Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-11
A MINERS GARDEN.

EDS. RECORD UNION; On recovering from
recent illness, to which one had been a
stranger for more than twenty years, quinine,
pepsin, ETC., was dashed aside, and taking a
large umbrella to shade from the warm sun,
ramble over the pine-clad Forbestown Hill
to its watershed into the Feather, three
miles from New York Flat, the place where
nniasma had taken me down, the pure air,
change of scenery, friendly faces and glad
some greetings met with here and there soon
impaired freshness and vigor to my spirits.
Calling to see a friend, whose garden of
vegetables, fruits and flowers is kept in excel
lent order. a description of his place and its
products, to show what the red soil of our
foothills under proper cultivation and irriga-
ton is capable OF growing, may not be I'M
interesting TO your readers. Surrounded by
stately pines which break off the hard wind
storms in winter and form a shade in sum-
mer, vista here and there reveals the pic
turesque landscape of surrounding hills,
Sacramento valley and Coast Range mount
aims in the distance. The hillside has sharp
declivity, growing abrupt toward the river,
but good depth of soil suitable for garden
ing is found in many places. OF vegetables,
my friend has potatoes, corn, pumpkins.
squashes winter and summer varieties),
beans and peas, cabbage, tomatoes, beets,
(both water and musk, cucumbers, ETC.. and
of fruits he has different varieties of
summer, fall and winter apples. Pears
Flemish Beauty, Duchess and Winter Nelhs.
Peaches-Early and late varieties, cling and
free-stone of excellent favor. Apricots, nee
tarines and figs Plums-Red, blue and In
perial Gage. Cherries Black Tartarian,
Black Eagle, Bigarean. May Duke and Late
Duke. Nut trees-Black walnut, butter
nut and chestnut Grapes-Muscat, Mis-
sion, Flame, Tokay. white Riesling, Della
ware. purple Damascus, Catawba, black
Hamburg, Sweetwater, etc. Raspberries-
Red Antwerp, Brincles, Orange and Seneca
black. Observation-Disclosures, Wilson and
Dorchester. For use and ornament-Horse-
radish, sage, mint, hemp, castor beans,
patches of Kentucky bluegrass, red clover
and alfalfa. Traversing the garden is ter
raced walk, ten feet wide, on the margins
of which a choice collection of flowers taste
fully arranged gives an air of refinement well
calculated to make home bright and happy.
Among the many different kinds of flowers
and some of their varities, which are grow
ing here to great perfection, may be men
toned Roses, dahlias. gladiolus, carnations,
balsams, Towering peas, China astors and
mignonette, petunias, portulacas, Zinnias,
deutzias, pansies, tuberose, phlox drum
mondii, convolvulus minor, candy-tuft, Japan
cockscomb and verbenas, mourning
bride, peonies, chrysanthemums, Chinese
pinks, ami English marigold. Busy
honey-bees from a stand of hives in the
center of the garden work in the flowers, and
they are also visited by humming-birds
variety of gay butterflies, etc., bringing
pleasure on the wing. Delicious fruits and
suculent vegetables picked early in the morn
ing-cool and fresh-and cows, hogs and
poultry supplying his larder, my friend is
surrounded with luxuries at the cost of only
a little expense in money, while his labor is
rewarded with pleasure. Another miner liv
ing near is also very happily situated, but it is
clearly lseen that, no matter what the efforts
may be in trying to beautify, in at
Effectiveness ceEbacy cannot vie with the
family Lying twenty-five hundred feet
above the sea level, the air is pure
and bracing, the landscape is beautiful, while
cool springs of good water may be found
conveniently gushing from the hillside; and
in scenic aspect, the gently rounded SUBMITS
of the surrounding hills, with here and there
a bald mountain, indicate that their mineral
character is granite; but looking valley
ward, yon truncated mountain shows that the
plutonic has given place to the volcanic
basalt A change of prospect by going few
hundred feet and looking up the chasms
marked by the south branch of Feather river
and its tributaries, affords fine view of a vast
region of mountains, their definite forms show
ing plainly that the volcanic, plutonic and met
are in different places represented.
From every stan 1point the prospect is beau
tiful cool breezes from the snow-capped
Sierras sigh through the pines in sympathy
as it were for all living things that may have
a shade of suffering. But more especially in
teresting grows the landscape as the sun sink
ing in the west paints the hills in a food of
glory. Then as the day-god sets behind the
coast mountains the horizon receives warm
glow, and any clouds which may appear be-
come golden fringed, poetical sentiments are
and the exclamation 80, what a
beautiful sunset viewl" is often heard.
In justice to Italy's azure sky, the grandeur
of the Alps. and Albania's sunset views, let
poets laud in their most glowing strains.
But, o thou fair Pacific Thy sights to see
and charms to feel, soon turns the heart to
sing of thee MINER,