The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-06
so,ce,,snS About FarEninE--primttiF
Methods in California In inc Aa1As
noxS-A Sad Mistake.


A writer In the San Jose Nercury gives
this account Of early agricultural me1nouS
and implements in California under inc MS
plonphs wero roughly fashioned from t,it
stems Of small trees, while tree brush was tht
only material of which hairowS were com,
posed. Iokes for cattle were mercy poiss
of suitable length, lashcd to ther nolhs y?
means Of r,w-hde thongs, ana inc ouIy fen''
cles were carts, of which the Whec!s "e,e sce'
tions of logs, and rescmbied huSc clIeSsct "
with holes through the centres. lnS.eau %
chains. raw-hide ropes were uSco. IN ~
ut this period the whole business VI P.IHto
. ~ without the use Of iron in any
,mnlemcnt. if we except the pole OF goad uS'o
for driving the cattle; for in the enc Oh tnis
nnrsm,der was inserted Il small brad or avn:
Rnl,,inr 70 these carts, an anecdotc - lo'u
which may not be out OF place here. LII i
rcr,a;n section of California the people wer'
Greatly ANNOYED hy maraudlnS parties 0! H.
di,ns from the mountains, or wild lnulai'S,
as they were called. Now, it happened one
nav tI,at IN American who was riding past i
grove in which was situated ranch-llouse,
heard issuing from the thicket the most
terrible and piercing screams. Hurry!hs
1yiI,, all sDeed 70 the next ranch he INFORMED
.bc neopIe what he had heard. and that he De-
I;rved the place was attacked by Indians, an9
flint they were numbering the women ana
children. The ranchmcn brayely responded
+, his call, and hastily, with such arms as
they could collect, hurried back with MIN 70
fine pIace. vowing by the way vengeance
upon los pirat0s . rOberos--the pirates ana
robbers. Arriving at the place OF the SUP
noscd attack they found no robbers there,
hut only couple of tame Indians engaged
IN the reSceful occupation Of hauling fence
POLES with two of these carts propelled D.!
oxen. and rs wheels and aXlcs were com
posed entirely Of wood, and no lubricatine
motorinl used, great screcching was Inc
consequence. ~
Iuc Du..ulcr of plougling was peculiar. 10
every pair of oxen there were TWO men
Indians. The business Of one was to holo
the onc-handled plough upright, and also TO
Use the persuader, or goad; while the othel
ac;.d i'm the capacity Of guide, marching
solemuly lust i'm front Of the team. These
nloupbmcn were accustomed to wear only The
IvGts and pants provided by Dame Nature
4 serene blanket with slit i'll the centre,
and an old broad-brimmed Sombrero that,
completed their outfit. Sometimes the plough
holder acted as guide to those in the rear, III
frequently there were five OF six p!ouShs ruii
ming in The same field. The burrows WorG
mere scratches, being four or i've inches
wide md about three III depth.
The harvesting WINS accomplished in thu
same primitive fashion, Tie grain being cld
with sickies and stacked in small c!lruiI
enclosure, having space between the STAG.
end fence for passage or roadway. into
this q band of horses were driven, two q
three mounted drivers being among then,
whooping and yelling like madmcn. Rount
and round tile stack went the flying band
the grain meantime being thrown on thu
ground for them to run over. After tc"
hours exercise Of this kind the horses Were
turned oGt, the threshed straw thrown ovtl
the fence, more Of the unthrcshed grail
spread on the ground, the horses agall
turned IN, again the wild, mad chase per
formed: and SO ON until the stack wa
flushed.
The threshed grain was then imperfect!
separated from the chaff and dirt by carrying
it upon high scafolds and pouring it doWi
while the wind was blowing. This, it Wi
be perceived, was the process practiced thre
thousand wears ago. Though poor and rud
the plan, still, owing to the fertility OF tn
soil. crops fair in quantity and quality wer
obtained, and the padres, nlddreS, SenoI9tds
honodres, and Indios Qndians)-these latte
being poems and performing nearly all tn
Iabor-Y7ere enabled to luXuriate on tort'Aof
onions, beans, &C., to their hearts content.