St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-04-04

or three ourths as many vines to the
acre, as a farmer puts hills of corn at
the east. There is but one vine in a
place and this is tied to stake about
five feet high. Every vine is pruned
in the winter back to single stalk,
which stands up close by the side of
the stake, straight and erect, and about
the same height. The first year the
vines are dug about and all the roots
within ten inches of the surface careful
ly cut off.
This makes them root deep-an i'm
portant thing in the seven months
drouth-and also removes roots out OF
the.way of the pillow. The vine yards
are cultivated with horse and pillow,
and it is remarkable to see how well it
can be done, and that too without mo-
testing either vines or stakes.
1 have spoken particularly of the
vine yard, because it is a distinctive
feature of this place. These premises
abound also in tastefully laid out
grounds, overhanging trees and flow
ering shrups-with arbors, drive ways,
walks, tish-ponds, etc, as well as large
gardens of fruits, including everything
from the blackberry to the peach.
There are great many fine residen-
ces in San Jose, considering the size of
the city. The broad avenues reaching
out from the town are lined with beau-
itful villas, and surrounded by semi
tropical shrubbery, fruits and flowers.
The climate of San Jose is not very
different from that of the valley farther
north of which have said so much in
former letters. 1t is undoubtedly
warmer in summer, as the trade winds
which come i'll at the Golden Gate
making San Francisco So uncomforta
bly, cool i'll summer, get tempered to
gentle zcphyrs by the time they reach
the head of the bay and San Jose.
Yet residents declare that the days
are never hot us at the east, and that
the nights are always cool. 1t Is ia
vorablc place tol invalid>, as the tenn
peraturc is 50 heally equal throughout
the year.
But that which strongly impresses
me is the great variety and abundance
of its fruits. thought | had found the
Garden of Eden heretofore. but San
Jose and vicinity .urpasses all before
it. am told that this valley is the
choicest one in all the state, and | can
readily believe it. The amount of
fruit sent from this place to San Fran
cisco. and points east as far as Ogden,
is marvellous. As high as forty tons
of straw berries have been shipped from
this station i'll Il single day. And al
most every fruit grows here to pcrtcc-
ton. The first work on Il piece of
land is to set out vines and fruit trees,
and these grow with such rapidity that
after the second year there is fruit in
abundance. | saw peach trees of the
second year i'll full bloom. and there
are hundreds OF grape vines on Mr..
Prices place at Santa Clara which
measure from twenty inches to two feet
i'll circumference. | saw in the market
this morning mangcl wurtzcl beet
which weighs one hundred and forty
pounds. 1t Is about three feet long
and standing up on one end, looks
like good-sized stump with green
leaves growing out of the top. There
have been larger beets than this grown
here, but this gives some idea of the
soil.
But time and space fail me to say
all | want to in this letter. 1t is but
natural, | suppose, that with such Il
climate, and soil, and productions,
land should be high. 1t is so. Yet
when it is considered how little land
man really needs, it does not seem so
high. Two miles from the Court
House, on good roads and in good
neighborhoods, ten acre lots can he
bought for from $500 to $500 an acre.
Farther away land is much cheaper.
would like to give your readers
some idea of the profusion and brillian-
cy of the wild-tiowers. This valley is
now one vast flower garden. The
fields and roadsides are blue, pink and
yellow with great beds of the escholt-
zia (Which is much more brilliant than
at the east lupine and blue bells. And
the sight of the great variety of beauti-
full roses that are coming into bloom
this month of March is almost enough
to make one forget for a time the I'M
friendly climate where they only bloom
in June.
| have received more letters from the
east making enquiries about this coun-
try, which will try and answer in nv
next letter, as | have not time to write
individuals. C.M.S
Superintendent's Meeting.
ESSEX COUNTY.