The Placer herald., 1874-09-26
So, HOUSE AsD FARM.

Dates and family, who have Tor several
weeks past been absent in the Southern
part OF the State, for the most part in San
Bernardino county, returned TO their home
in this place, on Monday last. The Doctors
health not being very good, and beeeaing
dissatisfied, he left TO seek u "better coun-
try" to which, if found he proposed 10 re-
move as soon rs he should have made
suitable Arrangements. After making dir
gent inquiries and carefully Surveying the
couatry through which be passed. he comes
back with better opinion Of Folsom and
this part of the State than lie ever enter.
tanned before, and fully impressed that if
thissis not The "best land upon which the
sun Shines il is at least, all things consid-
cred, better than any he saw in Southern
California. He regards that part Of the
State, whether considered as to soil, climate,
water, or productions, as in no respects sa-
perior, but in most respects inferior to this.
The climate is not more agreeable or health
full The crops of the cereals except corn,
will not compare with ours; neither do their
vegetables or fruits, except, perhaps, lemons
and oranges. Besides, the lands are held
at much higher rates, and in some instances,
at prices altogether beyond the bounds of
reason. The Doctor is close observer,
and does not jump hastily at conclusions,
and we assure all in this section, who may
be "prone to wander" with hankerings in
the direction of Southern California, that
they will get but little encouragement from
him. He has been thcre.-tjlsom 1ele-
graph.
FAsMrRs AND MINERS - WHAT. - The
Aha of Monday says: The farmers owning
the low lands of Yuba county have lately
been discussing the question whether they
are not entitled to indemnity for the injury
done to their land by hydraulic mining.
Many of their farms have been covered from
three to ten feet deep with sand and gravel
washed ont Of the dead rivers at elevations
VARYING from 800 TO 3 800 feet above the sea,
and separated from the gold in the sluices
in the basins Of the Yuba and Bear rivers.
Thousands of tons are carried down every
day: the beds of the streams are in places
filed sixty feet above the levels they had
twenty years ago, before the hydraulic pro-
cess came into extensive use; and the low
lands have been changed in character.
Town sites, orchards, vineyards and pasture
fields have been covered with sand the
channels of streams have been Swallowed
and their course changed. Similar effects
will result from the hydraulic washings, for
many wears to come; but we do not know
OF any legal principle by which the injury
TO the farms can be arrested, or by which
the owners can recover damages. Congress
and the State Legislature have power, but,
perhaps, not the disposition to grant relief
PBoFIrs OF Fsurr Growing The Alden
fruits, dried in California are this year ex
hibited in considerable variety, for the first
time, at the Agricultural Fans; and, ac-
cording TO the Ala, are regarded with uni
versal favor The drying establishments
are, unfortunately, not numerous enough to
dry one-tenth part Of the crop that should
be dried; and the market is glutted with
fresh fruit An order was received here a
few days since, from Philadelphia, for
&C, 900 pounds of the Alden peaches, at
40 cents, currency, per pound, but cannot
be filled. Some Alden pruucs, OF the small
d'Agen variety, are, without exception, the
best in flavor we have ever tasted. They
preserve, internally, the yellowish color and
something of the soft texture OF the fresh
fruit, whereas the finest French prunes, inn
ported in Jars and sold here at about sixty
cents per pound retail, are dark and lealhery.
The Alden prunes can be sold here with a
profit of 20 cents per pound, or even less.
An acre will hold $50 prune trees, each o.
which will bear 100 pounds, or 5000
pounds to the acre, equivalent 10 5000
pounds of dried prunes, worth, at 20 cents
per ponnd, 81 900.
Too Much SHApE.-There is scarcely a
residence in town, says the Nevada Tran
script, but is surrounded with dense
forest of trees. In many places the house
cannot be seen from the highway. The
houses are perfectly sheltered from the sun,
and the place looks gloomy and lonesome.
In most of the orchards the trees are so
thick that the sunlight can scarcely pene-
trate to the ground. To such an extent
does this shade question exist that the light,
cheerful and happy looking homesteads,
which ought to be seen on every hand are
turned into dark, cold and cheerless dun
geons. Sunlight is essential to life, health
and happiness. The more our homes are
exposed to it the better One-half the
trees in many orchards should be cut down,
and large share of the shade trees sur
rounding houses should be removed, and the
balance so trimmed as to allow a little sun
light to enter the dwellings,. a few shade
trees for ornament do well enough, but
when they are used to produce perpetual
darkness around homesteads, they become a
nuisance.
Apu1rERATIoN OF FooD. The Chicago
Tribune has been examining into food adul-
terations in that city. The special field Sc
lected has been an analysis of the groceries
sold at the leading grocery stores in that