The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-05-02
OUR CALIFORNIA LETTER.
SAN Joaquin VALLEY, April %

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, April %. Z
Special Correspondents Of the Intelligencer.
To all who admire the beauties Of ma
ture and the sight Of luxuriant crops, OF
to those who like, as occasion offers, 70
exchange for time the humdrum Of city
life for the beauties and calm pleasures
OF the country, where they may breathe
as pure, as mild and as health.giving air
as the world can furnish, a trip just now
through San Joaquin Valley-as, indeed
through most Of our other rural districts
OF California-is genuine pleasure.
Besides the usual and truly inyigorating
enjoyments OF country life, il is special
pleasure to see the vast and very fertile
plains Of the San Joaquin Valley, which
suffered excessively from the drought Of
lastseason-the dryest Of edry years
now green and blooming and attractive
with the most luxuriant growth Of which
II Is capable, both in lis native herbage
and pastures, and its large acreage oi
small grain and hay crops, TO say moth.
ing OF one lof the richest, most varied
and most fragrant OF Natures flower gar.
dens. Perhaps in no part Of the State
can these pleasing and gratifying effects
Of our heavy rains since the second week
in January be more fully seen and real :
ned than here, near the center Of Fresno
county, in which Is found the exact cen.
ter OF California's 1885, 1000 square miles.
Measurements OF the rainfall for a few
years past throughout the State, chiefly
by private enterprise, have well estab-
lished the fact now generally known that
IN our yasl inland and oval.shaped val.
ley, some 800 miles long and from 40 10
90 miles wide, which is drained by the
Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, and
surrounded by mountains from 5, 200 TO
5000 feet high, tine annual rainfall di-
minishes from north TO south and from
The east along the slopes Of the Sierras to
the west along the ioothilfs Of the Coast
Range Mountains. Yet while the nat.
ural laws controlling this climatic fact
make The annual rainfall through Stanis
laus, Mercer, Fresno, Tulsre and Kern
counties less than In the counties through
which the Sacramento river flows, and
while their rainfall is known 10 be too
small to insure crops every year without
irrigation, the difference is not so very
great as some late statements would lead
the casual reader 10 suppose, and this
season their rains 10, date, especial
ly for two months past, have
been abundant. For instance, al
Borden, for the season, they have
had between eleven and twelve inches, al
Fresno City about twelve inches, while at
Jensen's, on Big Dry creek, fourteen
miles northeast OF Fresno City, and nearer
the foot.hills Of the Sierra Nevadas, the
rain from October %, 1877, TO January
and February, have been ample to make
up for the excessive dryness Of last year
and TO make all vegetation grow as rankly
as has ever been known in this region
Consequently farmers, stock raisers, mer.
chants and all classes Of our people are
not only hopeful but'calmly jubilant Al
the q altering prospects. The vast Level
plains, treeless except from plantings and
irrigation OF late years around dwellings
are covered rankly with that rich native
pasture plant, al6lerilla, or filere, as II Il
really pronounced, standing now from
one 10 Two feet high. This, mixed with
different kinds OF wild clover and other
succulent plants, forms some Of the finest
natural pastures in the world. The sheer
and cattle ranging uponit are now eroll'
ing iat,p having fully recovered from lasi
years scarcity OF food. Although the
acreage in grain is not so great as II
former years throughout San Joaquin
Valley, still very large amount both
Of wheat and barley has been sown
Volunteer, summer fallowed and winter.
soWn grain are all looking remarkably
we'll. Barley, in the Central California
Colony, sown for hay, is fully three feet
Thigh, and beginning 10 head. II Is equal
Ily as good Immediately the San Joaquin
river and at Borden. Crops have never
before looked 50 promising at this date a,
they now are around Borden. The Ear,
mers there have about 1000 acres o.
wheat and barley in fine condition, the
wheat about IS inches high, the barley
three feet or more and heading rapidly
Crops around Merced, Turlock and Mo
desto are looking admirably. We may
safely conclude that so late have the
abundant rains been and 80 forward are
the grain crops that one OF the best har-
yests is now Insured for this whole val
ley. Il Is to be hoped that such will b
the case, for assuTedlyJ the persevering
industrious people on. both sides OF the
San Joaquinhave deserved and need good
returns from their farm Investments
| Wherever irrigation has been secured
slialia Is being extensively sown, as II re
mains green during the year, can be cu
for hay five or six times each season
yielding In all from Eve to ten tons PEI
acre. On the irrigated lands near Bor
den there are some $500 acres Of alfalfl
growing most thrifty. Every improved
tract in the Central California Colony hal
more or less alfalfa soWn, and upon eact
acre they can keepat least two cows ii
fine condition. q - l15 I. NJ. g.
.,. a.. sa.....tatou. f,o,,