Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-04

through Rocklin, Loomis, Penryn, New
castle and Auburn to Colfax, Placer county.
Eight years ago the foothill region of that
county was considered by almost every
body to be practically worthless, and val
ued at next to nothing To-day every acre
is known to possess wonderful fruit-produc-
ing powers and is valued at from $25 to
500 per acre, according to nearness 10
towns and the nature of the improvements
Calaveras county has to-day thousands
upon thousands of acres of such lands
. The rolling foothills-some covered with
chaparral, others naturally clear-all are
productive, and await only the plowshare
the vine and the pruninghook to demon
strate their capabilities.
THE FRUITS PRODUCED.
Grapes, finer than can be grown any
where in the world except in California
can be successfully cultivated here without
irrigation With irrigation an increased
yield is the natural result. This is the
section in which the average mean an.
nual temperature ranges from $40 to 60o
Not only grapes, but all manner of tenn.
perate and tropical frnits thrive TO perfec-
tion-peaches apricots, prunes, plums
pears, pomegranaUes, olives, and so on
down the list. Not in all places, but in
hundreds cf little valleys, the orange can
be grown with certainty and profit equal
to the most favored localities, where now
produced. Berries and vegetables WELD
second, in quality and in quantity, tc
no place, excepting river bottoms. These
lands, like those of Placer county d
few years since, can now be had at prizes
ranging from So to $40, $l2 and $15 pei
acre, forty acres of which, properly cult
waited, and properly only means an ordinary
amount of skill, common sense and energy
will yield handsome living and afford 9
comfortable family home. There are scat
tered over the county in the neighbor
hood of
100000 ACRES OF GOVERNMENT LAND
Subject to entry. Most of it lies in the
eastern climatic belt or lumber region
while some may lie in the lower belts on
| hills too steep, stony or barren to be cult
waited, while small tracts of desirable land
remains subject to entry, were one to take
the necessary steps to spy them out. Al
the present time comparatively little OF
this land is devoted to fruit purposes, the
owners when cultivating at all mostly
| seeding to wheat and barley, much Of
which is cut when in the dough and cured
and sold for hay. And, by the way, that
is the principal way of making hay tc
| feed to horses throughout the State
alfalfa being better adapted for neat stock
But TO resume. Enough vines and tree,
have been planted in various localities to
show the wonderful productiveness as as
serted. These lands similarly situated tc
those of Placer, the same Identical climate
the same soil, equal water resources, an
! pie and handy shipping points-are nov
to be had at a fraction of what they can be
purchased fol in the older settled locali
ties, yet how long these things may con
tinue the reader must Judge for himself
CERTAINTY OF CROPS.
A failure of crops from drought is o
very rare occurrence in this county It i
true the rainfall of some wears is NOR,
copious than that Of other years, and com
plants are mere frequently made express
ing fear of too much, rather than of tot
little rain but it generally happens tha
all comes out right and withssatisfactory
results. Agriculture, horticulture ant
viticulture have received Il marked i'm
petus in the last four years. The fru
raised cannot be surpassed for quality o
quantity of production, while the citru
| products OF the county have taken til,
highest premiums at each session of tn,
Northern and Central California citru
fairs.
THE CoUNTY's FINANCIAL CONDITION AM
POPULATION.
Calaveras county is not very thiclll,
settled. In 1881 the assessed value O
county property amounted to $2,724,135
and the rate of taxation was a levy o
50 so on 500, The past year the assess
ment roll footed up S4,200,000, and tn,
rate Of the tax levy was but 81 80. Th,
county Indebtedness was reduced owe
$4,000 during the last half of the year
and is now nearly wiped out, and tn
bonds of the county are selling at pre-
MUM.
The population of the county number
between 5000 and 10000 people, will
ample resources for the support of at leas
twenty times that number. Its people ar,
hospitable, intelligent, have numelou
Lodges of various civic societies, churches
schools second to none in this State re
nowned for its excellent educational insti
! tutions, and welcome to their midst tn
energetic immigration in search of per
manent homes in this their rich and beau
| 4. FL IL o.