The Placer herald., 1874-10-17

FARMIxa IN TIE FcoT-HrIIs.-As long q our
farmers in the foothills conAne themselves 70
raising hay and grain. they must not expect to
get rich. The soil here will not produce any
heavier crops Of these products than the soil in
the valley, and Il farmers there can only make
. living profit on their hay and grain, where
the land lies in large levil bodies and they can
use to advantage al the labor-saving machinery
known to modern science, how can farmers in
the foothills where the tillablc land lies in
the use Of machinery. expect to even do well2
This Thoughts hould by no means discourage foot
hill farmers They have many advantages which
their valley neightors have not. They have soil
possessing all the elements requisite for the
propagation Of the very healthicst trees and
vines. A season which affords fruit every ad-
vantage for growing thriftily and maturing fully.
and climate-the grand feature of all-which
in every particular seems to be just what fruit
requires to give it not only solidity and size,
but what is most important. that rich. luscious
favor, which distinguishes il at once as the best
in the world. And this is not the case
with one OF two kinds either, but with every
variety Of semi-tropical fruit known.
Though most every cereal grows we'll heie, fruit
seems to be the most natural product for the
foothills. In evidence of which, We cite the
fact that frut-growers in thissection show evil
dent signs Of thrift and prosperity. while those
who have condned themselves to raising hay,
grain. etc., have, seemingly, with very few ex-
ceptions, had to scratch to keep even The
fruit business, though, is not 80 profitable as it
might be, and as in time it doubtless will be-
Think Of the many tons Of peaches, pears, ap-
pies. --plums, grapes, etc., now hauled from Ell
Dorado county, and shipped from Auburn Sta
lion each year, to points over the mountains,
which shows we have the market when ever we
get the fruit. This fruit is now hauled by teams
from sixteen to twenty live miles. and after de-
Quoting this enormous expense, still returns
profit to the producer. 1t may be asked why
do our farmers not supply this demand from
their own orchardsP Simply, because they have
not enough. Those who have q surplus sufficient
to make shipping an object, do send it over the
mountains, and as they have but little hauling
to get it to the railroad, it always nets them a
handsome profit. What is wanted to make
fruit-growing more profitable here than it is al
present. is for farmers to 60 into the business
more extensively. At present there is more
raised than enough to supply the home demand,
but not enough more to make shipping an OBJ
ject. Therefore, it seems that the market is
glutted, when, in reality, the real market for
our fruit product is not reached At present
farmers peddle their fruit out. box here and a
box there, in the small towns around them, a
business which takes off much of the profit.
When they can haul it by the two or four horse
load to the depot, and get as much for it as
they now get by retailing it out, then they will
begin to realize that there is money in the busi-
ness. To do this, they must raise enough to
make shipping an object, which requires that
those who have orchards extend them,
and those who have none, go to work this COM
ing Winter and set out trees. Since it is ac-
knowledged that the country here is better
adapted to fruits than grain, does it not seem
that the farmer who places his main reliance
ON the former, will do better than be who sticks
to the latter?