Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-12
SHASTA COUNTY.
Some Information About Its Extended
Resources and Prospects.
bedding Free Prnss

lReddiDg Free Press.
Irrigation is unnecessary in this county,
as the rainfall is sufficient and sure for all
practical purposes. So that anyone who
reads may understand we give the explana-
ton. Our rainy season begins as a rule in
September, never later than October, and
extends at intervals of two or three weeks
from that time until the middle of the fol-
lowing June. During this entire time the
ground is thoroughly saturated with moist
ure. This rainy period covers the whole
of the growing season in California At the
end of the rainy season our grains, grasses,
etc, are ready for the harvest, our fruits,
grapes, etc, are beginning to ripen Now
follows the dry season, embracing the
months of July, August and September
Under clOudless sky our crops are har-
vested and stored away, our fruits mature
and acquire the delicious flavor for which
they are noted. Our dry season is Just as
much Of necessity as our wet, for only
under these conditions can the perfect
grain and fruit be grown and cared for.
ORANGE CULTURE.
Orange culture as a business has but Just
commenced in this county. There are
however, good many trees from ten to
fifteen years old which have withstood the
Vlclssltudes of the climate for that period,
have attained an excellent growth without
cultivation or irrigation, have never failed
TO produce each year a good crop of fruit,
and that without spot or blemish. These
trees may be seen al Wiser's place, five
miles northwest of Redding on the Red
ding and Shasta road at Mr.. Dunn's and
other places in the town of Shasta. Many
trees have been planted in all parts of the
county during the past six years some of
which are bearing now. All have done
well and ma @ II dnIIhlv crtra tbat oro r.,ao
will succeed here. The soil here is pecu-
Garly adapted to the successful culture, the
rainfall dispenses with the necessity of
irrigation, and the survival and growth of
the trees referred to settles the question of
winter killing. A box of oranges was sent
from Shasta county to the Worlds Expo
sition at New Orleans, which by actual
measurement averaged ten inches around
and eight ounces in weight We append
the following from Colonel Andrews re-
port of the Exposition in regard to them
ION the 9th day of April last, 1885, re-
ceived from Dr. ]. II. Miller, of Redding,
Shasta county, Cal, for exhibition at New
Orleans, a box of beautiful oranges. They
came in fine order, were of large size, thin
skin and beautiful color. They were placed
under glass, and were admired by thou
sands Of visitors"
GRAIN AND GRASS CULTURE.
Almost the entire area sown to grain in
this county is sown for hay and not for
thrashing or milling purposes, as that paws
best. Good hay brings very readily on the
field when bailed from SIS to $50 per ton
Generally wheat and oats are sown together
for this crop, and the yield will vary from
one to two and half tons an acre When
thrashed the yield of wheat, oats and bar
ley will average 20, 80 and IS bushels per
acre respectively Corn is grown to some
extent in certain localities and is fully up
in quality to that grown east Of the noun
tainS Our mountain country is excellent
for corn. The natural grasses and wild
oats have by many years of overstocking
with cattle, sheep and hogs, been eaten out
and destroyed almost entirely, so that no
calculation must be made on natural grasses
for feed or hay. Alfalfa so far as tried sue
ceeds well ON our lands without irrigation
and two crops can be relied on. When an
elevation of 1,500 or more feet above sea
level has been reached, timothy and clover
grow very luxuriantly and yield enormous
crops, frequently cutting as high as four
tons to the acre. Our grass and grain
growing area is very limited compared with
the entire area of the county, and all kinds
OF feed must necessarily maintain a good
price.
During the past three years almost an
entire revolution in the agricultural and
horticultural development of the county
has been effected. Lands counted worth
less prior to that time have been taken up
by the enterprising and energetic settler,
cleared of the timber and brush, and plant
ell to fruit trees, vines and vegetables and
sown to grain, and have produced beyond
the expectation of the most sanguine. No
part of the State has excelled this in the
growth of trees and vines, or in the size or
flavor of the fruit produced. Instead of
the brush fence and dilapidated dwellings
of the old-timer, who depended on stock
for his livelihood, the now rabbit-tight
fence and neat dwellings of the newcomer,
fresh from the snow-bound East, gives to
the county an appearance of thrift and
beauty quite pleasing to the eye. Nor is
this Improvement confined to any particu-
lar locality, but extends from the river to
the summit of the mountains on either
hand