The mountain signal. (Mount Vernon, Ky.) 1887-18??, 1888-02-24
OUR CALIFORNIA LETTER.
SACRAMENTO CITY. January 81, 1888.
Especial Correspondence


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, 900 feet; the Const Range from 2, 800
to 4, 900 feet, and they are divided by
number of valleys and rivers, the principal
one being the Sacramento valley, 200
miles in length and 45 miles average
width, through which runs the Sacrament
to river, navigable stream for about 100
miles from its entrance into Suisun bay,
small bay at the head of the bay OF San
Francisco
Sacramento valley proper includes the
counties OF Sacramento, Yuba, Butte, Te-
hama, Colusa, Suffer, Yolo and Solane,
these being bordered by the mountain
counties of Amador, Ell Dorado, Placer,
Nevada Sierra, Plumas, Shasta, Trinity,
Mendocino, Lake and Napa, affording
great variety of soil and climate, owing to
the difference in elevation.
The soil of the valley counties bordering
upon the Sacramento river is principally
dark, rich adobe and alluvial soil, and well
adapted to the growth of cereals. Along
the foot hills varieties of soil from BLACK
adobe to light sandy soil appears. The
lower slopes of the mount ins contain diff
ferent soil, some being sands 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 meadows and deep,
rich valleys in the very tops of the mount
aims, being the favorite resort of large
herds Of sheep and cattle during the sum-
mer months.
Stretching along the foothills and up the
Al IA. IL % 60,
is what is known as the thermal belt" 1t is
in this belt where the warm air fingers when
the sun goes down, and to which the warm
air rises when the first rays OF the morning
sun are thro wn upon the valley. Tender
plants and semi-tropical fruits are grown
in profusion, as was fully demonstrated at
the Citrus fair held In Oroville. Butte Coun-
ty, in December last This thermal belt is
also noted for ltswonderful curative qualities
in lung and asthmatic complaints But very
little good Government or railroad land
near the railroads or rivers remain. Land
Is worth from So to $500 per acre according
to location and improvements. In the foot
hill region land is selling from Us to $50
per acre. In the valley bordering on the
Sacramento river large ranches OF from
1000 to 1000 acres have been the pre-
vailing feature. AS population comes in
these will be subdlvided and on their rich
aliuvial soil thousands of small farms, the
homes of thrifty families, will be estab.
lished, but this can not be accomplished
until the population increases and there is
a demand The population of this great
State is about l, 500, 600, but it is capable
of supporting 10000 900 people.
All this vast region of soil, water and
climate, unsurpassed by any other now in
xr;ta ohi too
pecunious persons such would soon starve
or be found begging-but men with brain
and muscle, and enough money to give
them fair start, enough to sustain them
while improving the lands to make them
produce that for which nature intended
them-such men, il with families so much
the better, can tl4- abundant opportunities
to secure at modl s;y cost such home az
will be pleasant and profitable A man
with family willing to help him, if he has
from 81 900 to S3, 900 in hand, is safe to
make a beginning which. if he is judicious,
should lead him to prosperity.
Two branches of the Central Pacific rail-
road leaves Sacramento-one on the east
side of the valley, via Marysville and Chico
and the intermediate towns, the other on
the west side, via Woodland Willows and
Williams and intermediate towns uniting
at Tehama, the now head of navigation on
Sacramento river. From thence the road
is continued to Portland, Ore, this road
having been completed within the last
sixty days, opening up country wonderfully
rich in farming timber and mineral prod
ucts
Until the past five years the raising OF
wheat and barley was the principal occu-
patton of the farmers of the Sacramento
valley, the grain being transported to
Europe on ships, but the completion of three
trans-contlnental railroads-the Central
Pacific, Southern Pacific and the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe, with the prospect OF
other roads soon coming, affording in
creased facilities and reduced rates of
transportation, has given wonderful i'm
petus toward raising fruit, and California
will soon be considered the garden spot of
the world. The Sacramento valley has sup
piled nne-tenths of the fruit sent East, and
the Fruit Growers Union" an association
of farmers, in the year 1887 sold their fruit
in New YORK." and Boston on the auction
plan, and with gratifying success 1t will
be tried in other cities this coming season,
with reduced rates of transportation, so
that sixty million OF people in the United
States can afford to purchase these Califor-
mia fruits, ansA-the progress and develop
ment OF the fruit business will be something
wonderful "
The largest grain growers in the valleys
do their blowing with gang plOws and
their harvesting with the latest improved
machinery. Consequently farm hands in
the past had employment only during a
portion of the year, but since the fruit and
vine business Is coming to the front, more
and continuous labor is required, and in
some of the more advanced fruit districts
during the fruit picking season the school
vacations are extended in order to allow
the children to assist in securing the crops.
Dry-goods, clothing, and in fact. all the
lighter class of goods can be purchased as
cheaply as in the Western States Heavy
goods, where freight is an important item
of cost, are more expensive.
Banks both commercial and savings, are
plenty, the current rate of interest at this
time being seven to nine per cent per an
nun. Hotel accommodation both good
and reasonable, fair board being OIL tanned at