Clayton herald. (Clayton, Del.) 1867-1870, 1869-07-03

Account Of the Japanese Settlement
I'm CaIifOrnia-Industry of the New
COmers-CuItivatiOnO fBambOo, Tea,
SILK, Fine Fish. and Japanese Trees
and Vegetables TO be Introduced
Prospects off Valuable Acquisition
TO the Industries of the Country.
The Graynor ranch, now Adzu ranch,
just bought by Herr Schnell, for the ia
paneSe colony, is on the Georgetown
stage road, four and a half miles from
Placersville. The land is best adapted
to fine silk and tea, hich they come to
cultivate. There are 600 acres under
fence, a large orchard of trees seven
years old, $4,000 bearing vines, not need
ing irrigation, plenty of grain fields in
good crops, good brick house, well fur
nished, barn, well-appointed wine
house, implements of husbandry, hors-
es, wagons, cows, pigs, fowls, &C., &C.,
all for IS, 900 Water is good and album
dant for irrigation. 1t is the purpose of
Herr Schnell to found a village, to be
called Wakameta. Every family will
have a cottige, and a garden for full
supply of vegetables and for ornament.
The Japanese are apt at gardening, and
naturally fond of it, and regulations are
unusual with them to enforce order and
neatness. Mulberry trees and tea plants
will be allotted in divisions to each fam
ly when the plants are ripe for pluck
ing. Each family will feed its own
worms, spin its own cocoons, and re-
ceive pay according to its quality or
quantity. The raw silk will then be put
i'll market for export or for home manu-
facture. Tea will be made on the same
principle. The families cultivate, pick
the leaves, deliver at the factory and re-
ceive payment. Thus the factories can
make uniform qualities for Market
Wine making will follow a similar jul
dicious division of labor where it is
practicable. There will be an extensive
nursery for the growth and sale of Japa-
nese trees, snch as are not now to be got
in this State, tea plants, bamboos, wax
trees, etc. The bamboo Lesides its me-
chanical uses, will introduce to our ia
bles much needed esculent. The
young sprouts combine the virtue of the
artiehoke and the asparagus. They are
more marroHy and delicious than eth
ther; and in size each is greater than the
whole bunch of asparagus. 1t far sur
passes our vegetables in nutriment and
in kindly digestion. The bamboo will
grow large and find itself at home i'm our
foothills. When We learn its multflri-
GUS uses we will value its introduction
into our State. The mulberry and the
tea plant always produce their finest re.
SUITS III the uplanuS, Wnere there is
some frost to give winter repose to their
organs of growth. These people are
skilled in tea making, and have all the
machinery for it. California is going to
be independent of the outside world in
another important article. Ere long tea
of known purity will form large over
land export. Besides, China oil, that is
the cleanest burner amorg the oils of
commerce, con es from the lea nut. 1t
is an important part of the profit of the
tea culture. 1t should be mentioned
that highly competent native doctor of
medicine is attached to1his colony. The
tree which yields both varnish and wax
is perfectly adapted to our foothills. To
get the wax the nuts containing it are
mashed and boiled, The wax separating
readily. Varnish is the circulating flu.
i'd of the tree, as turpentine is of the
pine. The surrounding land has good
growth of oak trees insuring good rain
fall. 1t is. designed to raise in these
woods the Japanese oak-leaf silk worm.
This worm makes excellent silk and
large symmetrical cocoons. The moth
is bright yellow, with large ornamental
wings. The worm is not domesticated
and fed by hand. 1t is allowed its own
way among the trees OF the forest and
families camp out there during the sea-
son of production. Though the onk-leaf
is its choice, It is not dainty. 1t eats
and is happy with the leaves of most
asci duoGS lreess -. IS ,ssisL that COMES