The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-06-22
tCorrr.pondencc OF the Richmond Dtpa,ch.l
NrCIING'S RANCH,

tt,orr.pondeurc Of the Richmond Dhpatoh.
NcCLuNG's RANCH.
KERN COUNTY, Cat, Juue isS2.
When wrote You from San Francisco
had only taken lirds-cyc yic~ on II, and
OF course was moi prepared with an "opn-
ton.- and before The time for the majority
of that opinion arrived | was induced 60
romc down here among tho big ranches OF
Kern county. perhaps tho largest stock
ranches In the State. The distance from
San Francisco ~ this place is 325 miles due
south, aud do not think ever suIiercdas
much by
MAT AND Dust
N. I did In coming down here ana for
few DAYS or so afterwards; but u l. now
much cooler and the dust more bcarahlc. | do
not think. however that could long stand
a residence In a country where II never
rains much. and seldom rains ut all, and
whose soil l. composed Of sand. alkali. and
vegetable matter and where the ihcrmo-
meter frequently registers from l00o to li00
In the shade when YOU attempt To walk
about YOU sink into the loose soil
sufficiently 10 make IL wcuisomc and
dusty, and when YOU drive cloud of
dust viii accompany YOU, and unless The
wind j. favorable VIII sorncaimcs almost
dust hang between YOU and the coast range
of mountains and look like a mist ~ rain.
Occasionally. am told, there Is a regular
~and-siorm, aud then the heavens are
darkcncd and every crack and croNicc of
your dwelling IL penetrated 10y the dust.
aud breathing material l. difficult 10 work
with. That L. the dark side. Now LET us
look at
ruy nrtlitT SINK az Ilir PICTURE
A large river. which l. fed 10y the SHOWS
Of the Sierra Nevada mountains, flows
through this valley and affords abundance
of water for irrigation; and there is not an
acrc ~ land In thus extensive basin that is
not or cannot lee irrigated. and being Wa
tered, the valley ot the Nile is not more fer
tile. Indeed, mn acre ~ alfalfa here will
producc more siOck-iccd than the same
nmoun, oi land will produce anywhere else
that ever heard al. Alfalfa Tor hay and
grazing. and barley for graln-fccding. The
fencing l. iutcrmiuahlc. and the SIugS and
bitches inuumcmhlo. ON this ranch there
j. one outside hoard-icncc that embraces an
area Of $4,000 acres.
STOCK or EVERY DESCRIPTION
is numbered Ivy the thousand on some Of
the ranches. one man owns 10000 sheep,
and another has thousands of cattle and
hos, and another regiments ~ horses
Captain VI. +. TAYLOR. who. 10y the way is
an old Confederate soldier and real Virgin
ian gentleman. ana whose wife has 4 per-
son and bearing that would grace palace.
has on his ranch l.! 100 head ~ breeding
horses. besides jacks and ionniVS. lie has
the imported tiydcsdalc" and the Eng
iiSh dray -horSc, the American trottcr. in
Guiding the celebrated " Patchcn,' and
~. 4 L. -
imported. and an ~ The breeds are Of the
best. lie only keeps few hundred sheep
for family and ranch mutton. His barns,
stables. corral>. fencing. Nc.. are all first
class In build and material. and in arrange
men, arc wonderfully adapted 10 safety.
convenience. and economy: fine orchard.
ditto vineyard and vcgc,ahlc-gardcn. and
I know ladies In Virginia that would
almost die with envy at the sight ot Mrs.
Taylor'S flower and ShruhbCry arrange
mcnts. Gcranium> aud other flowers that
have ~ hc pottcd and pcttcd m Virginia 10
get foot high arr growing and lowering
with the statrlinc>S and pride of natives rs
high ~ nv head.
A large portion Of The
LABOR oN Tltn RANCHES
l. done hy Chinese. and 81 far H. my ohScr-
Walton extends they aro The best lahorors |
ever saw, and arr particularly suited q the
Irritating process laRd nothing grows here
without in. ~ they can work all day i'm
water without dciriuAcnt IL their health.
Mr.. Rawlins gave me some facts and
fIGTElsS ASayT SliEEr
which may im;SD>i YOU. lie Shcarcd this
spring ,I,NN sheep and his clip weighed
ssS tons. oao buck four years old. with a
SiN-mon,hS' cnowth oi wool, >hcarcd thirty
two pounds. Last season he ShCarvG
ihirty-Juo hacks. Snd Twenty-Five pounds
WAS The lowest weight aud iorlN->iX pounds
The highest nojglu oi the lot. rhcs shear
their si,cNcp twice wear. The Spanish me-
RHO s,~ms L. be the onsy Kind OF sheep tina,
they hive.
The faucuiug qualities oi alfalfa are
wonderful Everything seems "a Keep fat
ON II. lahor-saNing machinery Is used
wherever il can bc used. The lgay Is put
in tricks" from geo Ia SlQ feet louS. quite
broad. and of reasonable height: hut IL
there i oe ram i, b. turned oil. the ,cp Of
the rick = only lt,ilS oval
shall leave iorc Tonight for Les IN.
gclc>. whsch j. Use miles south ct this. and
|, called iit Paradise IT California