Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-01
COLUSA.

The vaa agricultural wealth of Colusa
county has become matter Of history in
California Situated as the county is, al
most in the middle of the fertile valley of
the Sacrap,ento, it has become one of the
first among the grain-producing counties of
the State. The county is bounded on the
north byfTehama. on the south by Yolo,
on the east by Butte and Suffer, and on the
west by Lake and Mendocino. Its area
embraces 1900 square miles, or ,472, 900
acres. The western portion of the county
encroaclles upon the eastern slopes of the
Coast Range but in the valley proper there
are about 100000 acres of the richest allu-
vial soil. The population of the county is
about $4,000, and the people are mostly
farmers and stock-raisers, except, of course,
the residents of the towns.
EXTENSIVE FARMING.
Colusa has been noted for the immense
grain ranches" foremost among which is
the celebrated Glenn farm. This great
ranch of some 10000 acres, bordering on
the Sacramento river, was a principally in
itself, capable of supporting 300 families.
each with an improved farm of 200 acres.
1t was, however, the property of but one
man, and consisted merely of a broad ex
panse of cultivated, but otherwise unim-
proved, territory. Since the death of DR..
Glenn, a few years ago, something has been
done toward the division of this vast tract
into farms of more modest pretensions, and
ultimately this work of reformation-for it
is simply the reforming of a ruthless sys-
tenn of so-called farming-will be COM
pleted There are other grain ranches of
10000 acres and upward in Colusa. which
have in the past operated as bar to the
proper settlement of the county, but the
tendency of the times is toward their abol-
ishment. and the substitution of small
farms, owned by private individuals.
SOIL AND IRRIGATION.
Not only does the valley section of Colusa
possess soil of SURPRISING fertility, but the
foothills in the western portion of the
county. and the small valleys with which
they are studded, produce abundantly.
There are some portions Of Colusa in which
irrigation is deemed necessary or desirable,
and the subject has been one of deep inter-
est to the people there for some years past.
LOW FREIGHTs.
Colusa having the advantage of water
transportation to San Francisco, her farm
ers profit by freight competition. The
greater portion of the grain crop of Colusa
81 30 per ton. In the early fall the banks
of the river in that county present an inter
est sight. lined as they are for miles upon
miles with huge piles of wheat in bags,
awaiting shipment to Underwater.
THE CHIEF TOWNS
Are Colusa population about 2,000), Will
Jams, Princeton, Jacinto, Willows, German
town, Maxwell, 0rlandy Norman, Butte
| City, Arbuckle, besides several other vii
| lagos and railway stations of minor i'm
portance.
RESOURCES AWAITING DEVELOPMENT
Concerning the natural resources of CO.
lusa county, and the causes that have
operated against their development, Will
S. Green, editor of the Colusa san, has this
to say: While Coiusa has been for many
years the richest county in the State in pro-
portion to population-aboutS 81 200 to each
inhabitant and upward of $1,000 to each
voter-the development of her resources
has been less rapid than that of any other
county SO near TO the present center of pop
ulation. The reasons are obvious. Rail-
roads are the great developing agencies of
the country. Some years ago the California
and Oregon road was built on the east side
of the Sacramento, through Yuba, Butte
and Tehama counties, and the California
u
thus leaving Colusa the only county in the
Sacramento valley without railroad. Peo-
| pie settled along the lines of these roads.
and land became valuable. When land
was selling for S25 an acre in gold in the adj
| joining county of Yolo, the same quality of
| land, with freight on produce Just as cheap
| to tide-water, was lying subject to entry
| at 81 % per acre i'll greenbacks, when green
backs were worth six bits on the dollar.
| The consequence was that Colusa was given
up 10 the stock men. who wanted large
ranges, and they. entered the land as neces-
sity compelled them to do SO. Consequently
it came to be held in large tracts. Finally
the Northern Railway was built, and the
attention of farmers called to the great fer
tlity of the soil; but wheat-growing on
such soil was profitable, and the large land
owners went into that, so that the small
farmer, with his varied productions, found
no foothold Fine orchard and vineyard
land can be had cheaper in Colusa county
than anywhere else with the same natural
advantages. The people are only beginning
to realize what grand bonanza they have
in the soil, the climate and the water"
IRRIGATIos.
Several SURVEYS have been made for irri-
eating canals within the past two or three
years by such public-spirited citizens
as n. ID. Rideout, II. B. Julian, John
Boggs, L. F. Moulton, w. S. Green and
others, and it was ascertained, that for a
total expenditure of less than million
dollars an area embracing $50 square miles
of land could be thoroughly irrigated. The
capitalists who had thought of investing
their money in these enterprises were fully
satisfied with the outlook and determined
on proceeding with the work. But they
have encountered considerable opposition