Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-05-08
CALIF0RNIA
A Hasty Glance at the Present
Condition of the State.

SVhAtASAVA VI ~ 0e8sO
Cooperative smoking, says the Sscra-
mento Bee, is the lesson taught the grape.
growers by the recent severe frosts. The
smoke from q few heaps of straw will not
protect many vineyards in a large valley
from injury by frost. Had there been
unity of action in Nspa and Sonoma Val
leys in the use Of smoke, the late frosts
would have done little or no damage.
Cooperation and organization would make
smoking IN effective preventative. A per-
feet system of smoking, extended over the
whole area exposed, could be relied upon
as a sufficient safeguard against frost.
Windbreaks of trees or hedges, however,
are OF the greatest value. and in The
neighborhood Of Sacramento just now one
can see their usefulness clearly demon
strated. Shelter from northerly winds
has secured immunity from the frosts,
while exposed vineyards have suffered, If on
low ground. The effect Of elevation Is
of q few feet in the ground has made the
vines safe, while vines in q depression may
be found severely nipped.
The general outlook for the grain crops
has improved a little In some portions OF
49, eet 0oVt 0h WhOAOS GAO .@A
half a full crop can be expected. A farmer
of thirty years experience in this county
says he has never seen a worse year here
for grain. The fruit crop, however, with
the exception of a few varieties, will be
good throughout the State. Frost has
given many vineyards a severe check, but
yet the output of wine will be enormous,
and may reach 20, 900, 900 gallons. At
Healdsburg there is more fear of . lack of
barrels and watts than of the effect OF frost.
The wool-growers have good reason to
be satisfied this season, which has been the
best in many years for sheep. Spring wool
is coming into market, and the fieeces are
of good weight and quality.
There are indications that in California
the African is to take the place of the
Asiatic as q laborer. Negroes are largely
employed on ranches in Kern county,
where they give entire satisfaction, and it
is announced that negroes obtained from
Kentucky have been substituted for Chi
nese in q number Of orchards at Vacaville.
The blacks are infinitely preferable to the
yellow men, n the immigration OF the
former should be encouraged. Every
sober and industrious negro who comes to
California can realize his dream of "forty
acres and a mule"
The Hessian fly annually appears in por-
tions Of Sonoma and Solano counties, and
is at work this year as usual, but has not
greatly extended its ravages. Grasshop-
pers have appeared in various portions of
this State, but it is probable that the extent
of their depredstions has been much exag-
gerated. There was reason to fear from
the reports Of their operations in Butte
county, that they were a species of the
dreaded migratory locust, but this appre-
hension has not been confirmed.
Immigrants continue to pour In. Among
the colonies expected to arrive shortly are
one from Kansas. Modoc county, hitherto
much neglected, but which has thousands
of unoccupied fertile land, is receiving q
good share of the newcomers. The State
is making a rapid and satisfactory develop
ment.