Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-19
AGRICULTURAL.
MATTER PREPARED SPECIALLY FOR
THE RECORD UNION"
Going to the Foothills Statistics and I'm
igration-Antidotes for
Scale Bugs.

We hear of number of families, who have
been repeatedly flooded out on the Sacra-
mento and other river bottoms, who contem-
plate the securing of locations for homes in
the foothills. This is good determination.
One thing they will then be sure of-that the
food will not submerge them and carry away
all their property, and cover up their soil
with sand and slickens every few years.
They will not have quite as rich land to cul-
tivate, but they will be able to get
on to their land the year round
without boats, and they will not
be to the expense of keeping both boats
and wagons TO go to market in-one for use
in the winter and the other in the summer
as all the farmers on the Sacramento have
been Obliged to do for years back. They
may not be able to raise quite as many pota-
toes, or as much corn and pumpkins or other
products. to the acre, as they have been doing
on the Sacramento, but they will be able to
plant in the spring and not wait till the
water goes down in the middle OF sum
mer before they can plow or cultl-
vate their soil. as the river farmers
nave lslQ TO 90. ne IUObDlliS are DSCulldll1y
adapted to the production of variety OF
crops. An industrious family can go onto a
foothill farm and raise all they will need to
eat and drink, and, we may add, nearly all
they will need to wear All the early spring
vegetables, such as lettuce, radishes, peas,
beans, beets, carrots, parsnips, ETC., come for
ward very quickly in the foothills, and can IN
fact be planted in the fall and kept growing
all winter, and be ready for use in the early
spring. In most localities in the foothills
green corn, early rose potatoes, and vegeta'
bles of the above description, can be ready
for the farmers table before the seed can be
planted on much of the best land on the Sac
ramento river, on account of the water. Mesa
crops, too can be produced late in the sea-
son, with little care to irrigate them. The
foothills are also adapted to the vine and
fruit, and nut bearing trees of all kinds, as
well as to every variety of small fruits, as the
bIackberTies, raspberries and strawberries
so that the farmer can raise not only
for family use all these necessaries and
luxuries, but he can sell either fresh
or dry fruits to sell or put them up in cans
for sale. A few COWS and hogs and sheep can
also be kept to supply milk and butter and
pork and lard and mutton and veal. This
stock can be kept during the summer months
on the refuse and coarse products of the
farm and on the hay and straw during the
winter. During the winter also there can be
good, fresh, growing feed for them nearly all
the time by sowing each fall few acres in
re. This grain in the foothills makes an ex-
cellent growth in the late fall and winter,
and may be pastured to a late date in the
spring, and then will make good crop of
hay. But perhaps the chief advantage of
the foothills over the low river bottoms is
their desirableness for a home A home
once made and beautihed, as it may be on the
foothills, becomes a permanent resting place
for the family. Around such place the
affections attach and fasten as they can never
do on the banks of any river liable to over
how every season and wash everything before
its angry floods. No more delightful place
can be found in the world than
on the western slope of the Sierra
Nevada mountains for the building up
of a happy, prosperous and virtuous
rural community. The wonder is that this
section has been allowed to remain unsettled
and uncultiyated so long. Many people
imagine as they travel over this section and
see only here and there house, and perhaps a
small orchard, that all the desirable locations
have been taken up. This is great mistake.
Most of the settlements heretofore have been
made in small valleys or flats between rolling
hills and at the feet of ravines. with the
idea that the soil in these valleys and flats is
superior to that on the hillsides. This is also
mistake As rule the hillsides contain
the best soil for all purposes. This fact has
been demonstrated about Newcastle, in
Placer county, and at every other locality
where the capacity and value of the sol
have been put to test. Six or eight years ago
the lands about Newcastle were not regarded
as any more valuable than lands in any other
locality at an equal altitude on the foothills
of that county. They have since been taken
up and occupied by orchards, vineyards and
small fruit gardens, and to-day the lands for
worth from So to $3.50 per acre, and actual
experience has demonstrated that the flat
lands, at first most sought for, are the least
valuable.