Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-30
ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR 1884.
The following figures have been obtained
from the Assessors returns for this year
YOLO COUNTY.

This fine farming district lies on the west
side of the Sacramento river, and is bounded
on the north by ColuSa. south by SOlano,
east by Sacramento and Sutter. and west by
Napa and Lake. The first white settler was
Captain William Gordon who located on
Cache creek rs early as 1912. He began
farming on I limited scale in 1917 having
that year succeeded in raising few acres
of wheat by the primitive methods then in
vogue among the natives Many persons
who came to the State after the discovery of
gold were SO well pleased with the apparent
fertility OF the soil in Yolo. that settlers
began to flow in and Yoio has ever since
stood in the front rank of agricultural
counties The wheat land of YolO is prob
ably not surpassed in richness bv that of
any other section. But there rs elsewhere,
the early farmer was an improyident tel-
low, and sOwed and reaped his grain every
year without thought of the disastrous
effects that must follow when everything
possible is taken from the soil for years and
no compensation made 10 it therefor
Hence, the great wheat-growers found it
necessary, many years ago, to rest Their
land occasionally, or to Summcr-fallow
and since then better results have been
obtained. 1t is rarely that Yolo county cX-
periences a serious crop failure, owing TO
the fertility of the soil and improved
methods of farming.
THE GROWING OF GRAPES
And the larger fruits have of late years re-
Ceived considerable attention, especially in
the vicinity of Davisville, Winters and
Woodland From these enterprises excel
lent results have been obtained, and Golo
promises to become, if it may not be al
ready considered, an important hOrticultu-
raj county. The raisins sent to market
from that county are regarded the best,
thus far, produced in the State. The more
prominent producers of raiSins are K. B.
blowers, d. G. RumSey, 5. z. Pond, \.
WYckof, J. \. Dillon, q. G.. Briggs and the
Oakshade Fruit Company.
The Briggs orchard and vineyard near
Davisvile embraces somewhere in the
neighborhood of 300 acres. and one season S
receipts therefrom, two or three years ago,
were reported at about 100000. The
orchard of
| THE oAKsUADE FRUIT COMPANY,
Which is also in the vicinity of Davisville,
| covers three hundred and fifty acres, and
| contains -, ,5l2 trees and 25,764 vines OF
the fruit trees II ,126 are pear, ) 200 almond,
| ,423 apricot, 2754 plum, ,502 peach 3S3
\ nectarine, 9S black walnut, and 26 cherry.
| The vineyard contains II ,525 Muscat vines,
| 5,739 Emperor, 1.600 Sultana, and 500
| Flame Tokay. Among the owners of this
| fine property are w. L. Brown, of San
| Francisco; DR.. W. Il. ClunesS, of Sacra-
mento, and l.. A. Garnett, of Nolo. Where
| this orchard now stands there was fifteen
years ago a mulberry orchard of half a
| million trees, the property of the Pioneer
Silk Growers and Manufacturers Associa-
| ton. This association started ont with
brilliant prospects for the raising of silk
| worms, the sale of silkworm eggs and the
manufacture of silk. But q series of mis-
haps and i'll luck were finally succe eded by
the destruction Of all the cOmpaly's silk
| worms, some 100000 in number, by {
! protracted spell of extreme heat, which oc
Cured in 1871. The company BECAME dis
| couraged, dug mp its mulberry fees, anC
replaced them with fruit trees. Thus wa'
formed the nucleus of the now ma 5nificen
orchard and vineyard of the CaEshadt
Company.
\ GRANGER MOVEMENT
In 1874 the Grangers were afoower il
| YolO county. Their oreanization was per
feet, and they seemed to have arrived a
that stage of affairs when they could af1orC
to be independent of grain anil money
kings. So i'll the latter year they Concluded
to do their own shipping to Europe, an(
entered into an agreement with Morgant
Sons. alleged shipowners, to move tina
years crops. The grain Tor abou. 500 00t
worth of it) got into the hands of Nor
gan's Sons, and from theirs into those o
Daniel Meyer, and then the foaner failet
for $l000,000. This was virtually tn,
i
Yolo.
The success which has attended, all agri
cultural and horticultural enterprise il
Yolo has caused strong demand, and con
sequently higher prices. for land. Choice
Improved tracts for fruit-grOwing are sale
to have been sold as high as $500 per acrt
in the vicinity of Winters, while even S7j
to 500 is asked for best farming lands
There are localities, however, in which
land can be had for half the latter figures
IRRIGATION, ALFALFA, ETC.
Irrigation has been practiced to some ex
tent in Iolo county, and with good effect
There are several prosperous ditch compa
nies i'll the county, and all are well patron
lied.
| Alfalfa is extensively grown, and is
very profitable crop. One farmer is said tt
have received profit of so per year from
one acre near the town of Woodland.
Yolo farmers and other producers have
excellent market facilities, the county beins
traversed north and south and east anC
west by lines of railroad. Considerable
trading is done by residents of Yolo Will
Sacramento merchants, as they find they
can save money by dealing with the busi
ness houses of this city. Shecp-raising
dairying, cattle-raising, etc, are branches o
industry by no means neglected, ever
though not so extensively carried on q
they were some years ago.
The towns in Yolo county-WoodIand
Davisville, Knights Landing, Madison
Winters and others-are all growing an(
prosperous. Throughout the county arr
excellent school facilities, and the pecpl,
generally are intelligent and enterprising.