Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-01-25

successive dry season, and the grcuDQ con-
tains no amount of moisture. The rainfall
thus far is ouly 46S inches. The season, /
however, thus far, has been suitable for the
crops but drenching, continuous rain is
needed inside of two weeks. The sowing Is
about accomplished. The weather was favor
able for plowiug and for sowing, and the
crop will be very large, If the rain comes In
tine, and in quantity sufficient. a rain OF
six or eight inches is needed at one time,
thoroughly to wet the ground SO as to carry
the moisture deep into the soil, to supply the
roots Of the trees with the necessary drink.
II the rain comes half an inch at time and
bright, drying weather comes between the
showers, the crop will not be good. The fruit
trees, also, would be seriously injured.
The nightly fogs are relief to vegetation
near the bay, hut do not penetrate further
than San Lesndro. The srsble lsnd in Ala
media county has been cultivated for years,
and thu acreage does not incrs ase perceptibly.
Beyond few steep hillside places. under
cultivation this season, principally because
the weather favored blowing, no new land
has been touched by the piow. Some few
acres, formerly in grain, have bsen planted
in fruit trees Mora wheat and less barley
thsn ususl have been sown, b Te4son OF
large supplies of the latter from last year;
but the changes in crops are ioconsiderabIe.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
MARTNEz.-The crop prospects in this
county are very discouraging, more especially
in the eastern section. We have had st this
place ST inches of rain to date, the ground
not being wet enough to warrant good plow-
| ing. Seeding has almost ceased for the pres
| ent, and not more than one-hAlf the acreage
| has baeu sOwD, as compared with the past
three years. The barometer is falling, snd
how marks 29 80.
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY.
STOCKTON Careful inquiry reveals the
| fact that the area sown to wheat in San
Joaquin county is less than last year. The
early.sown grain appears well. but now needs
rain The black land has not been mois-
tened more than to the depth of four inches
at any time during the season, while the soil
on the sand plains il now moist over foot
from the surface. The rainfall up to date
this season has been 8 IL inches, against 6.O4
| the corresponding season of last year. The
fell rains of last year were suddenly dried up
by strong winds, while so far this season
| there has bsen singular absence of desiccst-
| ing blasts. Farmers are beginning to feel
some uuessiness, for unless rain comes injury
| to the young grain is inevitable. Flowing
has been suspended for some time, bat
should rain come in a week or two the
area CT wheat would be greatly
extended. Parties on the eastern verge Of
the trle lands are sowing wheat now. A
farmer told your reporter to-day that 10 come
localities she grain had not sprouted but was
| still sound while in other places the late
| sown wheat had spruuted about on inch, and
the seed was cnveloped in a dry mold, and
would surely lose all its vitality unless rain
came soon. On the black land and other deep
soil the crops are in fine condition. some of
the wheat being four inches high. Last year
there were abou: 800. 600 acres in grsir, and
fair estimate CT the thus far planted
| this season is about 260, coo acres. Consider
ing the dry state CT the weather, the condi-
ton of the crops is good, but to talk Of the
outlook would be venturing upon sn IN
safe domain of prediction.
sTANIsLAUs COUNTY.
MoDEsro.-It looks more like rain to-day
than it has for several weeks past. Up to
date we have 80 inches of rain. Last year
we had but little more. The weather has
been very cold for month past, but the
grain never looked better st this season Of
the year OF course there is a great deal
sown that is not up yet. AS far as can be
learned at present, there is much more grain
in this year than ever before in Stsnisiads
county. Mary Of our farmers think there
viii be a good season. They look for good
rains next month. The West Side farmers
have put in all tGeir land, although they
have had much less rain than We have had on
this sid5 of the river. AS the farmers sli
about through putting in their grain, laborers
are plentiful; in fact, the country has Eeen
overrun with men this winter.
MERGED COUNTY.
4 M 4. IL
season amounts TO 2. &c inches. The amount
for last season up to February !, 1883, was
3.64 inches. The whole amount of rainfall
for last year wss go inches. The condition
OF the grain crops in all of that portion of
MERGED county lying north of the town of
MERGED and east Of the San Joaquin river is
good, not being materially damaged thus far
for want Of moisture, and if showers should
fall within n couple OF weeks the prospect
would be fair for good crops. South of Mer-
ced, on the east side of the San Joa-
quin, the crops stand in great need of
rain, and in come places are suffering Sc
vsrelY, especially the winter sown and vol
uateer fields. There is sn increased area
of land sown in the portion of the county
above mentioned than last year, including
the volunteer, but far les of the grain now
growing is in summer fallow than the crop Of
, 1888 Up to this time the sheep aen report
the grazing generally good from the foothills
Of Msriposs county to the San Joaquin
, river, though they fear that stock will suffer
for feed unless rain should set in within q
, few days. The farmers continue seeding the
lands they have plowed, but except on sandy
soils the blowing of new ground has ceased.
On the west side, in this county, above the
, San Joaquin and Kings River Canal. neither
grass nor grain has sprouted, owing to the
fact that no rain has fallen, and the focks
and h srds that have not been driven av sy for
pasture are literally starving. Below the
canal, where irrigation is carried on, the
crops are quite forward ard promise well
The weather has changed in the past twenty.
four hours, having turned warm and cloudy,
giving cause to hope for rain in q few days,
J and if copious showers should fall in the next
, ten days or two weeks the crops will be placed
, in Gs good condition ss could be desired and
the prospect made fair for good harvest
All depends upon rain from this time for
ward.
TULARE COUNTY.
VIsALIA-The amount of acreage of grair
in this county is about three-fourths as much
as last year, although as much lard has beer
plowed. Up to this time the rainfall is Ii;
inches However, the grain ia in better con
dition than 81 this time last year, so If We
! have rain soon. and late ones, too, we csr
expect an abundant harvest but if we have
no more rain the crop will be q failure. The
farmers have stopped seeding to wait fer rain
: KERN COUNTY.
BAKgRsFIELD.-The rainfall up to date hai
J been less than in any corresponding periot
since this county was settled. For the who'll:
t county it has probably averaged less thar
one inch. and the distribution has bsen IN
equal. While in some places two inches ha
fallen, in other places there has been slmos
none. The crops here are raised principally
e by irrigation, but ss the continued drg
? weather gave rise to fears of scarcity o
/. | water Tor that PURPOSE. q much smaller ares