The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-04-04
Letter from California.
cLovEH0AIE, cALiToEsEA.
March Il IS.


/ crzstinarion il has been deferTsd- Observing
the associate Press sceouuis Of the recent se-
we're Storm throughout New YORK and Penn
sylvsria. II has urged me TO al cucs write
yon concerning the interests Of the Golden
STATE
While Somerset Is still IN the lap Of winte,
with It's sudden changes from extreme cold
10 warm weather and heavy Snow falls i'm
mediately 70 become slush. followed By un-
accountable and aIways unpleasant changes.
Csoyerdale is far advanced in the rap,ures
offspring. On the 2and Of February. already
almond tres xere in full bloom, soon fol-
lowed by the blossoniing Of the apricot.
peach and net1arine. And now in looking
out upon the orchard thai surrounds our
hGalbie home. we see the almond IN COM
piese Fe-lure. cherries Just budding. apples
patiing forth their leaves. with pears be
derksi in their white flowers Figs are al
ready forIsss-i On the tnesS and orange tres
are snli laden With their golden fruit yege-
,ai,les are in market. for that. Vegetables are
in market throughout the whole year in
California; and strawberries are green on
The vine Wild flowers have earpetesi the
surrounding hills ard the yiolets. pansies
and ross are blooming in great profnsso's
and fragrance in the beautifully laid ous
yards about town- How vastly differen; il
i from tie weather you are experiencing in
Pennsylvania
T., ,-,.s-,....i,a -sr.,,s q. . CONTRAST "a .h.a
great storm thai jnSs passed over PennsylYa-
MA. nv former hoIne. would not have roH
understand Tx; We are just having an early
spring in C.lis0rTis. and hare passed beyond
the season Of Wintry blaS-s- Winter i 4
wrong term sgs7lis-i to the season IN Cali
forIlia from o,cfote- 18th TO about April 18th
Il i the season Of rain and should be more
proi-sriy termed spring. Ehiie the balance ef
the year i slmHer- At times when SHOW
has fallen OF the mountains surrounding the
valleys the cold wind VIII hear the mercury
Of the thernao1ieier down - ioE as SlS
above zero. and On rarely cold occasions =
few degrees lower The lowest temperature
ever experienced by the Oldest settler was
~ above zero which happened this sezson,
when it seemed thar cold wave had sweis
the whole country. Daring the rainy season
the decis5rous tres shed their leaves ;Ie
same as they do in Pennsylvania and a. il
were reSr from their lsbo7s until the laws of
nature again call them to their dGiies-
Trees Of the perennial and evergreen kind
carry their lezves throughout the whole yea-
and With the ail3ness Of the rainy season
the appearance Of the country resembles a
We said before the season Of spring. OF the
erer-reess there Is quite number of varie-
lies. including the Bzy Tree. Of which the
hay-ram Of commerce ! made; orange
lemon, Olives and the large spreading live
oak. etc. etc Certain varieties OF the ever
gneeu. a. the Enealypton. Mad7one and
Manzanii0 have peculiar habits. While
the oily green leaves are never cast OF. the
barb changes every year. a8d there are times
When the tres look quite naked a. i Eere
with only the leaves 10 cover them. The
bark Eills Of in long STRIPS soon 10 be sub
stituieI By new growth. aud TO ! degree
the trees shed their bark instead Of their
lelves.
on PenEsylvani2n first seeing = Califor-
MA vineyarl during the rainy season. when
vines have b<en pruaed, AID. not teing IN
formed of the rnanner Of cultivation. his
impression would hkeiy be thai . yeEy thick
f5rs=i once greE there and the rrees we-e
cleared away leaving the stunps remaining.
Instead of training the vines on 1reliises.
every year. they are pruaed shor1 up TO the
main stem a. a height from Il 10 Is inches
from tie ground From 6 to 10 spurs, aeoor-
ding to aes. are left for the nexs years
growth Ihe growth in one year from one
Of these, seemingly stumps. i usarvelo'ls-
one year's growth frona vine in the yard
about rny home measured . feet and the
amount OF grapes they bear ! exceedingly
large A reliable vineyariisf informed me
yard he gathered - tons or grapes. averag-
ing g toas 10 the the acre. lie soid the crop
~ sls - per ton. which = considered . low
price for grape for in former yeAs 50 and
81 vas the market prioe- Like ali market
able articles, the prices fiactuate. and last
year vas considered duh IN demand for
g-zyeS. There are within 4 rafiias Of two q
miles from Clover,iale eight wineries Il i
generally essinlzted thsi one ton of grsFes
will make 10 gallons OF wine, and the rul-
ing F,rioe sf grape in dollars f~r ton Is con
si.se7esi the price PER gallon in cents FOR wine
one-year-old- In aseing the wine il becomes
higher in price. Twenty-Five cents per gal
lon Is considered big price foF Sirle- There
are. Of eourse, many different varieties Of
grape that make different kinds OF wine,
and many varieties that are entirely a stable
grsle or rzisin grape Here we dry our own
rslisins and even prunes- By simply Placing
the buncles Of gTales in an exposed place 70
the sun tisey soon become rzisins- Yon IN
dersIAisd that you can leave them ont in the
open air until they are thoroughly dry.
There i never drop 0f rain falls during
the fruit season and every day : clear sSsn-
shine. Tie nature OF things s such aud 80
much fsnif is continually out in the open air
that even a slight rlin would be damaging
Herr We have siK months Of continual sun
shine Il inrst seem peculiar 70 3 Pennsyl-
vaniau- that We ever raise crop Of any kind;
but les me explsin that the soil i sucis that
II retains 30 much moisture and with the
aid OF cool nights when heavy aews are CON-
mon, a failure Of any crop ! Dot 80 frequent
a !, occGrs in Pennsylvania Il has oosne
under our nogice When corn was planted az
ter tie rains we're over. Il grew and develop
ed equally a. good as any Pennsylvania corr
and drop Of rain never fell upon it aud it
waz not irrigated either Irrigation ! car
ried on il S0athern Calif5rnia. where they
do no; have the abundance Of rain that ialls
here in Northern or Upper Californis where
is not necessa-y at al. On the
sabjeci Of growing fruits could vriie until
it would TIRE you. but we will consider your
Tine too r-eoioGs TO Be reading Of a country
that izs saeh attractions, that : some 5osl
miles distant and almost beyond The COM
;yrehensi0a u many. At the same time con-
sideTins the valnsble space in the HEEALb
am taking up, il comPeis me 10 desist- How
ever. before closing cordially invite yoa,
shoald you wonder 20 far weSt as CAIifo-nia
not 10 fail to visit yoGr former Pennsylvania.
GEoRsE L. BAEg
Wanted. Wanted.
-. ETe-yb.ody 10 knox thai / have Just
reoeiT@d one Of the largest. cheapest and Ess5