New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-06-01
FARMING IN CALIFORNIA.

.S.o~ Az OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIE InDONhi
MERGED. March 15.-Between Stockton ann
Nercoa lie about six hundred square mics vi WH'"'
r.s,roa train runs through what appears TO DC an
,pterminable wheatneld, with small houses Gnu JAZZ
=, syea. distances apart and no fences except -
which the company has guarded its trains against =.
cattle which are turned into the fields after ." 800
clean the grain and consume the stubbe. wheat -
xvheat and nothing but wheat is what you gee % A.
,ourney as far as the eye can reach over ' -, ,I
every direction Fields OF two, three anu IOu- -,
sanA acres make but small farms bere Is man wy
~has IN" 5000 acres; here one with AVVVV "'0' a.
other with some stl more preposterous ""iO'u - -
wheat OF course the crop is IN anu "p' uU ~ i,s
., $50 when the whole plain viii
a. an OCEAN of waving tassels. Yet, as you
isok ont and sec mile after mile, without
ision fence so or co miles apparently IN one neid
males its impression The Valley Of the San joaquin
igers from an Illinois prairie in that IL has two mag
n6oept mountain ranges for its boundaries the Sierra
Nevada on the east and the Coast Range the west
The mouth Of the Valley to the north, as that OF the
great Valley Of Virginia; the San Joaquin River joins
the Sacramento and flows into the sea- end this has Deen
anti this year. the chief avenue tof freight transport
from the country through which it runs. Now the rail-
road s IN operation far Merced 1t viii reach Visa-
IA IN May andl Bakersfield in July. and Los Angeles OF
san Bernardno perhaps in October; and the great rich
valley which has so long lain asleep given up to horses
and cattle, lie waking up.
MARVELLOUS CROP AT HAND.
Tits singular piece Of good fortune 10 the farmers
and land owners that they get remarkably fine
and the railroad In the same year. They have known
how to avail themselves Of their good luck for they have
put In enormous crops. One Of the best informed
men in stockton assured me that the San
Joaquin Valley will send to tide-water this year.
$4,000 tuns OF wheat Mr. Fredander, the great grain
buyer Of this State is reported to me to have estimated
the probable export the whole State this at 100000
tun This that 700 ships of 200 tuns each VIII be
needed carry CALIFORNIA; TO its far away markets.
andimeans that each CAM OF gfhlu
will be needed to the surplus wheaton the san
Joaquin Valley to San Francisco 500 trains of 90 cars
each or single train more than miles long There will
be ships needed market the great crop; and there
will be men needed to harvest it, and as the harvest
here lasts three months and harvesers Will this year
get at least s. a day and food, many thrifty man will
no doubt a small farm by his abors in the wheat
fields II will surprise you perhaps is did me, to hear
that much OF this great wheat field, OF which have
spoken does not bear In such good year as this
IT, more than from 10 to p bushels per large
part Of the plain between Stockton and MERGED is light
and candy Some Of it looks like collection Of
white sand and the wind when 1t blows strongly,
a. II often does blows mans farm about great deal
There goodly quantity Of heavier sofia sandy loan,
che best Of which yields good year from 20 to 60 and
even bushels per and at the western side OF the
Ban Joaquin there yet heavier land adobe which Will
bear when il is not too wet st heavier crops great
deal of this land owned in large tracts OF from 10000
% 10000 and from that 10000 The holders Of
these great do not usually farm them but lease or
them; and this is vast business In ITSELF as you
may understand. But must first remind you that II II
were not for the peculiar climate OF this State wheat
raising on such scale would be impossible. They SOW
the wheat here from the Of December 10 the LIST Of
March, and they have the other three months 10 harvest
st H. with certainty that rain viii disturb them dur
1Dg their long harvest.
HOW THE CALIFORNIA FIELDS ARE FLOWED
The fields are plOwed with what are called gang
plows which simply four, six eight plowshares
fastened TO stout frame of wood. On the lighter soil
eight horses draw seven gang-plow, and one
snch team is counted on 10 put in GO acres
of wheat In the sowing from TO 10 acres per
day Capt. Gray, MERGED has put in this season
sAcO acres with five such .teams-his own land and his
swn teams seed-soWer is fastened in front Of the
pOw II scatters the seed, the pOws cover -and the
workIis done The plow has no handles and the pow-
man Is fact only driver; he guides the team the
FO1s do their work. 1t is easy work, and smart
boy his legs equal TO the walk, is as good ploW
man as anybOdyor the team turns the corners, and the
plow is not handled at all. 1t is striking sight TO see
as saw 10 eighthorse teams following each other over
q vast plain cutting lands" mile long and when all
had passed me, peaving track 40 feet wide, Of powed
ground On the heavier SOIL the process is somewhat
different An eight-horse team moves four gangplow,
and gets about six day. The seed Is then
sown by machine which soatters it 40 feet and sows
from 70 70 100 In "a day. and the ground is then
narrowed and cross-haTrOwed. When the farmer, IN
this Valley has done his Winter sowing, he turns
his teams and men into other ground, which he is to
GUNNER faow. THIS he can do from the first OF March
20 the middle OF May and by it he secures remunera-
fave crop for the following year. If the season is
arv This discovery is Of inesmable importance 10 the
farmers on the drer part Of these great plains Expert
enoe mas now demonstrated concusyey, that If they
plow their land in the Spring let it lie until the Win
ter rains come on then their wheat and harrow
H. they are sure crops and the Summer will have
killed every weed beside.
VOLUNTEER CROP.
After the Summer following is done, the teams have
rest The and mules turned out 10 grass Tor
some weeks and about the 4th Of July the harvest
begins It is then the rainess and the farmer
gets his teams his headers his grain wagons, his thresher
and his sacks and men, into the field and on the light
coil cuts hreshes and puts into sacks the grain at the
raie often Of 80 acres per day. Three headers"
which cut of only the heads Of the wheat stalks
eavng the straw standing and nine wagons to take the
heads from the headers the thresher require to work
them men and 50 horses With this force they get in 100
er day The grain put into sacks is left the fields
until time and teams be got 10 haul 1t 70 the rail-
road OF often until il Is sold 10 does not sweat, nor
mold and there fear Of rain. As soon as the crop
10 harvested the htched to brnshsix horses
70 tventy-foot brush which goes the field at the
rate Of 40 day. This brush seatters the gram
which has been dropped in the fields and sometimes
little more seed added wheni has been brushed tits
Plowed-two three inches deep-to cover the seed ;
and from this comes without further what is called
"younteer crop which is often better than the first
and IL az certainly counted Now the horses and
Boen have another interval Of rest until the rains begin
and blowing reeommences. Thus, farmer pointed
out me. they work Tor their teams almost the
whole year and have horses eating their heads of in
ideness In the heavier Soils volunteer crop put
a.. sltfe sc fol