Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-03-01
NO. I6.
California Letter.
MERGED. CAL, Feb. 10, 1884,

u ~ hiCuct' ptHT DTO' IOuFt Jtn
inst. received. My excuse for writing
again 80 soon IL for want Of something
else tn he doing. We have dome little
Else than eat, sleep and play croquet
since the rain storm began, 25lh Of
january. Since that time the ground
has not been in condition tn work.
Had it not been for the rain l would
have had my garden work well alung.
We had fine rain since my last If
2 80 100 inches. Swelled our little
creeks higher than | have seen them
since 1878. My grain was nearly all
ovtrfnwed. the water remaining on
the r,und only about forty four
hours, dning no damage to crop or
otherwise. We have now had since
january 25lh over 7 inches. and dur
Ing the season 10 inches rainfall. We
c"unt the rain season beginning with
first rains in the. fall To last rains in The
spring. Our prospects f"r good crops
are very Aaltering. have never sven
u failure with this amount at rain.
Our heavy land would have been more
sure had the rains cnme earlier, hut
satisfactory now. All are in fiue spir-
its. and If nothing unusual occurs from.
this on MERGED and SIanislaus counties
will have perfect bonanza in wheat.
| think MERGED county will probably
have far the largest cr"p ever grow in
it. There ia an increased acreage sown
and put in well. My neiphhr, Mr..
Huffman, told me yesterday that he
expecei to make from ten to twelve
thousand TINS If wheat and harley.
He has large farm Of very fine land.
He has in wheat and barley about o.
600 acres. He is, perhaps. the largest
farmer in the county. don't mean
to gay that he has more land in cult.
vatinn, but ,hat he is experimenting
more work than any other man IN the
county. Other large land holders lease
their lands. Mr.. Huffman is one If
the hest farmers in this part Of The
State. nm about the smallest IN this
vicinity. calculate now that If nnth.
my unusual happens ] will double my
last years crop on the same land This
season will must surely give land an
other bonn in price. When land
makes move here it IL always up.
This is why so many have made for.
tunes in land and are still making them.
Lands are cheaper further south. but
it will certainly g. up more rapidly in
the future. The land spoken Of hy
our friend, H. r. Etter, of Borden,
will, in all probability, double in value
inside of four years. just 81 soon as
means are provided for watering The
land it will advance in value beyond all
expectation. The water is there in
abundance, running To waste. San
Joaqnin river is running near The
lands mentioned. Land is not so high
in price around Borden as on either
side, north or south. Fresno coun'y
is one of the most prosperous counties
iF> the state. Her county town is
building up rapidly, surrounded by
some Of the most furnishing districts
in this or any other state. Whatever
ia being done is dome to stay. That
county has a very fine court house.
But have said enough, 20 far as its
natural resources are concerned. You
cannot imagine the difference in this
and your part Of Tennessee. Every.
thing Is TN the move here. We have
strong energetic, enterprising men
here, VINO have the the push and strive
to keep up with the progress Of the
country. You intimate in your last
that you may find time t. make US
visit, but say you never expect to make
this your home. ! would not advise
you to do so at your age, but | will
venture to say that after YOU have
made visit here and return home,
you will he sick to cOme hack again,
and will soon get yourself tn believe
that this is most desirable country,
and will wonder why more young men
do not come to this country. We ara
still expecting II. r. Etter to pay us
visit. Our love 10 all.