St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-03-31
OUR CALIFORNIA LETTER.
SACRAMENTO CITY. January q, 1854
ISn..cial Corresnondencc-I

0ASHAASN1O OAouoay ADSs l
Especial Correspondence
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
IA. COO feet; the Coast Range IRON :, 500
10 900 feet, and they are divided by q
number Of valleys and rivers. the principal
one being the Sacramento valley, 200
width, through which runs the Sacramen-
to river, q nayigable stream for about $50
miles from it's entrance into Suisun bay. .
small hay ut the head Of the bay Of San
Francisco
sacramento valley proper includes the
counties Of Sacramento. Ynba, Butte, Te-
hama. Coiusa, suster, YOlo and Solane,
these being borIcred by the mountain |
counties of Amador, Ei Dorado, Piacer, |
Nevada Sierra, Plumas, SHASTA, Trinity. |
Lake and Napa, afording
great variety Of soil and climate, owing to |
the difference In elevation
The soil Of the valley counties bordering |
upon the S.cr tmenso river is principally
dark. rich adobe and a.luviAi soil, and well |
adapted TO the growth Of cereals Along |
the foot hills varieties Of soil from blacd
adobe to light sandy coil appears The
lower slopes Of the mountains contain diff
fer.nt soil, some being ssnds 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 m(adows and deep.
rich valleys in the very Tips Of the mount
aims. being the favorte resort Of large
herds Of sheep and cattll during the sum-
mer months
stretching along the foothills and mp the
mountain sides to the alt1tude OF 2, 900 feet
Is wha. is known AZ the thermal belt II il
In this tclt where the waYm air fingers when
the sun goes down, and U which the warm
mir rises when the first rays of the morning
sun are thro Xn upon the valley. Tender
plants and semi-tropical fruits are grown
in profuslon, as was fully demonstrated al
the Citrus fair held in Or4viile. Butte Coun-
". in December last. Thu thermal belt is
also noted for itswonderfpl curative qualities
in lung and asthma;ic complaints. But very
little good Government or railroad land
near the railroads or rive.s remain Land
is worth from 50 to ss5O0p.r acre according
to location anu inproveIAentA In the foot
hill region land is selling nom $5 to $50
per acre In the valley bordering on the
Sacramento river large ranches OF from
900 to sc, 600 acres have been the pre-
vailin- feature. As population comes IN
these will be subdiviicd. and on their r.ch
sl.uyial soil thousands q small farms. the
homes of thrifty famiitss. will be estab-
lished but this can not be accomplished
until the population increases and there y
. demand The population Of this great
State is about l, 500. 900 but 1t is capable
Of supporting III. OOO. .OOq people.
All this vast region d soil. water and
climate, unsurpassed by my other, now in
vites popuiaiion-not lazy. shift!css. i'm
pecunious persons. such WOULD soon starve
or be found begging-tut men with brain
and muscle, and enough money to give
them q fair start enough to sustain thsm
while improving the lands. to make them
produce that for which nature intended
them-such men, IL with families 90 much
the better, can ind abundant opportunities
to secure at moderate COS. such home a.
will be pleasant and profitable. A man
with family willing to help him, il ne has
from 81. 600 10 So. 900 in hand. is safe to
make beginning which. II he Is tudicfous.
should lead him to prosperity.
Two branches Of the Central Pacific rail-
| road leaves SlcramentO-one on the east
and the intermediate towns, the other ON
the west side, via Woodland Willows and
Williams and intermediate towns uniting
ut Tehama, the now head Of navigation on
| Sacramento river From thence the road
il continued TO Portland, Ore, this road
having been completed within the last
sixty days, opening mp country wonderfully
| rich in farming timber and mineral prod
ucta
Until tho past i've years the raising 81
wheat and barley was the principal Occu-
nation Of the farmers Of the Sacramento
valley, the grain being transported "a
Europe on ships. but the completion of three
traus-contnen,al railroads-the Central
Pacific. Southern Pacific and the Atchison,
Topeka 4 santa Fe, with the prospect Of
other roads soon coming. afforiing In
creased facilities AMI reduced rates
ansportGtion, has gwen q wonderful i'm
pe.us toward raising fruit, and California
will soon be considered the garden spot Ol
the world The Sacramento valley has sup
plied min ne-tenths Of the fruit sent h ;st, and
the Fruit Growers Union" nm association
of farm ers. in the year 1887 sold their fruit
in New York and Boston ON the auction
plan. and with gratifying success 1t viii
be tried in other cities this coming season
that sixty million OF people in the Cntte2
States can affo1d to purchase these Califor
MIA fruits. and the progress and develop
ment of the fruit business will be s0nethin:
wonderful
The largest grain-growers IN the valleyi
do their plowing with gang plows AM
their harvesting with the latest improved
machinery Consequently farm hands II
the past had employment only during I
portion Of the year. but since the fruit sn'
vine business Ii coming to the front, NOR
and continuous labor 10 required, and Il
some OF the more advanced truit district
during the fruit picking season the schoo
vacations are extended in order to alloN
tho children to assist in securing the crops
Fruit canneries and driers are being es
tablished and thousands Of tons OF frui
are preserved in this ,n-nneE Good farr
hands get from $25 to $50 per month b
the wear; harvest hands. 81 50 to 81 5
per day; mechanics. from " to - Pc
dav: good house servants. from $l5
$50 per month, and are scarce Chimes
are largely employed In house service, bu
could be easily displaced by bright AmeI
lean or German grls who would he willin
to 90 into the country. The Celtic girl
as q rule, dislike to leave the cities
Railroads now traverse the principal va
lcya the rate OF fare being three cents p<
mile on valley and four cents per mile o
, mountain routes
Dry-goods, clothing. and, in fact. all th
lighter class Of goods can be purchased Z
! cheaply NJ in the Western StateA Heav
, goods, where freight is an important ite'
OF cost, are more expensive
Banks, both commercial and savingA a
plenty, the current rate OF interest At tn
: time be ng seven to nine per cent Per an
, num. Hotel accommodation both goo
and reasonable. fair board being obtained I
twenty five cents per meal and tour dollal
; per week First-class hotels charge frol
Two to four dollars per day for room IN