Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-07
WARM OR TROPICAL BELTS ON THE
FOOTHILLS.

It is well known that there are certain
belts along the foothills, both of the Coast
Range and Sierra mountains, where frost
does not come SO early in the fall and does
not continue so late in the spring as in the
valley below or on the hills higher up These
belts are very distinct. and well defined in
many portions of the State, and have come
TO be recognized as warm or semi-tropical
belts. In Yolo, Solano and Colusa counties
this warm belt is utilized in the production OF
early vegetables and early fruits of various
kinds, and SO We believe it is in several other
counties, as in Nevada, Placer, Santa Clara
and probably several Others. In Solano,
near the line between Yolo and Solano, there
is a section of country that has for years been
under, cultivation in various kinds of vege-
tables and fruits, and they send their pro-
ducts into the San Francisco markets
from two to three weeks earlier than
from any other portion of the State,
and receive at least double the price
that can be obtained from any other section,
simply because they are earlier Now, where
ever this warm belt can be found as well de.
fined as it is in Yolo and Solano the land en-
braced within it is very valuable. 1t may not
be for raising early vegetables or even early
fruit for San Francisco or any other market
now, for want of communication The combi-
nation of early production and easy communi-
cation with good markets is necessary to render
it valuable for early vegetables, but laying
the latter of these considerations aside, the
land is even now very valuable for orchards
of citrous fruits-oranges, lemons and lines.
Those that can secure these lands and plant
out orchards of these fruits and cultivate
them well for few years, will secure
fortunes. Orchards on such lands will
not only ripen their fruit earlier in the season
than valley lands or lands above them on
the hills but they will be out of danger of
frost when orchards en- other lands may be
ruined. To be able to determine where
such warm belts may be found and secured
without the assistance of previous observation
of the facts connected with each locality in
wolves a knowledge OF the principle or cause
which creates them, and to assist our readers,
it becomes necessary to undertake to explain.
1t is well known to every one who has
thought of the subject at all that the air on
hill is colder, during the day time at least,
than in the valley at the foot of the hill.
That the most intense heat during the warm
spells in this State is found in those small
valleys incIosed by mountains. The sun
shines down into these small valleys and
upon the sides of the hills and mountains
surrounding them, and by reflection there is
concentrated in the valley greater heat
than will be found on any of the sides of the
hills surrounding But when the sun sets
there commences a change, and before morn
ing the lowest spot in the valley will be the
coolest spot in it, and the air on the
surrounding hills will be found warmer
than that in the valley. Frost always touches
she lowest places first. Those who have
travelled up and down our low mountain sides
In the evening or night have noticed sudden
changes of temperature in going short dis
tances. The same causes which produce
these sudden changes produce the permanent
warm-belt sections referred to- In seeking
an explanation of the warm belts it must be
remembered that it is only in the nights,
and not in the days, that these belts are
warmer than sections above and below them
That, in fact, during the daytime they are
as rule cooler than sections below them and
warmer than sections above. When the in
Huence of the sun is removed at sunset, the
warm air of the valley rises and the cooler air
of the hillsides runs down into the valley to
take its place. Where the side of the hill or
mountain is simply continuous inclined
plain the cold air from the very top would
run down into the valley and there would
simply be change of places and an equilib-
rum of temperature would naturally follow
and we should have no warm belt, and
persons passing up or down the elevation
would find no sudden changes or warm
streaks. But where there are tiers or rows Of
hills or mountains, one rising above the other,
with depressions or canyons running hori-
zontslly between them, these depressions be-
come reservoirs for the cold air to lodge in, or
in other words, dams to check the descent and
hold the cold air. Where such formations
are found the warm belts may be looked for
on the sides of the hills facing the valley,
for from the valley-facing side of the hills
the cool air falls to take the place of the
warm valley air rising, and the warm air
simply lays in layers above it and on these
declivities But go over the summit of the
first row of hills and you come into the reser-
voir of cold air and so in travelling up such |
3 mountain you will pass through warm and
cold streaks of air and through warm and |
cold belts, and thus the tropical belts of our
foothills are formed, and thus they may be
found and utilized for early gardens and for
semi-tropical orchards.