Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-07

Contra Costa.
MARTINEZ, January 6th.-Contra Costa county is
principally devoted to farming and grazing, wheat
being the staple Vines and fruit have not received
their due share OF attention, although the hsides
afford many favorable opportunities for good aeds
at reasonable prices for such purposes. Prices OF
land vary-for good tillable hill land from $40 to
$50 per acre; valley and. SEQ to S75 per acre: i'm
proved lands proportionately higher. Much OF
the ower-priced hill land be purchased for from
S. to sI2 Last year was unfavorabie for grain, but
the fruit crop was an average one The seeded
are large and farmers will be through in two weeks
The rainfall has been good, with much fog. The
manufacturing interests of the county small and
but lit e inducement is held out for immigration
or general enterprise, and but few improvements
are being made. new railroad from Oakland, via
Lafayette and Walnut creek and up the San Pablo,
is graded to San Pablo, and opens communication
with the wheat growing portion OF the county. The
new town of Crockett, six miles west of Martinez,
exists on paper A fine three-story hotel, and
large brick structure for the mandatory OF Mr..
HeaId of Vallejo, is nearly completed. 1t will
ploy about 200 Borkmen. With the opening of
spring the town will doubtless take steps in adj
vance. The Grange warehouses and other store
houses at Martinez Antioch and Port Costa are
stored with grain to overlooking. and new ones are
being built to meet the demand. The new ferry.
boat Ben!eia has Just been completed, and CON-
menced her trips between Martinez and Benica
Fresno.
FREsNo, January 9th The year. so far as this
section of the San Joaquin valley is concerned does
not open as proptiously could be desired in con-
sequence of the probability OF this being dry sea-
son. So far the rainfall has not been sufficient TO
wet the ground for blowing land, and the
suit is that many OF the settlers will be unable
to get in crops even though rain should now come
On the irrigated lands, however, the usual crops
will be raised Fruit culture and the growing of
alfalfa is mostly confined to the irrigated lands al
though in the vicinity of Selma, KingsbuIg and
WildAower the grain lands are irrigated. A large
area OF new land will be planted to vineyards this
season. the acreage being estimated at above 3,000
The drought has caused increased demand for
water for irrigation and the OF irrigated land
will be nearly doubled this season. Irrigated lands
sell at from $50 to $50 per acre. while land outside
of the irrigated belt sells at from IS to S. per acre
Town property is continually advancing in value,
and the sales are active. Twenty buildings are
in course of construction in the town. The town
has increased in size and population fully onethrd
during the year The growth of the county has been
fully as rapid and surprising as that of the town.
Kern.
BAKERsFIELD, January 5th.-Fa7ming operations
blowing and sowing grain and alfalfa-are proceed
ing throughout Kern valley actively. The area in
crops OF all kinds will be much larger than last year
Five or six hundred acres will be planted in cotton
There has been very little rain thus far, but the
prospects of dry season give rise to discourage
ment among the farmers There is always abund-
ance of water in Kern river, and there are ample
irrgating canals 10 conduct the water all the
agricultural portions OF the valley. There is, how
ever, feeling of encouragement among stock men
who have no lands in the valley. Those who have
jubilant over the prospects of high prices for
fat cattle, etc. General business was never bet
ter. The prospect OF a competing line of
railroad in the tie Atlantic and Pacific, the final
survey of which is now being made is imparting
confidence in holders of real estate and promoting
building both in town and country, great deal of
which is going on. Among the new buildings being
erected in Bakersfield is substantial, costly and
spacious business house for L, Hirschfeld Co. ].
B. Haggin has just purchased town lots in Bakers
field to the value of 81, OOO and is preparing to make
valuable improvements. No special indu ements
held out for immigrants at present, but they
readily find work to do, and good opportunities
are offered anywhere.
MERGED.
MERGED, January 5th.-The scant fall Of rain
throughout the county so far this season is begin
ming to great uneasiness in the minds of bust
ness men and farmers, and disposition to retrench
in the matter of expenditures is observable. The
rainfall to date here amounts to LES inches, O2 of
an inch having fallen on Tuesday The weather is
warm and sunny, with few fieeting clouds athwart
the heavens, giving us little hope of immediate
fallof rain. So far farming operations have pro-
gressed favorably the rainfall having been sufficient
to admit of blowing all light soils, the putting in
of summer faow and the blowing Of a large part of
adobe and dry bog lands most of which the grain
is up, put grows slow without copious showers from
this time on. There will be little raised this year
save upon lands subject to and prepared for Trga-
ton, which amounts to great many thousand
acres, water being supplied by the Farmers Canal
on the east side of the San Joaquin river, and by
the S. J. and X. R. Canal the west side, and by
number of smaller bitches and canals along the val
ley Of the MERGED river. Improvements upon real
estate have been made the past year in about the
ratio as in the season before but notably of
better quality-largsr and finer houses water tanks
windmis, sheds, etc, and larger and more substan-
tial barns, with modern improvements, elevators
with steam or horse power sliding doors. etc. In
this town there nine cottages building or just
completed, wagon shop and blacksmith shop, and
in addition to which c. Fl. Huffman's palatial resi-
dence on Bear creek, fronting the foot of street,
three stories high, with basement and attic, sur
mounted by a cupoa, and Garibaldis dwelling on
the corner of Nineteenth and streets, two stories
and basement, nearly finished. Acontract has been
let to build fre-proof vault connected with the
Recorders Office, 10 be completed in three months,
for $500.
Monterey.
SALINAS CrrY, January 6th.-Plowing and seeding
il we'll advanced in the linas valley except the
heavy bottom lands which are not yet moist enough
to low. There Will be much larger area of land
cultivated here this season than ever before. So
great has been the demand for land that rents in
some localities have considerably advanced. With
a rainfall of eight inches MORE which may quite
confidently be expected farmers will realize an
abundant harvest During the year just closed sew
eraI fine brick building have been erected in Salinas
City, and other substantial improvements are con-
templated in the coming season, result of good
crops and the good prices realized therefor.
Money is plentiful, and business OF all kinds
is brisk. There are but two manufacturing
establishments of any consequence in Salinas, viz
the Empire flour mills and the Standard -four mills
They turn out an excellent quality of -four, and find
no difficulty in selling all they make. leading
capitalist is taking Of the field here, with
a view OF building woalen mill, and factories of
various kinds will doubtless be established here il,
the near future The inducements to immigrants
are not of so favorable character the promoters
of the prosperity of our county could desire, be-
cause the greater portion of the best land held in
large tracts by parties who either ask exorbtant
prees or will not sell at ALL Still there is consider
able unoccupied Government land, especially in the
southern part of the county, where quite large
number of homesteads have been taken up during
the past year. Grapes grow splendidly down there,
and it will not be long till grapeculture is the lead
ing industry in that section of Monterey county
Wool growing, sock-raising and dairying are Hour
ishing pursuits in this county.
santa Cruz.
SANTA CRux, JaHuary 6th.-The indications in
farming here are good. About nine inches of rain