Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-19

son on its side, because earthquakes are al most always in the region of volcanoes, and volcanoes are almost always in or near the ocean.
 sAnother theory of earthquakes is that as the earth is very gradually cooling off, the crust is thickening on the under side, and cracks or Assures on the under side of the crust many miles deep may occur in conse- quence of the enormous pressure, so that the water substance rushes into 8 new position with a force that would knock a continent out of shape if it took place on the earth's surface. That motion would be sufficient to produce vibration thirty miles distant.
 Whatever the cause of the earthquake on Sunday" added Professor Merriman, q think the earth in the region where it took place has either settled into new position or is forced back into old position from which it was pushed by 4. uer earthquakes.
 Wheat Harvest fin California. Stockton (Cal) Correspondence of the Hartford
 Courant]
 California; having, like the tropical coun- tries, only two seasons, is peculiarly adapted to the culture of wheat in it's interior val 1eys. The valley of the San Joaquin with the Sacramento furnishes some of the lar gest wheat fields in the United States, be- ing rivalled only by those of the Red River
 
 which when wet becomes very sticky, and on drying becomes like stone. Roads al- most impossible in the wet season become in summer as hard and smooth as the finest macadamized roads. Crops other than wheat cannot be raised except by irriga- tion. As the wheat is fully grown by the time the dry season commences, it is very Ro {La eo;o dry for threshing at the time it is cut. Combined machines for cutting and thresh- ing wheat at the same time are increasing in number very fast.
 On reaching 8 grain field ones attention is drawn to an object which has an appearance similar to house of small size moving by it's own power through the field, which stretches as far as one can see in all directions. On it's near approach it is found that instead of moving by it's own force it is propelled by twenty very large mules, which were hidden behind its huge proportions. The mules are fastened in two lines, ten abreast, to long whiffletrees attached to @ heavy timber, at the back end of which is the wheel which steers the machine. As one sits on top of the machine and looks behind he sees the ears and backs of the mules, and it seems much like putting the cart before the horse, habit the people have here. The pilot sits in front of the wheel steering, and the sensation to 'SeN3 N~AN of the whip warns some laggard mule to move faster.
 Close to the knives stands a man who rais- es or lowers them according as the grain is tall or not, all that is wanted is to cut just below the heads. Passing by an endless belt the heads are carried to the cylinder or pick CT; the grain is threshed, and through set of sieves is cleaned and sent along by a set of scoops to the sack sewer, who fills the sacks Then sewing them, they are ready for market, and sliding down an inclined plane lie ready for the wagon, which they are carried to pile of other sacks all ready to be hauled to market. As the price at present is very low, only S1.35 per cental, many farmers will leave the grain in the fields for many weeks, knowing that there is no danger of rain. This immunity from wet makes the farmers tor, as they are called here, ranchers) careless, and many show the improvident way of the country by leaving machine which cost two thousand dollars without cover through the winter As these machines weigh three or four tons each, their is only possible in a country where the soil bakes hard like pavement. To give minute description of one of these machines would trespass too much on your columns, but this may give a general idea.