The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1874-04-29

and very little of the finer grasses are
sown for their use. The sheep come into
very good condition during the Summer
and Autumn months, but fall away in
Winter before the grass has made its ap-
pearance above the ground. It is esti-
mated that q range containing 10000
acres will feed 10000 sheep, and in favor
able years $4,000. In very dry seasons
the fiocks on the plains and in the valleys
have suffered fearfully from drought, the
only means of saving them from destruc-
ton being their immediate removal to the
nearest mountains or foothills. The av-
erage price of ewes after shearing is So IS
to So per head, that of lambs at weaving,
Sl.5O to $l.75 per head. The breed of
sheep most in favor in this State is the
Spanish Merino, which, from its hardihood
and good shearing qualities, is the most
adapted to the requirements of California
ranchers. 1t is usual to shear flocks twice
each year-in the Spring and Fall-with-
out washing. -Four pounds of wool at
each shearing is considered a good yield,
though this quantity is often exceeded.
The product of wool for the year 1873,
including the whole coast, was about 2s,-
100000 TBS. The Spring clip of the same
year sold at 20 cents per H., that of the
Fall at Il cents. The wooden mills OF
Oregon aid California consumed about
100000 fbs., and 100000 TBS, were
sent to Eastern markets. Among our
wool growers are several Englishmen,
who have taken up large tracts of coun-
try, and report very favorably of the re-
| suit of their eXDerience.
From observations taken at the United
States Signal Office in this city, it appears
that during 1873 the mean barometer for
the year was 1904; mean temperature,
55.O7; highest temperature, 10; lowest
temperature, Al; total rainfall, 1885 in
ches number of days in which rain fell,
"a. In December the total rainfall was
9.72 inches, and the number of rainy days
II. The rains in the mountains have been
very heavy at Placerville up to the Doth
of December, the rainfall having been
24.99 inches for the season, as against
1898 inches for the same period last year.
AT Woodland, in Yolo County, the rain
fall was g.69 inches, and this quantity
may be accepted as fair estimate Of the
average rainfall in most of the central
agricultural counties of the State. Fears
are entertained in many quarters of linn
tied grain crop, on account of the contin-
nous rainfall, which has prevented farmers
from blowing, and which threatens to de
stroy the early-sown grain; but, on the
whole, the farmers anticipate most favor
able season.
The Yosemite Valley, with its perpen-
dicular bare granite cliff 5000 to 1000
feet high, and its waterfalls, like silver
threads, 800 to 1900 feet in height, has
more than once been described in the
English papers. Since the completion of
the Pacific Railroad, the valley has been |
a point of attraction to numbers of Eng
lishmen, and to those going to or coming |
from Asia and Australia by the overland |
route. Members of the Al pine Club have
explored this wonderful region, and aston
ished both residents and visitors by their !
feats of pedestrianism and climbing.
Those interested in the sublime and beau
tiful will be pleased and astonished to
learn that more wonderful gorge or can
yon than that of the Yosemite, but similar
to it in its peculiarities of towering granite
cliffs and lofty waterfalls, has been recent
ly discovered and explored. 1t is situa-
ted seventeen miles north of the Yosemite
Valley, and is called the Tuolumne Can
yon. One of the main rivers of the state
toams in rapids, thunders in waterfalls,
and flows in milk-white eddles through
this gorge, which is twenty miles long,
with an average width of about a quarter
Of mile. The Yosemite Valley is only
SIX miles in length, with an average
breadth of nearly a mile. The narrow
ness of the Tuolomne gorge gives it an
appearance of still greater elevation to its
boundary walls, some of which
Use to hight of three-quarters of mile
lbove the river, at the bottom of the
canyon.
The largest of the few glaciers met with
n the United States are to be found in
his wild portion of the Sierra Nevada
ange of mountains. Forests of gigantic
rees of the order Seguoia Gigdnted, and
If the largest and finest descriptions of
he sugar, yellow, and white pine trees in
he United States, exist in this high
region. The main peaks of the
sierra Nevada chain have an elevation of
5000 or IA, 900 feet. The most charming
eature of the whole of this region is its
waterfalls, watersheds, rapids, and cas-
AIDES. 1t is difficult for any person who
as not visited this scene to understand
What variety of hues and forms water
an be made to assume Where it has
zen much ehurned :" and thrown into 7
he air by its contact with rocks in the
ed of the river, it becomes aerated, and
hen closely resembles steam. 1t is, how
yer, of purer white, and but for the
that snow could not fall so
ensely, some of the falls at a distance
hight be mistaken for it. As wagon
Dad is to be constructed to the Yosemite
ALLEY next year, it will be possible to
ravel there by stage. Hitherto the sad
lie has been requisite for % miles by one
cute, and for eight miles by the other
The Prince ImDerfaI.