Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-07-16
APEouLIAR couNrRY

APECULIAR COUNTRY.
California is the m ost singular coun try
IN the world. 1t has within its borders
more variety of climate, and more variety
of prOduc lion, and Is, altogether, a pecu-
liar coun try. San Francisco, for instance,
enjoys a summer during which the ther-
mometer never goes below 20 deg, and
IN the winter never b Glow 40 deg. Go
fifteen miles across the bay and you will
find it 10 deg. hotter, and go up TO the
San Joaquin valley 60 miles, and the
mercury will noun. up 10 105 deg. on the
slightest proVOcatiOn. Then go on to
the mountains and every step you go up
it becomes cooler till you shall find, if
you go up far enough, snow the year
around. So you can get TO any climate
you want, varying from that of Green
lands icy mountains TO India's coral
strands. And its
PRODUCTIONS
Vary as widely as IFS climate. Wheat
grows TO a perfection unknown in other
States. Rye, barley, oats, potatoes, and
in fact all the grains and roots produce
wonderfully. Fruits are miraculous.
both in yield and quality. Iris fashiona-
" 6dl vi ludl Mullt
the yield is large they are deficient in
flavor. This is not true. A pear grown
in California and eaten in New York will
not have the flavor a pear should
have, but it must be remembered that il
has been bounced in railroad trains sew
en- days, and that it was picked green
That same pear which is so insipid in
the New York market, is as spicy and
srl, Aounrnl CO.
could wish it. The oranges, strawber-
ries, peachts, plums, apricots, and all
other fruits are just as good in quality as
they are in quantity.
And remember another point. The Cal
ifornian has these things the year round.
There is no season of the year that new
potatoes. beans, green peas, asparagus
and all edibles of that class are not in
market, and straw Wberries even are plen
tiful ten months in the year.
OTHER EATABLEs
are Just as plentiful and Just as cheap.
The mountain ranges afford splendid
food for cattle and sheep, and the ocean
and streams are full of the finest fish.
Nowhere can so great variety of fish
be found, and in no waters are they bet
ter.
In consequence, living IS very cheap
in California, and not only cheap but
good. In San Francisco a better meal
can be had for twenty cents than you
can get in New York for dollar But
the country
HAS ITS DRAWBACKS.
There are but two seasons, the wet
and dry, and :he dry season IS very dry.
For months and months no rain falls
and curing the wet season it rams almost
every day. If the rain fall is light du-
ring The wet season, short crop, or
rather total failure of crops, is the GER
tain result In some of the valleys the
rainfall is frequently sufficient to pro-
duce two crops in year, but more fire.
quently one only can be matured, and to-
tai failures are by no means uncommon.
IRRIGATION
is the only certain thing for crops any
where in the State. That makes crops
absolutely certain, and not only certain
but wonderfully profitable. When a man
buys farm IN California, il is the water,
not the land, that he buys. Land can
be had cheap enough anywhere, but TO
get land that water can be put on Is the
point. The country must be irrigated
in some way, to make production GER
tain. In some sections artesian wells an
swer the purpose, well and cheaply. The
water is raised by means OF wind-mills,
and distributed in the usual way. But
artesian wells cannot be had every
where, and then other means must be re-
sorted TO. The San Joaquin Valley, one
of the largest and richest in the world,
needs water more than almost any other
portion of the State. To do it it is pro-
posed TO make a
CANAL 300 MILES LONG
from Lake Tulore, bringing the water of
that little sea down the whole length of
the valley. To utilize the water to the
fullest extent, il is proposed 10 make the
canal naVigable, so as. TO not only furnish
water for the crops, but to furnish cheap
transit for the crops after they are pro
duced. The work will be enormously
expensive, but it will pay. The valley
is rich as the Nile country, and in wet
seasons will produce crops with certain
ty. Two years crops would pay for the
canal. This project with dozen others
will be urged upon the State Legislature
this winter. and in some shape will be
carried. 1t has been found necessary to
make
IRRIs ALTON A STATE MATTER.
1t is impOss ible ior individuals TO make
ltches OF sufficient capacity 10 water so
vast an extent of country, and If cUrpor-
ations were to do it, the monopoly would
squeeze the life out of the people. The
State will do it, and when done CalIfOr-
mia will be rs great an agricultural
State as she is known rs n mineral.
THE TOWNS AND CITIES
of California are. as rule, prosperous.
San Francisco is growing very rapidly,
and there are scores of new towns
spripglng into existence in all parts of
the State, and they are going forward
rapidly. Sacramento is dead, for its bu-
sIness was taken away when the Central
Pacific read was extended 10 San Francis
CO, but Sacramento is an exception
But
DON'T EMIeRATE If YOU ARE POOR.
California is no place for man with.
out means The idea Of gold Drought
to the shores thousands upon thousands
of poor men, who were disappointed IN
theirhopes, and who consequently are
compelled to work for Just what they can
get and besides, Joh Chinaman, who
can live on nothing a day, is here, and,
and terrible competitor in the labor
market els. The delicious climate has
brought thousands more, all of whom
want something TO do, and the result is
almost everything except farming Is
overdOne. La wyers are thicker thah
blackberries in Northern Pennsy lyania'
Doctors bless you, there are ten for ev-
ry patient, particularly as dclirium ire
mems Is about the only disease they nave
here, and there are mechanics OF oil kinds
in plenty. :,
that sort of people swarm through the
land ike bees. So don't come without
money, expecting something to turn up.
1t may turn up, but, alas there are
dozen mouths for every bit. that shows
its elf. But