Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-09-10
Lifs In the Foothills.

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The time Is not far distant when
the esthetic culture now mainly
confined to our cities, will attach
to, or be evolved from, farm life.
In some few instances this trans.
formation has already taken place
on the farms In the Sacramento
valley. But the bottom lands are
deficient in the picturesque, and
for this simple reason money max
ing will be for long time the pre-
dominant feature of valley farm
ing. The people who are Hrgeiy
ruled by their tastes, and the love
of the beautiful, and who intend to
engage In farming, Will, naturally
drift towards the picturesque re.
gions, II they can also find in the
same section enough natural pro-
ductiveness to supply their wants.
The foothills of the Sierras possess
in their lay and structure all the
elements of the picturesque, and
the fertility Of the valley lands,
while they are also rich in climatic
advantages. The small valleys,
the oval ridges, the table lands and
gently sloping hillsides oil combine
wealth of ravishing outline, q
susceptibility for growths that will
produce artistic aggregations of
color, with a nearness tC heavy for.
est growths that will make the foot
hills, under proper cultivation, the
most charming country in the
State. A few foothill farmers, by
utilizing the fo0thill springs, have
already succeeded in creating
homes OF surpassing beauty. And
when the subterranean streams are
tapped by artesian wells further
results will be achieved in the
same direction. and q new para
disc will be established. The future
of the foothill country will be rem
dered still more attractive when
the vast network of bitches now
used for hydraulic mining shall be
applied for the purposes Of irriga-
tion. This extensive water system
now saves the rains and snow melt
ings and permits no waste, unless
1t be waste to apply water to by.
draulic mining. But twenty years
of continuous use will exhaust
nearly, II not all, of the auriferous
gravel beds of the foothills and
leave on hand an irrigating system,
perfect and paid for, that will be
amply sufficient to cover the entire
foothili region with wealth and
beauty. Rivulets, cascades, lake.
lets, domestic fisheries, green
meadows. cool groves, elegant
orchards, rich gardens, cornfields
and waving grain fields will adorn
the entire region with unequaled
sPlendor. To these will be added
well.built highways, arched with
trees; embowered homes, churches
and schoolhouses, and wealth,
beauty, health and domesticity will
go hand In hand. A close observer
can already see the germs Of this
coming glory. That the highest
efforts Of the Imagination can be
surpassed will not be doubted by
those who have seen the achieve
ments Of steady cultivation In the
foothills of other countries that are
not blessed with the fertility of soil
and perfection of climate
that prevails In the foot
hills of the Sierras. This high
cultivation Is assured not only by
the inherent advantages OF the re-
gion referred to, but the growing
and expanding tastes of our peo.
pie. Every year adds to the power
Of our esthetic tastes, and we will
soon have people whose sense of
the beautiful will compel them to
unfold In varied culture. 1t Is
said that the future oak can be
traced In the structure of every
acorn-that, therefore. the acorn
contains an absolute prophecy Of
the coming tree, and 10 the same
way the interior structure Of our
people, and the inherent powers |
and probabilities of the foothill re-
gion give absolute assurance of
this predicted unfoidment.-Sdcra.
naento Record Union.