Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1876-06-10
Letter rrem California

! ELMiRA, california, May p, -.
Hessrs. Editors:
The Pacific coast to most Tennesseeans
is almost as much place Of curiosity as
any country acros ,he ocean. and though
/ uninvited. ! venttife short letter from
| California.
The day OF .'the gold fever is past.
/ and now the grain Of the farm and the
fruit of the orchard ;noncpolize the at
tentiOn of the country,
The amount Of money realized from or
chards is really incredible. a short time
Z since I visited famous Cherry orchard.
I one that ships TO San Francisco the first
fruit in the State, and took a few items
4 from the proprietor. He said he had
about $50 trees 10 the acre; that lac real
( lied $5 per pound for the first cherries
that he sent 10 the city. He showed me
one tree that he gathered 24O pound from
and sold them at an average of - cents
per pound, being $3.50 90. Tie tree was
one of his first, and the cherries his best
variety. The most popular varieties he
said are the Early Purple, Black Tarta-
rean, Reno Hortene, May Dukes. Gov.
Woods, (white), Black Eagle, etc. etc.
Your readers, posted in the nomenclature
of horticulture, will understand the sub
j. 6. The Black 1artareans are simply
pnOdigious in size, being very nearly as
large as plums. The fruits are mostly
shipped to San Francisco, the great mart
of the State, and the first fruit that is
put on the market commands fabulous
price.
The peaches here are not superior to
Teunessee's improved peaches Apples
are inferior in taste and size Apricots,
pears, plums and small fruits generally
are unrivaled.
The fruit is gathered and packed most
" by Chinese. There is a ready market
for all of il. There is one thing here
in such pTofusion that no market viii
suffice, and that grapes. They are here
in all varieties and Of the largest size
Raisins here go for a sang. box here
costing scarcely more than pound at
home.
There is one commendabie feature
about California's business men, they will
make a market for all of the produce of
the farm labor. Not like our merchants
at home, who take pride in refusing to
buy small produce, thus killing small in I
dustry, they buy anything, thus stimu-
latins all kinds of industry
Our farmers at home if allowed 10 sup
ply the home market with poultry. vese-
tables, the products of the dairy and
fresh meats, would do decidedly better,
and tradesmen would find their business
more iiourishing.
The amount of wheat grown here in
this country is simply prodigious; but
the amount is only proportionatc 10 the
land sOwed in wheat. The great valleys
of California Tie along the Sacramento
and san joaquin rivers: here Is the great
wheat growing region.
This year, what is called the joaquin
Plains, which is about l35 miles long.
and from to 20 miles wide Is an un-
broken wheat field. IL is owned by land
grabberS One Mr.. Miller owns a grip
80 miles long and miles wide, all in
wheat. To harvest the grain on the san
Joaquin this year, viii require 1000 men
- $50 separators running three or four .
months.
The CALIFORNIA Pacific Railroad runs
diagonally through this county, (Solano) I
and there is station every five miles.
| noticed at Elmira at one time in the .
grain yard Il, 200 bushels Of wheat As
many more had been shipped. AS many
more were in a ware house at the time I
Not less than 100 tons passed every day
the railroad for two months
All of the improved appurtenances Of
agriculture are here. Steam separator
are suPerseding horsepower, aud the
grain is all cut with headers, au almost
unknown instrument among southern
planters. 4 good header requires six
men and eight horses, but they viii cut,
haul and stack thirty five acres of grain
every day.
Harvest has begun and will continue
ill October. Il never rains from May
till November more than light sprin-
kle. Wheat will stand ripe for two or
three months without falling.
The chief Objectionable features of this .
country seem TO be the real estate owned .
by land grabbers, a vast multitude of the
irresponsible Off scourings OF earth, and
the abominable Chinese. This is fast be-
coming Il Chinese Botany Bay They
are rogues to a man. They are shrewd,
economical and thievish, and unless .
measures are taken, will eventually mon
opolize the industry of this region.
This Is withal good place for men of
capital OF scholarship, but for poor, un-
educated laboring men it is hard place,
since farm hands are treated with an in
dignity never shown slaves by southern
planters. r :. SAUNDERs.