Sharp County record., 1888-03-22
n1R CALIFORNIA LETTER.
SACRAMENTO CITT. January p, 1888
ISnecial Correspondence.l

xcent Texas is 700 miles long Win an
verage width of 250 miles The Sierra
eyada and Coast Range of mountains run
arallel, northeast and southwest, the Sler-
~ having an altitude of from 5000 to
1000 feet; the Coast Range from 2,5OO
1900 feet and they are divided by
umber of valleys and rivers, the principal
ne being the Sacramento valley, 2OU
lilies in length and 45 miles average
ddtb, through which runs the Sacramen-
river, navigable stream for about 100
lilies from it's entrance into Suisun bay, a
mall bay at the head of the bay OF San
Francisco
Sacramento valley proper includes ths
,ounties of Sacramento, Yu6a, Butte, Ie-
NINA. Colusa Sutter, Yolo and Solane,
bese being bordered by the mountain
,ounties of Amador, Ell Dorado, Placer,
Nevada Sierra, Plumas, Shasta, Trinity
dendooino, Lake and Napa, atfording a
reat variety of soil and climate, owing to
he difference in elevation.
The soil Of the valley counties bordering
lpon the Sacramento river is principally
lark, rich adobe and alluvial soil, and well
hdapted 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 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 mouI.t-
aims, beng the faVOrte resort OF large
herds OF sheep and cattle during the sum-
mer months.
gtretchtng along the foothills and up the
mountain sides to the altitude of 2, 800 feet
lis what is known as the thermal belt" It's
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 Yn upon the valley Tender
plants and semi-tropcal 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 50 to $500per acre according
to location and improvements. In the foot
hill region land is selling from 80 to 900
pen acre. In the valley bordering on the
Sacramento river large ranches OF from
i,000 to 60, 900 acres have been the pre-
yainy feature As population comes in
these will be subdivided and on their T ch
aluvial soil thousands of small farms, the
homes of thrifty families, will be estab-
lished, 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, 600, but it is capable
of supporting 10, 600, 600 people.
ali this vast region of soil, water and
climate, unsurpassed by any other, now in
viteS popuIation-not lazy, shftIess, i'm
pecunious persons, such would soon starve
or be found begging-but men with brain
and muscle, and enough money TO give
them a 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 q home as
will be pleasant and profitable man
with family willing to help him, if he has
from 81, 900 to SO 600 in hand, is safe to
make beginning which, if he is Judiclous
should lead him to prosperity.
There are mineral springs in the foot-hlll
ranges npon 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 every
Section of the United States.
Two branches of the Central Pacific rail-
road leaves S. oramentO-One on the east
side of the valley, via Marysville and Chico
and the intermediate towns the other on
the west side, via Woodland willows and
Williams and intermediate towns uniting
ut Tebama, the now head of navigation on
Sacramento river From thence the road
is continued to Portland, Ore, this road
having been completed within the last
xty days opening up country wonderfully
rich in farming timber and mineral prod
nets
Until the past five years the raising or
wheat and barley was the principal occu-
nation of the farmers of the Sacramento
valley, the grain being transported to
Europe on ships, but the completion of three
tlans-continental railroads-the Central
Pacific, Southern Pacific and the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe, with the prospect OF
oSher roads soou coming atfording in
creased facilities and reduced rates or
Transportation, has given wonderful i'm
petus toward raising fruit and California
will soon be considered the garden spot OF
the world. The Sacramento valley has sup
rlied nine-tenths of the fruit sent East, and
the Fruit Growers Union" an association
of farmers, in the year 1887 sold their fruit
in New York and Boston on the auction
plan, and with gratifying success 1t will
he tried in other cities this coming season,
with reduced rates of transportation, sc
that sixty million of people in the United
States can afford to purchase these Califor-
mia fruits, and the progress and develop
nent of the fruit business will be something
wonderful
The largest grain growers in the valleys
do their plowing with gang plows and
/ their harvesting with the latest improved
machinery. Consequently farm hands in
the past had employment only during
norton of the year. but since the fruit and
vine business is coming to the front, more
and continuous labor is required, and in
some of the more advanced fruit districts
during the fruit picking season the school
vacations are extended in order to allow
the children to assist in securing the crops
Fruit canneries and driers are being es-
tablished and thousands of tons of fruit
are preserved in this manner. Good farm
bands get from $25 to $50 per month by
the year; harvest hands, 81 90 to 81 90