The Placer herald., 1874-07-25
HOMES IN THE FOOT-HILLS.


be found repete with substantial facts and
useful suggestions. We take it from the Rural
Press of the 18th: "Sr:--Having been resi-
dent of the State of California more than
twenty-four years, OF which time eight years
have been passed in the Sieras, l reply to your
letter OF July 9th, giving you the result of my
observation and experience, hoping that you and
other immigrants may find desirable homesteads
in the foothills where the resources of the soil
and geniaty of the climate offer unwonted and
tempting inducements for permanent settlement
| think THAI | am quite thoroughly conversant
with the topography and climate of the central
portion of the State, from the coast to the
mountains, and especially of the foothills, be
tween the North Fork of the Feather river and
the South Fork of the American
As the land along the Pacific Coast, and in
the great interior valleys of the Sacramento and
San Joaquin rivers, is mostly covered with Mexi-
can grants or owned and possessed by capital
lists and spectators. you will find it to be quite
difficult to lay a soldiers homestead, excepting
in the foothills of the Sierras. Here you NAV
make permanent home, through the benih-
cence OF the government, leaving the balance of
the State to the possession of those to whom it
has been granted, and who hold it at high figures
for the purposes of speculation and profit. Per-
haps equalization of taxes may yet convince
! some of them that they own too much for the
public good and the prosperity Of the common
wealth, Here in the foothills you may locate
a quarter section of land, (l60 acres), which has
good soil pure water, and an abundance of wood
] at,
| and pine, for the Fireplace; and, for fencing
there is chaparral The soil will generate every
| kind OF vegetable, plant grain tree which
can be cultivated in temperate or semi-tropical
country or climate. Here is now raised the best
fruit on the Pacific slope for rich flavor ard
juicy quality. make no exception or qualifi-
cation to this proposition.
| Do you admire fine -feshed and mealy pota-
toes? They are produced everywhere at an alti-
tude of from one to three thousand feet above
tide-water. Do you love peaches? They are
cultivated in the vicinity of Auburn, so mcy and
rare that they will melt in your mouth before
they reach your palate. Do you want apples?
Geo. W. Applegate, of Clipper Gap, Placer
county, has nearly a hundred acres of the finest
and best ruit that can be named. Will you
have pears? DR.. j. r. Crandall, of Auburn,
raises the most excellent in the State, VIII you
eat strawberries? The editors Of the Rtrdl Press
commend those cultivated by Felix Gilbert of
Nevada city. Do you fancy oranges? The edi-
tors Of the Sacramento Union say that they have
received some from Bdwell's Bar, Butte coun-
| ty, which are superior in quality to the oranges
| of Los Angeles county. Do you drink wine
"for the stomach sake" or do you love the
grape as fruit? James Il. Nickerson of Lin
coin, Placer county, and Robert Chalmers, of
| Coloma, Ell Dorado county have each of them
over one hundred acres OF foot-hill hand in vine
yard; and their fruit and wine command pre-
mums and diplomas whenever they choose to
put them on exhibition. Fruit of all kinds is
the great speciality of The foothills.
The farmers of Placer county have poultry.
hogs, ducks geese, turkeys, goats, cattle mules
and horses. Very few of them have sheep.
Nearly every family has flock of goats. In
fants are reared on goat milk in preference to
cows milk Indeed, goat g milk in coffee is a
luxury. The mohair of the Angora goat is be-
| coming n valuable article of commerce in this
county. Shirland & Thomas have large focks
of this breed of goats. The goat feeds on the
wild grass and shrubs of the hills. The flesh
of the kid is considered by many to be superior
to mutton. Everything that is raised on the
farm in the garden, in the orchard or in the
vineyard, meets with It ready sale. When the
local market becomes overstocked, the Central
Pacific Railroad carries the surplus stock, of
whatever kind over the mountains to Nevada,
Utah. Idaho and Montana
In regard to the climate of the foothills, it is
and also that of the Sacramento and San joaquin
valleys. There are no cold and chilling ocean
winds like those which prevail at San Francisco,
and which lay the foundation IOr so many pull
monary complaints There are no destructive
northers, which sometimes sweep down through
the length and breadth of the great interior val
| leys There are no tornadoes hurricanes;
there are no earthquakes; there are no sand
storms or water SpOutS, which are very common
III the southern counties of this State, and which
are often exceedingly destructive to property and
life itself The rainfall is from twenty to sixty
inches annually ranging according to the alt-
tude above tide-water. Hence, there can be no
drouth in the mountains. The springs and rlv
uets are perennial During the winter, the pre-
vailing winds are either from the northwest or
southeast; the former being cold and usually
closing up with some frosty nights; while the
latter are warm and bring rain III copious meas
ure During the summer the wind blows regu-
larly from the coast over the interior valleys
throughout the day, and is often hot and scorch
ing; while throughout the night, 1t comes down
from the higher mountains, rendering the tenn
perature peculiarly charming and delightful.
Hence, sleep is always sweet, sound and refresh
ing.
There are dairy ranches in the mountains that
is there are which are kept for butter and
cheese During the winter the COWS are pastured
in the valleys of the lowest foot-hils but during
the summer the stock is pastured IN the
iol,p valleys far above belt of the
oak, and even the tail pine. There are none to
rent, but there are butter and cheese to sell.
Qualified school teachers can get salary at from
800 to 500 per month; but San Francisco Is the
| place where school-n ans do most congreFate.
In the mountain towns, generally, carpenters
can obtain good ~ages. But canddly think
that even energetic, intelligent people" cannot
do much OH place in the mountains, or any
where else in California, without some money
for a starter. Such people must have money
'for living, until they really get start, II
they would make farming pay in the foothills.
| Howeyer I know two families in this nelglbOr-