Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-12
FRESNO COUNTY.
A MOST PROMISING SECTION OF
THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.
Location, Area, Natural Features.
Climate, Soil and Productions
"A Great Fruit Region.
Isan Joaqu!n Valley Resonrces.l

Isan Joaquin Valley Resources
Fresno is the central county of the San
JOAQUIN valley, and lies between MERGED
on the north and Tulare on the south. 1t
is third in area among the counties of the
State, embracing within its boundaries
$3.50 square miles, or 5,1s0,0o0 acres. OF
this amount 500 square miles. or $4,000
acres are situated in the valley and 4,4s0
square miles, or 9, 667, 200 acres are in the
mountains and foothills of the Coast and
Sierra Nevada ranges. Much of the latter
Is suitable for cultivation. and particularly
well adapted to the growing of fruits. In
the valley are about $50 square miles, or
2ss,OOo acres, of swamp lands lying along
the San Joaquin river and the sloughs com
municating with it. \ large portion of
this can be reclaimed OF the re-
mainder of the land in the plain,
all, with the exception of few mar
row strips where alkali is prevalent is
excellent for agriculture. Fifteen years
ago this was one OF the most unlnvlting
parts of the great interior valley of Cali
fornia; but to-day, as a result of the use of
water for irrigation, it ranks among the
most productive, and is by far the best de-
yeloped At that time the distance to
water from the surface was from sixty to
ninety feet now ii is from six to eighteen.
Then the greatest cost of conducting a
farm was found in supplying the necessary
amount of water to irrigate growing crops,
the thirsty soil drinking it like sponge In
the oldest irrigated districts it is not now
necessary TO irrigate orchards and viee-
wards more than once in a season in places
not at all As the substrata of those lands
nearest the sources of water supply become
thoroughly saturated @ large part of that
diverted from the natural channels be-
comes available for more distant lands, and
in time every acre of prairie land may be
irrigated.
WATER sgPPLY.
Fresno county is amply supplied with
water TO make the plain blossom as the
rose" two of the largest rivers of the val
lev. as well as the smaller streams, flowing
from the lofty Sierras into the plain.
Along the southern boundary of the county
is Kings river, draining an area of 1,S55
square miles in the mountains OF Tulare
and Fresno counties, and supplying num-
Der of large irrigating canals in both conn
ties. Flowing westward through the coun-
ty is the San Joaquin river, draining an
area of | $50 square miles. This stream
turns northward and empties into tribu-
tary of the San Francisco bay. Smaller
streams are the Fresno river, with each
nent area of 260 square miles, and, near
the northern lne of the county, Chowchilla
creek with drainage area of 303 square
miles
The present average supply is sufficient to
irrigate 100000 acres of land, and during
the latter part of spring and first of sum-
mer, when the streams are highest, there is
enough to irrigate l, 759, 900 under the pres
ent system But with more perfect one
there is sufficient quantity to thoroughly
water all the lands of the valley portion of
Fresno county. The largest canal in the
valley is diverted from the San Joaquin
river, and extends in northwesterly d.
recLon through the valley a distance of
sixty-seven miles, watering large portions
of Fresno and MERGED counties. This ditch
has carrying capacity of 600 cubic feet Of
water per second. A shorter but larger
one is that Of the Fresno Canal and IrTiga-
ton Company, which is one hundred feet
in width on the bottom. There are numer-
Gus small bitches. The precipitation in
the mountains, in the form Of rain and
snow, is large but il the valley is usually
light. However, an annual rainfall of
eight to ten inches is sufficient 10 insure
excellent crops.
THE MOUNTAINS.
Within the lower foothills of the Sierra,
rs we'll as in the warmer valleys of the
Coast Range, are large areas that will ere
long be famous for the cultivation of citrus
and other fruits. for which no part of the
State is better adapted the soil being fer
tile the temperature mild and equable, and
the atmosphere dry. The quality of or
anges, lemons and lines now grown along
the base of the mountains is excellent and
increased attention is being given to the
industry. Undoubtedly the product of the
citrus orchards will be important within a
few wears. In the foothills is vast area
covered with white oak timber, and higher
in the mountains are extensive forests of
fir, cedar and pine, from which large guam
titles of lumber are cut annually. In these
mountains are also large numbers of the
famous big redwood trees. There is no
valuable timber in the Coast Range. The
Sierra Nevada mountains contain important
mineral deposits, and several gold mines
are being worked at present. Coal and
petroleum exist in the Coast Range, and
in the western part of The county is the
noted New Idria quicksilver mine. AT
present small part of the population of
the county is in the mountains, but they
are capable of sustaining greater number
of people than now reside in all the coun-
ties of the San Joaquin valley, and when
the resources of this large area are more
fully developed will do So
THE VALLEY
Portion of the county was given up al
most wholly to the pasturage ofstock until
the completion of q line of railroad south
ward through the San Joaquin plain from
Stockton, which has since become part of
the Central Pacific system. The first to
plant fruit trees and vines on large scale
was f. 7. Eisen, and, although his first at
tempt was only partly successful, it estab-
lished the fact that viticulture and fruit
culture were destined TO become the lead
ing industries of the county, and that the
less remunerative business of wheatgrow-
ing would be superseded by the cultivation
OF the vine and fruit tree. The Colony sys-
tenn of selling and settling land being
found to work successfully, was continued
and is still in operation and being extended
10 other parts of Fresno as well as &c differ
ent counties In the valley.
The progress that has been made since
that time, and particularly during the last
ten years, is wonderful. A wide, dry tree
less expanse has been converted into the
most thoroughly-t tiled portion of the soUtil-
'ern half of the great interior basin Of Csli-
fornia Green alfalfa fields, vineyards and
orchards succeed each other as far as the
eye can reach, and give to the land the. APP
pear ance OF perpetual spring. Comto-ta7
BILE and even elegant homes are TO be found
in the colonies, fronted by lawns and sur
rounded by native and rare exotic plants,
the latter brought fiom all parts of che
world Flowers are in blossom at all sea-
sons, and bloom in the open air when the
East lies under mantle of snow. In a
single nursery near the city of Fresno are
$50 varieties of the rose, the queen of
flowers.
The VARIOUS SOILS.
The soils of Fresno, like those of other
San joaquin valley counties, vary consider
ably. Along the base of the Sierra Nevada
the soil is of a clayey nature, reddish in
color and intermixed with fine gravel, and
is we'll suited either for grain or fruit.
West of this, particularly in the northern
part of-tte county. is mainly a rich sandy
loam, readily tillable and very productive.
The surface stratum is usually deep, but a
substratus of "hardpan" underlieS it in
large part of the county. Occasionally
this approaches within few ineheS.G the
surface. but IS usually found al depth of
several feet. In places it is hsrd and al
most impervious to water, in which case
where irrigation is practiced regularly for
few years, the soil becomes thoroughly
saturated with moisture. Thereafter 2
very small amount of vratar ;s ,.,o,,;-.3