Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-01-31
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.
In the valley of the San Joaquin, where
[ reside, there are now from 800, 600 to
400, 600 acres of rich prairie lands unculti-
waited. These lands are situated on, or in
the Immediate vicinity of, the Jan Joaquin
River. The river is navigable to Stockton,
and for some distance above, at all seasons
of the year, and these lands can be reached
from San Francisco by steamboat and
wagon, in from twelve to fourteen hours.
Part of these lands are still the property
of the Government and 81 portion have been
reduced to private ownership.
According to locality and quality of soil,
these lands can be bought from individual
owners at prices varying from 81 to S. per
acre. Such as is still public land can be
pre-emptied at 81 25 per acre in green
backs, or settled upon as homestead and
title gratuitously obtained after five years
actual residence.
CLIMATE.
The climate of this valley is unsurpassed
for comfort and healthfulness /; we have no
cold weather, and but little Of what is
known in the South as warm weather. The
only change IN our seasons is from the wet
to the dry-the former commencing gen
orally in October or November, and con-
tinuing until April. During this period we
have no more rain than falls in North Caro-
lima in the same months. In the summer
that IS, from May to November--we have
no rain. Our friends in the East will bear
this last fact in mind as it has material
influence upon farming operations. In
harvest time we have no fear of damage to
our crop from II shower, or its destruction
by storm we lose no labor on account of
rainy days; we can dispense with barns
and cribs; our crop can remain in the field
IN sacks until sold, and there are many
other advantages which will readily suggest
themselves to any practical farmer.
There IS no country in the world where
a man can live more exempt from disease
than in this there is mono where he can
more nationally enjoy life, and [ think that
| can demonstrate that industry and energy
Can be aud are as amply rewarded for their
efforts here us i'll any known part Of the
habitable globe.
COST OF PUTTING IN A WHEAT CROP.
The largest tract of uncutivated land to
which L have referred is fertile it produces
wheat, barley, oats, rye, grapes, almonds,
and all kinds of fruits and garden vegeta-
hles lii perfection and profusion upon the
low lands bordering upon the rivers and
creeks Indian corn is raised, but wheat is
UtS crop.
To get at the practical farming opera
tons, we will suppose an emigrant who
has the means to purchase and settle six
hundred acres of these lands we will,
examine into his necessary outlay, the
work he will have to do, and his probable
receipts
Six hundred acres of land will cost him. :. 81 500
His necessary building for small family 1 coo
Blk horses, gang-plow and harness 600
wagon ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $50
His total expenditure amounts to- So $50
With this he is ready to commence ope-
ratlons in October. One man with the six
horses and gang pillow can break up, SOW
and harrow in 300 acres of wheat If this
labor is hired it will cost from $50 to $40
per month, or total of $500. It will cost
500 to feed the horses while putting in the
crop. and 500 for new pillow points or re-
pairs to old ones, and $3.50 for seed wheat
for 300 acres. His wheat is now seeded at
an expense of $500; his horses are turned
into pasture at trifing cost and they
take care of themselves until they are
needed at.harvest and the farmer has no
further expense to incur as to his farm
until the wheat is ripe in June. He can
then, by furnishing the contractor with the
use of his (the farmers) horses and wagon,
contract to have his wheat harvested and
stacked for 81 per acre, and tireshed at 10
cents per bushel.
THE PROFIT OF A WHEAT CROP.
The grain has never been worth less than
65 cents per bushel, as it comes from the
thresher, and if the farmer will sack it and
can hold it during the summer and fall he
can safely calculate upon 80 cents per bushel
besides enough over the amount to pay for
the sacks
In my sixteen years experience we have
had one year of total failure of crops.-
Leaving out this year and calculating for
all partial failures, the lands which I have
described will average for the past sixteen
years from 8 to 20 bushels of wheat to the
acre, and in many favored spots the aver
age is more than double these figures, We
Will take the average production of ~
bushels, and see how stands the farmers
account for his years operations:
Expenses of planting 1890 90
The harvesting of 800 acres. ......... 300 90
Threshlng OF 5000 bushels. .......,...... 800 90
Total disbursements his crop &C
count e $50 90
Market value OF the crop. ............. 2,340 90
Net profit. Observation-Disclosures. 81, 29O 90
This is for the years operations.
VOLUNTEER CROP
Now, so far for the first year, and the far
mer has only cultivated the one-half of his
600 acres of land. The second year he will
SOW the other 800 acres and harvest it at
the same expense as for the first year but
in addition to that, and without ploughing,
seeding, or any other expense, except the
one dollar per acre for harvesting and ten
cents per bushel for threshing, he will OBJ
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