The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-03-15
OUR CALIFORNIA LETTER.
SACRAMENTO CITT. January q, 1853
fSnecjal Correspondence,1

Especial Correspondence.l
California, the largest State in the Union
except Texas. is 700 miles long with an |
average width of $50 miles The Sierra |
Nevada and Coast Range of mountains run |
parallel, northeast and southwest, the Sier-
ras having an altitude of from 5000 TO
Ii, 900 feet; the Coast Range from $500 |
to 4, 900 feet, and they are divided by
number of valleys and rivers, the principal
one being the Sacramento valley, ZOO
miles in length and 40 miles average
width, through which runs the Sacrament
to river, navigable stream for about $50
miles from its entrance into Snisun bay.
small bay at the head of the bay OF San
Francisco
Sacramento valley proper includes tia
counties of Sacramento, Yuba, Butte, Ie-
hama, Colusa, Suffer, Yolo and Solane,
these being bordered by the mountain
counties of Amador, Ell Dorado, Placer,
Nevada Sierra, Piumas, Shasta, Trinity,
Mendocino, Lake and Napa, atfording
great variety of soil and climate, owing to
the difference in elevation.
The soil of the valley counties bordering
upon the Sacramento river is principally
dark, rich adobe and alluvial soil, and well
adapted to the growth of cereals. Along
the foot hills varieties of soil from BLACK
adobe to light sandy soil appears The
lower slopes of the mountains contain diff
ferent SOIL some being sands, of light color,
others light clay, and much a deep red clay.
The submits are more rocky and volcanic,
and the soils vary, some being clay hills,
sandy ridges, loamy meadows and deep,
rich valleys in the very tops Of the mouLt-
aims, being the favor tie resort of large
herds of sheep and cattle during the sum
mer months.
Stretching along the foothills and up the
mountain sides to the altitude of z, 800 feet
is what is known Gs the thermal belt" 1t Is
in this belt where the warm air fingers when
the sun goes down, and to which the warm
air rises when the first rays of the morning
sun are thro En upon the valley. Tender
plants and semi-uopical fruits are grown
in profusion, as was fully demonstrated at
the Citrus fair held in Orovile. Butte Coun-
ty, in December last. This thermal belt " is
also noted for itswonderful curative qualities
in lung and asthmatic complaints. But very
little good Government or railroad land
near the railroads or rivers remain. Land
is worth from So to 5000 per acre according
to location and improvements. In the foot
! hill region land is selling from 30 to $50
| per acre. In the valley bordering on the
| Sacramento river large ranches OF from
| 1000 to 10000 acres have been the pre-
| vailiny feature. AS population comes in
! these will be subdivided and on their r.ch
aliuvial soil thousands of small farms, the
| homes of thrifty families, will be estab-
! iished, but this can not be accomplished
until the population increases and there is
a demand The population OF this great
State is about l, 800, 900, but it is capable
of supporting 10, 600, 900 people.
All this vast region of soil, water and
climate unsurpassed by any other, now in
vites population-not lazy, shiftless, I'M
pecunious persons such would soon starve
or be found begging-but men with brain
and muscle, and enough money to give
them fair start, enough to sustain them
while improving the lands, to make them
produce that for which nature intended
them-such men, if with families so much
the better, can find abundant opportunities
to secure at moderate cost such home az
will be pleasant and profitable. A mar
with family willing to help him, if he has
from 81 900 to So, 900 in hand, is safe te
make beginning which, II he Is Judlcious
should lead him to prosperity.
There are mineral springs in the foot-hil
ranges upon both sides of the Sacramento
valley that vie in their curative qualities
with the far-famed springs of Germany
and are resorted to by inyalids from ever.
section of the United States.
Two branches of the Central Pacific rail
road leaves Saoramento-one on the cas-
side of the valley, via Marysvlle and Chic
and the intermediate towns, the other OF
the west side, via Woodland Willows ant
Williams and intermediate towns unitin:
at Tehama, the now head OF navigation oil
Sacramento river From thence the roat
-
having been completed within the las
sixty days, opening up country wonderfully
rich in farming timber and mineral prod
ucts
Until the past five years the raising O
, wheat and barley was the principal occu
: patton of the farmers of the Sacramento
J valley, the grain being transported t
} Europe on ships, but the completion of tire
, trans-continental railroads-the Centrs
Pacific, Southern Pacific and the Atchisor
= Topeka & Santa Fe, with the prospect Q
= other roads soon coming. afording in
8 creased facilities and reduced rates G
| transportation, has given wonderful i'm
3 petus toward raising fruit and Californi
d will soon be considered the garden spot G
(, the world The Sacramento valley has SUP
q piled nine tenths of the fruit sent East, an
: the Fruit Growers Union" an associatio
!, OF farmers, IN the year 1901 sou thelr Ii u
/. in New York and Boston on the auctio
' plan and with gratifying success. 1t wi
n he tried in other cities this coming season
i. with reduced rates of transportation, 6
6 that sixty million Of people in the Unite
/, States can afford to purchase these Califol
q MIA fruits, and the progress and develop
!, ment of the fruit business will be somethin
- wonderful
a The largest grain-growers in the valley
2 do their blowing with gang plows an
A their harvesting with the latest improve
= machinery. Consequently farm hands
4 the past had employment only during
: portion Of the year, but since the fruit ar
:, vine business is coming to the front, mo
and continuous labor is required and
some of the more advanced fruit distric
= during the fruit picking season the scho
= vacations are extended in order to allo
y the children to assist in securing the croI
- Fruit canneries and driers are being e
% tablished and thousands of tons of fru
u are preserved in this manner. Good far
hands get from $25 to $50 per month
IL the year; harvest hands, 81. 50 to 50
- per day; mechanics. from 81 to 81 p