, 1882-05-26
Government land in California.

A merchant of Big Valley, Lassen
County, writes that There is Il large
quantity of public land in this valley,
as well as patented lands of all grades
for sale at moderate prices. / can
place immigrants in body on good
public lands capable of sustaining
from twenty to fifty families" One
of the oldest and most prominent
merchants Of the same county writes
that In the vicinity of Bieber there
is Government land suitable for gen
eral farming, for single homes or set
tlement of five, ten, twenty or more
families. 1t is mostly level, rolling
country. The mountains are pretty
steep. This valley big Valley is
about twenty miles by thirty-fve
miles. The smaller valleys are mar
row. Grain does we'll; vegetables not
so well, owing to frost. Fruit has
not been tried extensively, but where
tried it does well. Stock does excel
lently if feed is provided for winter
The raising of cattle, wheat, barley
and potatoes is the most profitable
farming. Living prices can most
always be had for farm productions.
There is plenty Of water Pitt river
runs through Big valley, and always
has plenty of water Other creeks
such as Willow, Ash and Butte creeks
always contain water, There are
besides a good many springs. In
most places water is found for wells
between eight and twenty-five feet.
Near Pitt river is a chalk formation
and water is not obtained short of
forty to sixty feet. Irrigation is not
general or necessary. The average
snow and rain fall is not less than
forty to fifty inches. The timber is
about one-half pitch pine, one-tifth
yellow pine, ne-seventh sugar pine,
one fftieth scrub oak, with little
larger proportion Of Juniper, fir and
cedar. Our forests are inexhaustible.
There are good wagon roads. The
Government lands are not fenced in
large tracts by stock men or others.
The prices of private lands are from
five to ten dollars an acre. There are
no churches in this vicinity. There
are ten school districts in this valley.
Society is gradually improving. The
class of citizens Is good"
A leading business firm of Cedar
vile, Modoc county, writes that "the
Government lands Of this section, that
is. such as are suitable for pasture or
cultivation, have mostly been taken
up, either by pre-emption, homestead
or under the Sage Brush Act There
are many large tracts owned by par
ties, as in the Sacramento valley, that
might support larger population if
owned in smaller farms. The noun
tains are too steep and rocky for cul-
tivation, and are accessible only by
roads and trails, etc, although they
furnish the wood and timber and good
pasture in the summer season. The
climate is rather severe in winter, ow-
ing to the high altitude, etc. The
soil in the valleys is good and pro
duces barley, wheat, oats and vege-
tables well. The fruits raised here sue
cessfully are apples, pears, peaches,
plums, nectarines, blackberries, straw
berries, raspberries, cur. ants, etc. I'm.
migrants coming now would have to
purchase lands, and by purchasing in
large tracts could start colonies if de-
sired. This country is attracting at
tention and is steadily improving and
increasing in taxableproperty. Near
ly all parties Of industrious and tenn
perate and economical habits have
done well, and it is that class Of i'm
migrants that the country needs, or
none.
Fall River valley lies at the south
ern extremity Of this chain of valleys.
1t alone, in connection with a few
small valleys close by, embraces 175
square miles of tillable soil, which is
almost entirely free from timber. and
perhaps would answer The descrip-
tion is of prairie land, with the ex-
ception Of few thousand acres of