The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-02-22

In the first place, the land ON which
the tule grows-pronounced in two syl-
lables in order to mako the most Of it
is n marsh, and tho tule is the father of
all bulrushes. II grows sometimes the
height of 10 or II feet. But such stalks
are giants. The average height to which
they attain is or feet One peculiar
ity about them is that they grow to this
height without scam or joint, or any such
thing. On the top of the stalk there is
o tuft or crown, such as a fractional part
of head of sorghum would mako. Be-
side this thero is mother leaf nor excrcs-
cence of any kind. These stalks grow
so thickly together that it is impossible
for man or beast to go through or be-
over them. They can be broken and
bent down SO that one can walk over as
on sort of bridge several feet from the
ground. These marshes dry us the sum-
mer advances, and in the fall or early
winter the tules are set on fire. When
burning they resemble the prairie fires.
Sometimes the very air is black with
the darkness they occasion, and the Gin
ders are waited miles and fall like snow
fakes for thickness. Wo be unto the
laurdrcss whose clothes arc exposed to
the murl1y shower.
From these 200 acres of tule land 100
is to be subtractcd for lake when the
water is too deep for the tulc to grow
This year, having been an exceptionally
dry year, the water in the lake evapor-
ated for the second time in twelve years,
early enough i'll the season to admit Of
planting the ground. The soil is of UNI
surpassed richness. Such melons, such
squashes, and such vegetables of various
kinds Us were produced there must be
seen in order to be convinced Of a
statement of weights and measures
would seem fabulous to one not accus-
toned to the enormous productions Of
California products.
1t will be readily inferred from what
has been said, that a system of drainage
: is all that is needed to convert those
waste tule lands to the most productive
fields. A general system of drainage is
now, exciting public interest, and pro-
baby some plan will be speedily adopt
ed whereby thousands of acres that now
lie wnsto and are worse than useless,
, will be made to bring forth abundantly
bread for man and food for beast
The residue of the ranch under con-
sideration is devoted to dairy purposes.
There are now kept about forty cows,
from which there lie yield of about l0C
pounds of butter a week. This is sent
to San Francisco, and is sold at an aver
age for the year of 81 l-2 cents pei
pound. The cows are not housed in
= winter, though they are fed a part OF
D the time
There are 80 acres Of Alfalfa, which is
the same as Chill clover or lucerne. This
t is wonderfully productive and profta.
: : bic. The cattle feed upon it from No
vembor until May, when they are turned
@ off, and after that three crops of hay are
? cut, one crop being permitted to stanC
Il until the seed is ripe. The seed com
I mands ready market, and in this cas-,
G averages the owner about $500 year.
0 The present year 200 cords OF Woo
S have been cut which have been sold q
t wholesale on the bank at So per cord.
d About $500 worth of beef, ut an aver
II age of $50 per head is sold annually
n All these items in regular array max
n up the income before stated from thi
S ranch.
5, OF course the master docs not sleel
l. while all these processes go on. He is
|
I Everything is kept up to the mark. Blu
o such life as his is wonderfully fire
1t from anxiety, rs things go in this world
l. and that narrowing care that is cause
'e by Ructuation and mutation in busines.
h There never has been failure of crop
l. apparently there is no danger of it. A
: long as the blessed sunshine continue
lc to come to give richness to the pear an
c, sweetness to the grape, SO long will tn
it harvest be sure to be gathered. in. L
c watch these delicious fruits grow ant
is ripen, and then send them away to Civ
r pleasure to thousands whose hearts wi
s. be made glad by the eating thereof. Thi
h surely is tho aesthetics of farming. Ad
0. to this satisfaction the rich returns tina
,r flow back to the owner. What bette
e thing to do would one want i'll thi
Z world?
Is None but Cinnamon are employed o
q this ranch. OF these from four to tel
l. according to tho season, arc kept 6
Sc work. In the winter they plougl
he prunc, graft and set out in the sun
to mer they gather in. One of these CHI
Id namen has lived six or seven years o
1T the ranch, and he acts as interpreter an
le director to the others. They have bee
g. found faithful to any trust coniided
st them. A year ago last summer, th
le owner of the ranch went East, with h
no family, in March; again he went
d, September. Each time he was absel
so six weeks. He left everything, bot
ht times, in charge of the Cinnamon, a
60 the packing, shipping-everythin
90 When he returned, he found that tho
co had been faithful to the charge they hG
to keep.