Connecticut western news., 1885-03-11

1uC AcaH DcAIJ u H WtOHheV
 At Lodi IS large steam saw mill, owned by the Lodi land and lumber company. In the spring of 1878 they had 5000, 900 feet of logs in the river, brought down from the sides of the Si- erras, 90 miles distant. The timber in this Live Oak belt is all small, with the exception of occasional white and water oaks which grow quite large. In clear ing the land they dig around the roots If the trees and cut them all of below blowing depth. This live oak is the very best of fire wood, burning free, ev- n when green and lasting well besides The roots, or grubs as they are called, make good back logs for the old fash toned fire place in common use through out California.
 In this section are some fine vegeta- ble gardens cultivated extensively by Italians. They are, in this state, very provident and industrious race of peo- pie, many accommodating considerabl, wealth. Their gardening is carried on systematically by irrigation, keeping a continual rotation of crops. Every thing is planted in rows, slightly raised. and between each row is 8 small ditcl |, by which the plants are watered. The water is all pumped up by horse power through twelve or fourteen inch pipes.
 The soil is 8 clay loam and varies frt m
 fifteen to twenty feet feet in depth. Un- der this clay soil is a strata of sand, known there as quick sand, and from which comes all the water. This water is slightly alkali in some places, but not general. By boring wells forty feet more-sixty in all-good pure, soft wa ter is obtained. What little alkali there IS in these shallow wells does not effect vegetation ill the least, and saves the expense of boring deeper and saves us-
 ng lifting pumps, as vacuum or Dou. . las pump will draw water from the depth
 If 33 feet only. The wells are bored sbout 12 feet apart, and the plungers ,re at each end of walking beam, driv-
 'n from cog wheels and sweep to whicl the horses are attached. This is the
 'heapest and most easily managed meth
 'd and the one in common use, and by
 which large amount of water is raised
 lally. Seeds are sown in these raised rows and watered enough to be kept steadily growing. As soon as 8 vegeta- ble has grown to marketable size it is taken up, or picked, as the case may be, and more seed put in it's place The vegetables raised are the roots |. e. parsnips, carrots, beets, turnips and ra fishes, with cabbage, onions, celery, -gg plant, and many other varieties, corn, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers. squash, citron, and musk and water melons, in fact everything in the green grocers line. The prices are very reasonable and but few people take the pains to make and take care of a gar den. This Live Oak belt is also cele- brated for its water melons. Several hundred acres are planted to them every year. In 1878 there were about 1,2OO acres planted to watermelons in the vi cinity of Lodi, and four car loads day were sent from that station to San Fran cisco. The average price for the season was S1. 50 per dozen.
 At New Hope, on the bottom land bordering on the Mokelumne and Sacra- mento rivers, large quantities of pota- toes are raised. This land Is known as the Tulies, from the tule or rushes that cover the land in it's native state. They are species of bulrush, growing singly and to the height of 10 or 12 feet All through this Tulie land are small creeks or sloughs, which literally swarm with wild geese, ducks and waterfowl of all kinds, during the rainy season. Thou sands are killed here every year, for their feathers alone, besides large quan- titles that are sent to city markets. The wild geese are terrible pest to the far mer throughout the state, at certain s ,ason. The wheat that Is sown, usually does not get covered but a little. and when it is just coming up the geese like to feed on it and as there is but little root to hold It. they take up seed and all, lestr ying large amount in the c urse of the season, before it is 80 big they can't pull it. Just biting of the sprout would do no harm, as it would sprout again. The farmers go around their fields and shoot at them to scare them away; many hire men for month just to keep the geese of their fields, paying $50 8 month and furnishing ammunition and board. After the grain is ripe the farmer has other birds and animals to bother him. Black birds and quail come by the thousands and de- stroy large amount of grain every year. Again the whole country is in
 est .d with gray squirrels which live in
 he ground. Hundreds of bushels more every year are destroyed by the squirrels. There is boun- ty of two cents head on squirrels in San Joaquin county. The Chinamen kill Q great many for the bouLty; the skin or ears required as proof, still with all that is done to get rid of them they grow mere numerous wheat soaked in is often put in their holes, which kills some, but they prefer to pick their own. scratching fresh dirt oE- CT the poisoned wheat.