Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-08
NEVADA COUNTY.
A Marvellous Agricultural and Horticult-
ural Exhibit.

NEVADA COUNTY.
A Marvellous Agricultural and Horticult-
ural Exhibit.
Nevada county what historic memories
cluster about the name. How closely ii is
interviewer with the earlier argonautic ex-
plorations and achievements how the very
color of gold gives a hue to the poetic
name; how its bare mention breathes of
lofty nights, resinous atmosphere-spark-
ling mountain streams, lofty snow-capped
peaks, and green and fertile wales far below.
Nevada county was and is pre-eminently
mining county. She has opened up mines
in the bowels of the earth of inexhaustible
wealth her rock-ribbed hills conceal un-
told millions OF precious ores; her depths
of mineral-bearing wealth are well nigh
unfathomable. Her brown-sided bluffs
have been searched out by the hydraulic
monitor, uncovering vast bounties of gold.
and washing into the rivers below seas of
slickens and sand. And this latter result
of the delving for gold brought upon her
the misfortune OF the slickens issue, but
which, since it has resulted in turning the
attention of her people to the greater posi-
bilities OF the soil in vegetable, horticult
",
all. prove blessing.
Ten years ago the suggestion that Nevada
county could make such an exhibition as
it now does in the Pavilion would have
been secuted as the product of a disordered
imagination. The exhibit occupies four
sixty foot tables and several cross section
tables, beside great,deal of wall space, and
yet not ten feet of it all is given to mining
product exhibition. Here is splendid
showing in stalk, bundle and sack of corn,
wheat, rye, buckwheat, barley and oats and
some of the purely agricultural counties
will be put 10 their stumps" 10 make a
better showing. Here are tables after tables
loaded down with pears, peaches, apples
land apples especially, grapes, almonds,
walnuts, chestnuts, wine in great variety,
preserved and sun-dried fruits, hops,
raisins, honey, tobacco green and cured,
vegetables in endless variety, ard some of
enormous size, rivalling those of Mr.. Aiken
in the Sacramento county exhibit. AS to
potatoes let it be understood that no part
of the State produces better and very few
so good potatoes as these from the noun
tains. There are larger "spuds," but none
so mcaly, that are so compact and firm and
rich in every essential of the number one
ground apple"
In the matter of apple growing this
with some of its neighbors-carries the
palm, and will keep it. Such apples are
shown in no fair as Nevada exhibits this
year. On the north end of the most east
erly table, for instance, are few plates of
Glori Mundis aud immense Golden Pipins
that are veritable surprises. That large
Pipin, the broWn-skinned one, came from
tree bending and breaking with its fell
lows in an orchard 4, GOO feet above the level
of the sea, and the tree grows on the very
edge OF hydraulic mining bluff For
Bartlett pears Nevada claims TO be The es-
pecisl home, and Of ali others the favored
spot, and her claim is certainly supported
by formidable array Of proofs.
Another exhibit of peculiar interest is
that of wild plums. Right beside it are
two others, showing the marvellous i'm
provement effected in the wild plum by
cultivation in the second and third gener-
alton.
We cannot for obvious reasons, 90 over
in detail the whole exhibit, but we must
refer 10 the exhibition of crystal quartz of
gold nuggets, and of that $500 nugget
found on Relief Hill. So, too, we invite
! attention TO the fine exhibit of gold-bear
ing quartz from the Idaho mine the rich
est gold mine on the Pacific coast. Then
| there is fine exhibit in bottles of the
operation of evolving copper, gold and
silver from their original forms of deposit
Here are the chlorine waters holding cop
per; the gold and the silver in solution
| from sulphurets the precipita.e solutions,
and the metals as precipitated, etc. There
are also some fine specimens of moss
| agates, of petrified woods, etc
The apple and pears to which We have
| invited critical attention are grown at nights
varying from 1900 to 4 800 feet above tide
| water. Many of the trees have not had ir-
| rigaiion, and some of the very best pro-
ducers have not been artifcially watered.
Much of the fruit ground of Nevada is old
mining ground and some OF il
is upon heavy deposits of arrested
slickens. As an example of the enduring
quality of the apple growth of Neva,ia.
which appears 10 partake of the hardy
character of the locality and the people,
| examples of apples grown by 2. II. Butler
| at South San Juan in 1887 are shown, and
while withered. they are remarkably well
! preserved. At first fruit growing in Nevada
| was simply for home supply; for yard or
namentation. 1t was not thought of for
market purposes nor as a vocation. conse-
quently but little cultivation about the
trees was INDUCED in, and nature was left
to do her work unaided by art. I4atterly,
|
looking to market have controlled, and
| the result is before the visitor at the Pa
vilion to-day. Orchard planting will from
| this on be much more engaged
i'll in Nevada, and especially for
Bartlett pears and apple growing.
! All the country on the east slope of the
mountains is too cold for Embarrassing.
| hence all the exhibits shown in the fair are
from west-facing townships-those iha;
turn their soil toward the valley and the
ocean. Peaches are not so freely grown as
apples and pears, still good many trees
are cultivated, and they bear well and
abnndanfly in the lower sections. though
! some fine peach growth is found at the
4ooe-foot altitude. Walnuts. almonds
| and chestnuts are successfully cul-
| tiyated, and some fine vine growths
| yield excellently for table and the wine
press, as is exemplified in the exhibit nm
der review. In the lower section of the
| county agriculture and horticulture will
| more become the controlling industries.
In the upper section the mining spirit still
rules, and that industry will continue to
| be pursued so far as il can be done profita
bly, and IN msnEer no; f3rbidden under
the sliekens question. But even al these
attitudes horticulture has taken strong
hold. " Ia fact said an intelligent eiti-
zen OF Nevada yesterday, Our people are
just beginning to realize that our hills and
mountain slopes wiK produce the finest
favored of frnits and of the best keeping
| quality
The following are the exhibits and ex-
hibitors in the Nevada county section:
AGRICULTURAL.
5. \. Stranahan, apples, pears and va
riety of dried fruits and berries; Robert
Johns, barley in sheaf and sweet clover: r.
Putnam, plums S. Gsssaway, rye in sheaf.
timothy grass, wheat in sacks; George
Ras-nrr alrsotIdc Gr-a l.u.t-