bealJhtul, ur grateful
tu The iasie Of the miner dur ing the long win.
Ter evenings, shut up in his cabin, surrounded
By the dreary sage plain "r the SHOWS of the
higher mountains. And as there hever was
I0u many winter apples raised in any country
California is not To be the exception.
There are doubtless u variety Of Horticultural
prnducis that rank as staples elSew here, that
:an be successfully grown in Ell Dorado cOuntv,
space of suitable exIent and suitable
soil can be found. T0baccu, hops and Chinese
sugar cane are all produced in pei fection, aud
can be grown to prulit in many localities and
As auxIlIaries TO the main crOp-which insist
should be wine--shOuld not be neglected.
Stock husbandry, Hs II legitimate branch OF
agriculture, has its claims upon you, and tho
he general aridity Of yOnr su face soil during
The summer months would seem tn deny you
the right to claim first rank among stock rails
ing counties, nor have l ever heard that YOU
10 observe, from careful Inspection nf stock
m exhibition, that yOnr goud Judgment and
good tasie lead you To the determination that
shat you do have you will have Of the best, as
i Gusts no more To raise or keep a handsome
animal than II homely one.
OF the dairy interest of the mountain coun-
lies, we can only say that, So far as it is posi-.
BILE To pursue it, the products are unsurpassed
IN quality. M butter in the markets below can
compare in excellence with the butter from the
higher mountain valleys, where the grass and
clover maintain their grernneSS and succulencv
throughout the summer: but we get so little Of
il in the lower valley markets, that il is lpnked
upon, when it cHn be Obtnined, as a treat aI.
most as rare as Luke Tahoe trout, often talked
about, but seldom seen.
Grain growing upon largely extended scale,
should deem not entirely adapted 10 your
condition, on account Of The physical conform.
alton at the greater portion Of the cpuntrv
aud the fact that it is 80 much better adapted
10 other branches of agriculture ought, per
haps. 10 preclude it from the list Of large grain
growing counties. II is true that no better
specimens Of wheat or barley need be hoped
IOr than are raised in this county and on exhi-
biIiOn here; but where Can you point me to a
single field Of u thousand ucres of wheat, or
barley, Or 0ats! and yet such fields are met
with IN numerous instances in the great val
leys.
In your mechanical department, the useful
products Of The hard t-palmed hand. as we'll us
the more beautiful ones, the handiw0rk Of
wives aud daughters, all speak praises fur the
skill, ingenuity and industry that wrought
them.
Mechanical genius bus ever been ,and is now,
The great lever that moves the world, In Nv.
it gave us first the grain cradle for
The sickle, and then the broad cutting harvest.
er and m"wer To take the place of the cradle
and the Scythe: the power lhresh.r has driven
The fail To the wall, and an implement, the re.
suit of mechanical ingenuity. now Digs and
bugs our pOtatoes, separating the large from
The small.
Engineering and mechanical skill, coupled