Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-23
sACRAMENTO,s NEED.
The One Thing Necessary to Give It
Activity and Prosner asY.

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/ Activity and Prosperity.
/ EDS. RECORD UNION: What will make
our city grow? Sacramento is peculiarly
situated. On the north is vast tract of
overlooked land; on the west is another
large tract reaching out twelve miles; on
the northeast is 44,OOO-acre grant and
another of 10000 acres, which, together,
reach to Orangevale. Therefore Sacra-
mento is covered on three of its sides with
that which returns but the least trade sup
port. You may fill Placer, Nevada and FL
Dorado counties with spectators and set
tiers, and Sacramento will not grow mate
rally. You may fill up Yuba, Suffer and
Butte counties with settlers, and Wheat
land, Marysyilie, Suffer City and Chico
will be the towns that will grow under
such settlement.
1t follows then that to make Sacramento
| grow, our immediate vicinity must be more
| thlekly settled. 1t is true that all settle
ment north and east of Sacramento will
help Sacramento, but will help the whole
| sale business principally, aud it is not by
| its wholesale business that city grows in
| population and prosperity. The individual
| wholesaler gets rich-and as a rule moves
to larger city do not mean the Sacra-
iAASitO nhOACouiSA dlH ld1ElnP III
| general on this particular point, but it
is the retailer and manufacturer that
will build up the town. Who is to
build up the retailer? Surely the
settlement of the immediate surrounding
country. There are 100000 acres of good
land IN Sacramento county that is practi-
cally vacant to cultivation, in products that
are most profitable for the soil and climate,
iand TOO that IS not held at an extravaganza
price, But there is one drawb ack-the
| lack of system of irrigation" without
which Sacramento must be content with
slow growth. 1t has water in greater
| abundance than is needed. Shall the peo-
pie form a district under the Wright bill
and own their own water, and sell their
| surplus acres al double what they now sell
| them, or will private capital take hold of it
and put it III the reach of every land
| owner and newcomer, that all may quad
ripple the product of every acre cultivated.
There Is no question about the product
lveness OF the soil or of the desirability of
the climate, but wheat-farming never was
very profitable in this county. The fall in
prices makes it less so now than formerly.
Take a trip into Placer county and learn
the prices being paid for land covered with
brush and scrub timber, cut up with can
yons, covered more or less with rocks.
partly so steep that it is useless for cultiya-
| tlon-nearly all of a rolling character that
makes II somewhat harder to cultivate than
valley land. In Placer county hills a piece
| OF land is considered of good character that
is not more than 10 per cent waste by
rocks, steepness or canyons, but the advan-
tage OF u water system more than doubly
compensates this loss.
Look at the new settlement of Palermo,
| in Butte county. A few years ago its lands
were worth but from $40 to SIS per acre.
and large portions were bought at those
figures, but under the Influence of
water introduced the price has
increased five and ten fold.
Orange trees have been planted and are
growing finely, and what few years ago
was poor sheep pasture will in a few
years more be profitable orange and fruit
! orchards.
Sacramento is most adyantageously stu
| ated as to shipping facilities The magic
touch of irrigation is all that is required to
put her lands in the front rank and our
city into booming condition. Who will
| reach out for the fortune that is in it? r.
| rigation has made the southern part of
the State what it is it has made Fresno :;
| 1t will make MERGED. Placer, Yuba and
| Butte. If adopted it will make Sacramento
county the leader of them all, beause
other natural advantages are more numer-
| Gus. But without irrigation it will fall to
the rear in the race. This is a problem
that the whole community is interested
in. What will the Executive Committee
of the Improvement Association do in the
matter g. w. HANCOCK.