Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-05
HOMEsTEADS
IN THE FOOTHILLS AND HIGHER HILLS
OF PLACER COUNTY.
The Different Glasses of Soils and Their
Adaptability for Fruit Culture
Successful orchardists.

The Placer Herald of January 29th pub
fishes the following open letter from Thos
S. Myrick in answer to numerous inquiries
Messrs Ahira Homes and others-Gen-
tlemen Having received numerous letters
from yourself and others residing in Oak
land and San Francisco, making inquiries
concerning land in the foothills and higher
hills of Placer county, please allow me to
answer one and all of you in this general
manner. One year ago series of ex-
haustive, scientific and practical articles
appeared in the columns of the Sacramento
RECORD UNION, which were prepared ex-
pressly by talented writer for that news.
paper. Starting from the Sacramento
valley and travelling on the Central Pacific
Railroad up to the Summit of the Sierra
Nevada, the different geological formations
and consequent classes OF soils, with their
capabilities of production, were carefully
noted and critically examined. In con-
clusion, record was published of all un-
located lands, as appearing on the books of
the United States Land Office at Sacra-
mento, and also of all unsold lands belong
ing to the Central Pacific Railroad Com
panY, from the records of their land office
at San Francisco. a reference was also
made to Johnson's map of Placer county,
as an assistance
IN LOCATING SAID LANDS.
Hence it will only be necessary to call your
attention to the series of articles men,
toned, in which you will find valuable in
formation of the resources of Placer county.
From the lowest foothills to point be-
Naxuooc4la an1 plon,oa,- C,k h.
bedrock is granite and the soil is a dark,
sandy loan, which is composed of decayed
granite and the woody fibers of oak, nut
pine, chaparral and buckeye. From near
Newcastle up to Colfax the bedrock is
slate and the soil is dark red, sandy loan,
with slight admixture of clay, which
makes it firm and adhesive. From Colfax
up to Blue Canyon the bedrock is slate,
but somewhat talcose in character. The
soil is redish, but more porous in compost
ton. Ascending the mountain from New
castle, one can see the white, red, black,
burr and live oak also the nut and yellow
pine. In the vicinity of Blue Canyon the
tall cedar, the beautiful tamarack and the
stately sugar pine grow in all their magnif-
icence. As the Central Pacific Railroad
runs up the divide between Bear river and
the American, the traveller has little oppor-
tunity to see the best class of fruit and
agricultural land. Between the railroad
and the American, and extending from a
line little above Newcastle to short dis.
lance below Roseville, there is
BEAUTIFUL VALLEY
Which is fifteen miles long and six wide.
Secret Ravine .meanders through its whole
distance The soil is from five to twenty
feet deep. Every kind of grain and grass
may be cultivated in perfection. The low
rolling hills and ridges are especially
adapted to the raising of the strawberry.
raspberry, blackberry, fig, orange, olive,
peach, apricot, nectarine, pear, cherry,
plum, prune and lemon. There are numer.
GUS fruit orchards on the choice locations.
Fred Birdsall, ESQ.,, of Sacramento, has a
young orange grove of 10000 trees, and
other parties have less number. That
there is profit in fruit culture the beauti.
full houses, the tidy outhouses, the trim
fences and the clean fields furnish the
proof. Here there are homes and school
houses, oranges and roses, and boys and
girls. Roseville, Rocklin, Pine, Penryn
and Newcastle are the shipping points on
the Central Pacific Railroad The best
cherries in the country come from the
vicinity Of Rattlesnake Bar. Everybody
has heard of the old Miller place, which
was located over twenty years ago; but,
everybody does not yet know of the scores
of places that are beginning to rival it in
the excellence of its pears, peaches and
cherries. A short distance above Rattle.
snake Bar, on the slope reaching down to
tie American river, Captain E. D. Shir-
land during the last nine years has demon
strated the practicability of
RAISING THE ANGoRA GOAT
In the foothills. He has band of 200
graded goats and thoroughbreds. He says
that the fieeces command a remunerative
price, and the fat graded goat is even SUI
perior to the ordinary mutton as an article
! of food. Indeed, hotels and boarding
houses are constantly supplied with choice
goat meat. And it is asserted as fact.
which has been well authenticated, that
| the milk of the goat is delicious beverage
when used with tea or coffee. Instead Of
! fighting the Apache in Arizona and New
Mexico, in the United States cavalry
service, the Captain has made perfect
/ success in rearing and tanning the thorough,