The union Democrat. [volume] (Sonora, Calif.) 1854-1946, 1871-06-03

Y,
branches of agricultural hushandry. The
river "bottoms" and r,uch Of the land else
where is fine for til,ing. and when put under
cultivation some Of it already is-produc-
rs abundantly of hay, grain, potatoes and
the CANNON root crops. Corn, and all of the
class of vegetables that require long run Of
hot sunshine to mature them. of course can
not succeed in such cool cloudy climate.
So fsr rs these remarks refer to the raising
of crups they are applicable to the whole Of
the great Sound valley as we'll as the coast.
In the valleys beyond the Cascades some
what different climate prevails, being less
heclnuded and foggv than the coast and Sound
sections. giving old Sol better ''shuw" to
spread himself and display his revivifying
mower. Some of those interior valleys are
highly ''crackei up as stock-raising locali-
ties, being equal in this respect to tho coast
sac,ior. The ''Yakaman valley is said to be
one Of the best for the stock growing business
among the interior valleys. They tell of rails
ing two-y ear-old steers there that will dress
eight hundred ponds, and from the appear
ance of beeres | have seen from the interior,
freaily do not feel disposed to question the
correctness of the statement. As to the price
of beeves on foot it is about the same as here
eight and nine cents per pound. Either
slaughtered or on foot beef commands the
ready money anywhere on the upper coast.
tae great number of persons employed in the
local numbering business and in the ships
carving the lumber away affarding a good
stitutes the principle aliment for the stock in
the Yakima ard other interior valleys.
The "Walla Walla" Valley ian interior
one) is doubtless the most agreeable in point
of climate. an! one of the most il not the most
fruitful of all the valleys in the country
above the Columbus river. I was never
there, Int persons residing in that section in
formed me that the climate of the place was
very unlike that of the Sound Valley, being
of clearer and more sunny quality, and
producing vegetables and frnits which corld
not he grown in the climate about the Sound
| The class of vegetation above excepted for
the sea-coast belt. &C., grow to perfection in
the enphonical 'Walla Walla" section. On
the borders of the Sound. in many places.
are salt narshes of considerable breadth. and
when redeemed from the tide hv means of
dikes. become the most powerfully productive
| of all the tillahle soils. Their richness is in
exhauStible. A dixie Of three feet altitude,
rs general rule, is sufficient to protect these
flats from overflow. A considerable qunnti-
tv of this quality of soil is already diked in.
and the work of redemp.ion is annually
prosecuted. Before concluding nv remarks
respecting the agricultural qualities of the
country will mention theafact, that during
some of the heavy and long protracted rains
of winter, the intervals or so-called s'bot-
toms along the river courses. are subject to
overflow. This is not true of all the river
bottoms, but with many of them it is. The
Chehais, the Black, White and other rivers,
are prone to inunaate their borders. Al
though everybody knows--or if they do not
they ought to- that these inundations tend tc
enrich and largely To increase the fertility oi
the soil. yet in severe cases much DANA ge ac-
crnes to settlers, hv the loss of animals
crops. fences. bridges, hav-staeks. buildings
and other fioatv or buovant substances. To
avoid losses by these occasional floods, set
tiers should make all their erec:io1s, if posi-.
bile. on high grounds. above the reach of the
highest stages Of the water. No stack of any
kind should be left on the bottoms Mt the close
of the drJ weather. Haul everything up on
to high ground--I mean in the crop line-and
deposit it where, if "the rains beat and the
foods GOMEZ it will he safe. Fences and
growing crops are enough torisk. But foods
are "nothing ne v under the SIM" \ verv
extensive one occurred in the DAYS Of Noah. -
in the olden time We are not exempted
from occasional inundation in many parts Of
California. and | know of no part of our
tent that is not sometimes in dropsical or
waterv sitnaticn Nature itself is alone re-
sponsihle for such visitations.
Another important resource Of the country
Is its fishing privileges The entire sound is
literally alive with fab Of different kinds.
the salmon rather taking the lead among the
edible varieties. Anything in the fnnv
kingdom, from a minhow to a whale, is there
10 he found, hit the latter but rarely Mr..
Whale. like other mariners of the sea, some
| times wakes careless. lets his thermometer
run down. loses his longitude, and a con-
sequence drifts into places he otherwise
would have avoided In that way one some
| times gets into the Sound But if the old
"blowhards" never come, nobody cares, there
is plenty of better fish always there. To
show the plentifulness of the salmon at GER
tain times will mention the fact that have
seen the indians bring them in by canoe
loads aud sell them for S. per hundred, IN
number. These FISH are at all times to lie
had, but more plentiful at certain times.
Fish of the shelly varieties are also abundant.