Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-02


in 1916 and the latter in 1876; but we be-
lieve the first sown and harvested after the
discovery of gold was by Thomas Cochran,
in 1850, near the present village OF Cache
vile.
AGRICULTURE IN 1851.
Increased interest in agricultural pur-
suits was manifest this year and cuitlya.
ton was extended, and the number OF
ranches taken up were increased. Samuel
Norris cultivated both barley aud wheat
on his place this year, besides renting con-
siderable land to others for cultivation.
Grain was still cut with the scythe and
cradle, for the want of better machinery,
but Mr.. Norris this year purchased a
thrashing machine, with which to thrash
his grain. What kind of machine this
was, or where it came from, we cannot
state, but az near as we can learn, 1t was
the first brought into use in the State
Mr.. Norris also had small -four mill, with
which he ground wheat, which, being
sifted- made kind of graham flour, but
he sold the largest portion of his wheat
whole to DR.. o. Nj. Wozencraft for the In
dians under his charge as Indian Agent.
The Doctor was then located with his
wards on the Yuta river. The price paid
for the wheat was eleven and twelve cents
per pound. The Indians ground and pre-
pared the -four in their own
PRIMITIVE WAY.
The mill Of Norris was a pair OF French
burrs about twelve inches in diameter, and
had copper gearing 1t could be worked
by hand, but it was also geared to horse
power, and we presume was one OF those
reported by General Halleck, as before
stated, Mr.. Larue continued his farming
operations on the Norris ranch, and having
imported some vegetable seed-more than
he wanted to plant sold the surplus IN
the spring at the rate OF $40 per pound.
From one acre in melons he cleared over
81, COO But his heaviest venture was IN
planting twenty acres of onions. These
grew very large and fine, but before they
were gathered, there came an early rain,
followed by warm weather, and this caused
the onions to take start for second
growth, and ruined the whole lot. Others
had their onions injured in similar man
ner, and the rush to sell them reduced the
price TO ten cents pound. At this rate
it would hardly pay to gather and market
even good onions, with labor and other
expenses so high. G. G.. Briggs located
his place on the Yuba river in 1850, and in
the spring of 1851 he planted twenty-five
acres in watermelons, which, with the aid
of two men, he cultivated, harvested and
sold that season, to people who came to his
place and took them away or ate them, at
a clear profit above all expenses, OF more
than ST, 900.
THE DEMAND FOR BARLEY
To feed work stock continued, and the
supply from Chile being inadequate to the
price in Sacramento ruling
at about the same as wheat-from Il cents
to l3 cents the pound, number were in.
duced to enter into its cultivation in diff
ferent parts of the State. Chiles & Irwin,
on the Sacra5nento, on land now owned by
E. Comstock, raised few acres. E. L.
Brown and h .;s son, W. W, had quite
crop on Putah creek, in Yolo county, and
the Spaniards, named Vacca, in the north.
ern part of Solano county, also raised and
harvested quite an extensive crop. There
also was barley received from the Santa
Clara and Napa valleys this year. There
was still but little confidence that the
lands of the plains back from the
river bottoms could mature crops
of small grains, notwithstanding wild oats
covered the whole country with a luxuriant
growth, and in some places attained the
hight of eight and ten feet above the
ground. 1t required
CONSIDERABLE COURAGE
To enter upon the cultivation of land in
wheat or barley that became so dry and
hard upon the surface as early as June In
the year that it would crack open, leaving
crevices broad enough to receive mans
foot, and which was more like dried brick
than fertile soil. Then again it seemed
impossible that grain could be produced on
soil that received no rain or irrigation
from any source from the time of sowing
till time to harvest. In the face of these
doubts, reasonable and thoughtful men
could not explain the fact of the wonder
full growth of wild oats upon any other
hypothesis than that the same land upon
which these oats grew without cultivation
would, if cultivated, grow tame oats, bar
lev or wheat To support this reasonable
view, it now began to be generally under
stood that barley had been raised by the
men whom we have before named in va
rious parts of the country, from lS40 to
lS4S; and then here were
FACTS OF A LATER DATE,
The production of barley on Putah
creek by the Browns and Vaccas, and by
John Cochran and others on Cache creek,
in lS5l-a year of drought, in which here
had fallen but a inches of rain. These
views gave courage to many to enter upon
the cultivation of the land for barley, and
the fact that barley was scarce and high
from II to Is cents a pound, notwith.
standing Chile was sending US all her sur
plus-stimulated and increased the dispo-
siton to enter upon the generally. consid-
cred doubtful experiment 1t was seen,
also, that the demand for feed for working
stock was rapidly increasing with the in
crease of the freighting business and the
establishment of stage lines from the dis
tributing points to all parts of the mines.
Under the influence of all these consider
atoms many people not only began to think
about agriculture as a profitable business
in the immediate future, but Others who
did not contemplate the cultivation of the
soil were led to begin to look upon the
possible value of land in the future as an
opportunity of speculation.
THE NEW ERA IN AGRICULTURE
Really had its beginning in 1852. In the
fall of 1851 C. I. Hutchinson, Charles E..
Green and w. w. Cozens built a house,
barns, shops, etc, and began to make a
grain farm on Putab creek on what soon
became known as the Big Ranch" They
put in 500 acres of barley. F. S. Freeman
and others put in 100 acres on Upper Cache
creek. Curry Barney, ]. Fl. photograph
and others put in crops ranging from eighty
to 100 acres, in different parts of Yolo
county. The Vaccas and others raised in.
creased quantities in Solono county. Some
crops were raised on both sides of the Sac
ramento river, and barley and wheat were
sown in Nspa, Santa Clara. San Joaquin
and Alameda counties. On the Norris
ranch Mr.. Norris raised large crop OF
wheat, and the production of vegetables in
various sections OF the State was greatly
increased,
NEW FERRY BOAT.
After the successful season of 1850, and
seeing the increasing business of travel of
the country, we determined to keep up
with the demands OF the country in our
ferry facilities across the Sacramento. We
therefore purchased the steamer Sacra.
mento, side-wheel boat of about thirty
tons burden, then running on the Sacra-
mento river as freight and passenger
Ion4 W. har IN fxu0 iaOOthWlsa