Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-02-13

saw the opportunity, by bringing the waters
of the MERGED river out of its banks and
flowing it over their lands and those of
their neighbors, to increase in value not
only their own land, but those of their
neighbors. They set competent men to
estimating the cost of the canal, the
amount of land that could be irri-
gated, and they estimated the probable
increase in value of land to be benz
flied, with the following probable results !:
Cost of canal, 81 SOC, 900; land to be covered
in MERGED and Fresno counties, 200
acres; enhanced value of land per acre,
$50, or in the aggregate $30,000,000 This
large increase in value is not expected to be
immediate, but eventually it will be much
greater. The immediate projectors of the
enterprise, it is true will not realize any
thing like this great increased value, but
they will probably be well compensated for
their labor and capital expended and the
country will generally be the gamer to that
extent. The cost of the canal has been so
large on account of the necessity of some
5000 feet of tunneling, large portion of
this distance being through solid rock
Connected with the canal will be reser-
voir, covering some 600 acres, making a
lake of an average depth of water of from
% to 80 feet. The main canal is so feet on
the bottom and 100 feet at the top. This
canal and reservoir will be completed dur
ing the present season, so that the benefits
of irrigation may be realized next year.
when the town of MERGED, and the country
about it, will take rapid stride ahead. /
have been particular in describing this en-
terprise, because it is one of the latest, as
well as the most important, in the valley.
After the MERGED canal comes that of the
San COMMUNICATING water from the San
. 4
ing large areas of land in MERGED and
Fresno counties. The canal is about rs
miles long. Then comes the Fresno Canal
and Irrigating Company, with canal 100
feet wide and 50 miles long, and being ex-
tended as its waters are demanded From
Fresno south through Fresno, Tulare and
Kern counties the country is already pretty
well supplied with irrigating canals, there
being over i 900 miles of main canal
already in active use and a much larger
milage of branch canals and private dis
tributing bitches. The Mussel Slough coun-
try owes its rapid and wonderful develop
ment to the enterprise and perseverance, of
its first settlers, in bringing water on to and
irrigating the land. The same may be said
of the country about Traver, town which
will be only two years old on the eighth day
of next April, and has school-house cost
regular attendance on the school, and
which place was this last season one of the
heaviest shippers of grain in the valley.
The 76 Company, that built the 76 canal
and has done so much to develop this sec
ton of the valley, your readers will re-
member is mostly composed of citizens of
Yolo and Sacramento counties, and Traver
takes its name from Charley Traver one
of the proprietors of the Capital
Hotel in Sacramento. As a matter
of fact, it will not be doubted
that those who have engaged in the irriga-
ton schemes of this valley have done so
for profit TO themselves, either in the en-
hancement of their own lands or for the
purpose OF selling water to others. What
ever may have been the chief motive in
this respect, it is none the less true that all
who have been successful in bringing land
and water together have proved themselves
benefaetors to their neighbors, and have
wrought great good to this section of the
State. The beneficial effects of irrigation
have proven to be both direct and indirect
The direct benefits are to the land irrigated
and to the owners OF these lands. The in
direct benefits have resulted to the county
generally in raising the water level in the
soil. Before the era of irrigation, as rule. the
surface water was very deep down in the
soil. Wells had to be dug all the way from
30 to $50 feet deep to obtain water for do
mestic use. In the irrigated districts this
water has been rapidly rising, till it ranges
from 10 to 30 feet below the surface, and is
yearly growing less, thus greatly lessening
the quantity of water necessary to be ap-
piled to the surface, to insure good crops.
THE CLIMATE.
The climate of the San Joaquin valley is
almost a counterpart of that of the Sacra-
mento valley. 1t was formerly a little
dryer, and, perhaps, in some portions little
warmer in the latter part of summer. The
upper part of the valley, or the southern
part, like the upper part of the Sacramento.
is warmer than the lower sections. In this
respect, too irrigation is working change.
The more moist surface of the soil is rem
dering the air more moist and agreeable.
and 1t is observed by all residents that the
annual rainfall is increasing. As in the
Sacramento valley and foothills, wherever
orange and lemon trees have been planted,
so in the San Joaquin valley these trees
have done well, and when of proper age
they have commenced bearing fruit,
and, to the surprise of every
body, the fruit has proved of a most
excellent quality, clean and bright
and entirely free of all kinds of disease.
There are some localities along the foot
hills of this valley where fruit comes to
maturity even earlier in the season than at
Nacaville or Winters, in the Sacramento
valley. | believe the raisins of Fresno are
got into the market earlier than any other
locality in the State, and it is believed that
when VINEYARDS for raisns shall come into
bearing in the favored foothill districts of
Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties, the
raisins produced will be considerably
earlier than those of the vineyards about
Fresno city, and that this will enable Cali
fornia to put her raisins into the Eastern
market each year ahead of the imported
Malaga raisins. This latter point is con-
sidered of great Importance to our State, as
1t will help us materially in our competi-
ton with the Malaga country for the best
trade of the East. 1t is believed if we can
supply the early market before the holi-
days we can hold the market through the
season, and thus in the end drive out all
foreign competition.
THE PRESENT SEASON
No season has ever opened with better
prospects for this valley than the present.
There has been more than an average sup
ply of rain, and it has come in such man
her as to give the farmers good opportu-
nifty TO get in large area of grain-said to
be more than ever before. Grain is looking
well all over the valley, and if the season
remains moderately favorable there will be
greater aggregate yield by perhaps % to
so per cent. than ever before. New colo
mics and settlements in connection with
new irrigation schemes are springing up on
every side, and projects for new railroads,
either paralleling the Southern Pacific or
as feeders to it. are subjects of interest
throughout the valley, and some of them
will in all probability be executed in the
near future.
WHEN AM DEAD.