Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-25

NiDSsOurg IS In Fresno county, on the
main line Of the Southern Pacific Rail
road, 227 miles south of San Francisco
and 255 miles north of Los Angeles 1t has
a population of about 400 and is growing
rapidly, the past seasons growth being
more than three times greater than that
of the previous ten years. At the pres
ent time more than dozen new residences
are in the course of construction, and
lumber is ordered for eight others, which
will be commenced as soon as the material
comes to hand.
THE CLIMATE.
The climate is essentially Californian
The sun shines the greater portion of the
year, but during the winter or rainy season
there are days more or less cloudy and
rain sometimes falls two or three DAYS in
succession. Frosts sometimes occur, per-
haps dozen or so in winter. The cold
est ever known here was last month, the
mercury going lao below the freezing
point, or as low as 180 above zero. The cold
est ever known before was thirty-four years
ago, when in January, 1854, it got down to
19o above But these were exceptional
instances, and the mercury will not reach
260 above an average of three times year
in series of twenty years. Here the
MEAN ANNUAL TEMPERATURE
OF the coolest winter month and hottest
summer month varies less than 200. In
the hottest days of summer the nights are
always cool, and insure good nights rest.
The most disagreeable weather known
here is when, during the dry season, the
wind fills the air with dust and sand but
as these storms are of seldom occurrence
and only of few hours duration, they are
scarcely worthy of mention. There are
no hurricanes or cyclones, the wind never
attaining such a velocity as to destroy the
himsiest structures.
SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS.
The soil is alluvial, with a depth of
from seven to twenty feet the surface OF
which slopes towards Kings river, one and
one-half miles to the south of the town,
the grade being about six feet to the mile,
thus afiording most excellent drainage ia
cilities. Large fields are annually sown to
wheat and barley, the exceeding fertility
of the soil insuring large yields, and on
the " Grant" are pastured immense herds
of cattle and hogs. But
THE WEALTH OF THE COUNTRY
Is in the fruit-producing power of the
soil, and the raising of cereals must give
way to horticulture, the returns from
which warrant the valuations at which
the lands are held Wheat Yields from
ten to forty bushels per acre, according
to the season, and, taken one season
with another, will average 223 bushels to
the acre. This past season, which was not
a goS wheat year, C. NJ Shannon, living
four miles northeast of town, had field of
summer fallow that yielded "a bushels to
the acre; Lemuel Harp, one mile north of
town, harvested 100 acres of winter-sown
barley last season, 20 acres of which
yielded 10 bushels and the balance 80
bushels to the acre; Conrad Meyers, nine
miles north, harvested a field of summer
fallow wheat last year that yielded 50
bushels to the acre, but that was an excep-
tional crop.
EGYPTIAN CORN.
This is planted the same as other corn,
but requires no cultivation 1t Yields
from twenty to fifty bushels to the acre,
the crop being gathered by cutting off the
tops, which look like broom corn but
which are stacked and thrashed like wheat.
The corn" ranges from five to ten cents
hnnIraI -, ba l-nf fbo,, L.,
ley, and is considered the best feed known
for horses, COWS and hogs. The favorite
way of feeding is to have it mixed and
ground with barley, about one sack of the
corn to three of barley.
ALFALFA.
Another not inconsiderable source of
revenue to the farmers of this locality are
the fields of alfalfa, which yield an
average of four crops per year, aggregat-
ing nine tons to the acre, the price of
which is never less than Sc per ton and
often as high as $40 and SO. The land
is irrigated after each cutting, the expense
of irrigating and harvesting each crop
amounting to s. per acre. Lemuel Harp
has eight acres sown nine years ago and in
better condition now than ever, that for
eight Years has averaged eight tons to the
acre, net income of over $40 per acre
And in this country there is not one acre
in twenty that is not first-claSs alfalfa
land
VINES AND RAIsINS.
But while the yield of the cereals is I'M
mense, the rich sandy soil is peculiarly
adapted to the perfect culture of the vine,
and this section is surely destined to be
the greatest raisin-producing region Of the
world. The roots are planted in rows, ten
feet each way, and come into bearing the
third year after planting, when the yield
is such as to just about cover all expenses
of culture up to that time. The fourth
year the vines come into full bearing and
produce
AN AVERAGE YIELD
OF three tons to the acre. These are
picked and dried on trays in the field.
When sufficiently dried they are gathered
in what are called sweat-boxes,' holding
from thirty to fifty pounds each, and in
this condition marketed to the packing
houses at price ranging from 81 to 81
cents per pound. A ton of green grapes
will average about 500 pounds of raisins,
or 1900 pounds to the acre. These aver
ages and prices are certainly within
bounds, our informant, Mr.. Harp, express
ing himself as believing in stating every
thing at a minimum and calling it an
average rather than be charged with ex-
aggeration. To show what is possible, we
instance the yield from the field of Pro-
feSsor Braly, eX-President of the Bank of
Fresno, wherein eighty acres yielded
TWELVE TONS OF GREEN GRAPES
To the acre. These in the "sweat box"
went four tons to the acre and sold for A
cents per pound. The principal varieties
cultivated are the muscat, muscatelli and
seedless Sultana. 4 few, but not many,
wine grapes are raised, the favorite being
the Zinfandel.
APRICoTs AND PEACHES.
This fruit grows 10 perfection here, the
trees being planted in rows IS feet apart,
or about $50 to the acre. They bear a
ht,le the third year after planting, better
the fourth year aud in five years come into
fall bearing, the yield from the Crawford
and lemon cling varieties averaging about
90 pounds 10 the tree.
PRICES OF LANDS.
Lands vary in prices from $50 to $50
per acre, according to distance from town.
Every acre is susceptible of irrigation from
A.,