New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-07-11

| delighted 90 hear Of 100 farmers Joining hands
for such work this. and energetcaly carryingit
through but have found SINCE that this Is not uncom
here Ihavo several Ditch Meetings. they
usually held in the field and what they determine
on they do. / suspect that the frequent blowing
which irrigation in orchards and gardens necessates
has something to do with Its efficacy. The soil bIes
after has been flooded. and must be powed TO keep
IL mellow, else irrigation Is hinderance rather than
help. Orange orchards irrigated about Los Angeles
once in six weeks, and the plow is run through tho
ground two three days after every irrigation Grain
fields In this part Of the country irrigated thoroughly
before they sowed. " When you soak your field
before the rains on, and plOw and sow 80 that
the first rain shall catch the seed sprOung, that IA high
farming" SAID intelligent farmer to me, near vsaa.
They get the lighter SOIL average OF % bushels OF
wheat and 40 OF barley to the about Ysaa On hs
best soil bushels OF wheat to the assured.
Is not extraordinary. 1t is not good country.
Unimproyed land, within from two to five miles OF the
town can be bought for from 81 20 TO o. per acre. In
tracts OF 100 acres Such land DO irrigated, but has
no bitches dug; in common years 1t will bear crop
without water For improved farms, fenced with wells
houses outbuildngs, and orchards and with ditohes
dug for rigatng $50 per acre Is thought fair price,
In the orchards found plums peaches, pears aprcoa
apples and small fruits The apple does WELL but tho
fruit does keep well here The subtropca fruits
are not grown at all here, though they would do we'll
All the finer varieties of the vine flourish.
THE TULARE VINEYARDS.
Gangpl0ws are used In the grain fields; usually o
sulky-pow, with two shares, drawn by two or three
horses the driver riding the pow. Five acres can
be got over in a day. following, which AZ prac-
tIced IN State have described in previous letter.
ia used here with eminent and is said to add
third TO the crop beside insurng crop without rrga-
tion even In dry year. Alfalfa gives, with irrigation.
four or five crops In the year. or from 10 to IL uns and
affords some pasture beside Horses cost from s1O 10 so.
the higher price bringing good stout creature. Moh
COWS cost $50 Every full or chickens and tur-
keys. Farm hands receive $50 month and their 1000
IL Is the custom for farm aborers to furnish their
own bedding and wash their own clothes Harvest
hands get So day and food and they will get more this
year. There yet only about 70 acres OF vineyard
in the whole of Tulare County The vine does admra-
BLY, and vineyards will be more profitable than
before, that the railroad makes cheap
shipment possible To make vineyard costs exclusive
Of the cuttings about $40 acre. At seven years Oh
age the product reckoned at 1000 gallons to the acre.
of must or grape juice. This ia sold on the ground for 20
cents per gallon or $780, and the cost Of cultivation is
about $50 per acre. The vine bears In the second year
from the cuttings it is usual TO rigate for year after
planting; after that it makes its own way and there Is
no doubt that vineyards not irrigated produce the best
wine OF course you will remember that the varieties
grown here are those which can grow only in hot
houses in the East They bear prodgiously here and,
believe are entirely free from disease. The Rose Oh
Peru one vineyardst told gave him, the past dry
season. 40 pounds to the yne The White Muscat does
not bear so well here most other varieties, but the
Malaga grape does well.
A CHARMING PICTURE.
The farmers about Vsalia in the main an intelligent
and hospitable class ready to welcome new cOmers aud
helpful every way Many OF them are quite poor but
poverty oppressive in this mild climate as with
us and the railroad, which will cheaper their supplies
and widen their market will add very much to their
prosperity. Lumber been very dear here, $50 per
1000 for fencing boards this has really retarded tho
advancement of the country But the railroad VIII give
them cheap lumber and the nOfence law, which Tuare,
Kern and Fresno Counties sure to have from the
next legislature will make the farmers independent OF
the stoek-owners. Vsalia WILL think, be the largest
CITY i'm the Valley 1t has number OF intelligent and
terprsing merchants, who viii not let slip their oppor
tunity. Both Vsalia and Bakersfield viii make RAPID
growth now that they TO have railroad communica
lions with tho rest OF the world From Visaa drove,
in company with Mr.. Powell, the Engineer spoke of
above down 10 Tulare Lake. along the lake shore foe
some miles, and then the broad plain to the Foot
hills We drove in fact vast flower garden. The
plain at this is in q blaze Of color. Yellow
orange, purple, blue, and white are the predominant
hues they lie in broad sheets of separate and dis
tnct coors massed the landscape gardeners say 80
that you see now thousand glowing like fierce
fire, with the orange eseholtza ana again square mile
OF the delicate purple and white OF the lupne, with
which, where 1t lies thus in masses, the sunlight plays
the fantastic tricks 10 your eyes celebrating
the white, and again, the light strikes in some differ
field of purple upnes shines white almost though the
snow covered the ground. The phox and a delicate
little yellow flower fill the air with delicious fragrance
through which drove for miles, the horses wading
breast-high, in many places, through flowers.
REDEEMED LAND
We camped near the lake, and in the morning was
awakened by noise like the rush OF distant railroad
train 1 saw long line OF futtering white in the far
distance toward the lake. which represented immense
BODY Of wild geese whose wings and cries, as they
moved from place place. caused this kind Of roaring
noise. When later in the day drove along the fac
shore OF the lake. clouds Of geese all sides OF
and point long white line, shining like the surf
on seabeach, showed great flock, extending mora
than two miles along the shore, which presently began
to SILVER and in the bright sunlight the who'll
mass rose with great rush, flew of mile two into
the lake, and more settled down. A great part Of
the bottom OF Tulare Lake is shallow that fall OF
TWO or three in the waters would leave thousands
OF acres OF rich land dry and ut for cultivation. In fact
probably 1900 acres on the eastern side OF the
lake alone have become dry land within IS
months and are now covered with cattle, grazing
nutritious grasses. An English company has bought,
hear $4,000 or 10000 of land, the shore OF the
lake. and proposes permanently redeem this tract aud
large body beside by surrounding the lake with eyee.
10 cOnfne its waters This seemed TO me at distance q
difficult undertaking, but it is very easy and choaply
done, for the pow will do most Of the work. and the
shallow-hogs wade out in the summer season
half mile into thepake to root up shellisE-that the
embankment may lie far out and yet need not be very
high double end will be gained by the embankment
for the land for miles the lake is so level that 10
may be easily cheaply irrigated If the eyee raises
the surface Of the lake only few feet and thus
ensive and valuable tract of agricultural land will be
redeemed and brought under cultivation
HOW ANIMALS KEPT.
II is amazing 20 see so large and fine a country this
living unoccuped The land is cleared and ready the