Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-09-10
PLACER
Her Magnificent Exhibit in HORTICULTURE
Hall.

PLACER COUNTY.
Her Magnificent Exhibit in HORTICULTURE
Hall.
Foremost among the county exhibits is
that of Placer county. With Nevada it
equally occupies all the space in Horticult-
ural Hall sixty-fve feet southerly from its
northern extremity. 1t is shown upon
seven cross section tables, three Longitude
nal tables and one hundred feet of wall
space.
The list OF exhibits which We present be-
low will give the reader a very clear idea of
the variety of the products displayed, but
no possible description can convey to him
an adequate idea of the general character,
the beauty, luxuriance, or of the suggest
~iveness of the whole exhibit. Only an ex-
animation of the products as illustrated
can do that. And it will more than repay /;
for, besides delighting the eye and gratlfy-
ing the senses, it conveys a great deal of
valuable information, and instructs while
it pleases. We shall not, therefore, more
b generally refer TO he exhibition suf-
ficiently to awaken the curiosity if not the
interest of the reader, to the end that he
| may be induced TO do more than to merely
walk through the section.
In the first place it is to be recalled that
Placer county is situated as is no other
county, in this, that its productive sections
are very nearly evenly divided between
high attitudes, foothills and Sacramento
valley lands. There are other counties
having all three, but not one in which the
proportions are so evenly preserved. While
the whole lower section or valley region on
the west is devoted to agriculture in the
growth of cereals, and the upper TO timber,
| a few hardy fruits, minerals, etc., the great
wealth of the county resides in the middle
or foothill section, which is, with here and
there some mining and some grazing, given
over to fruit, vegetable and berry culture.
The three sections are all thoroughly and
extensively represented in the State Fair
exhibit, over which Superintendent Berry
presides with such excellent executive
ability and with much patience in giving
information. From the greater attitudes
there is a full and exhaustive exhibit of
soft woods, and their manufacture in
great variety, and examples also of the
paper pulp industry. A curiosity in the
division is the application of the tamarack
pulp to the manufacture by compression OF
chair bottoms; il is novel and superior
to that requiring wood placed in sheets
with tibers crossing at right-angles, to give
strength. With the pulp it is one solid,
elastic and enduring body scarcelycapable OF
being broken and wholly free from brittle
ness. For the upper attitudes are shown
some of the finest of the harder fruits,
notably apples. Some come from levels as
high as 1900 feet. For this section there is
also a fine showing of mineral specimens.
For the lower section we have corn from
the bottom lands of the three rivers that
drain the county, ana from the valley lands
wheat, rye, barley, oats, sorghum, alfalfa,
cultivated grapes, etc, vegetables in endless
variety, and a good showing of fruits and
grapes. From the middle section come the
great multitude of the exhibits of grapes
and fruits, the most of commercial min.
erals. and the granite examples, this county
being favored with the finest granite quar-
ries in the State. Quartz, gravel and placer
mining are prosecuted in the middle anc
upper sections, and there are yet untold
millions of wealth in Placer's mines. In
the foothills are extensive beds of iron ore,
limestone deposits of great richness, Goa
mines, and beds of clay, the manufacture
of which in terra Gotta, architectural orna
ments, and in pottery, drain pipe, stone.
ware, ETC., in great variety are shown.
Ten years ago not even those with tht
most vivid imagination formed any idea @
the possibilities of Placer county. Thel
] iduuS COulu nave Dctu scCuEeu directly
upon the line of the railways-of which
over 100 miles traverse the fruit, agricult
ural, mineral and timber belts of Placer
for from 81 so to S. an acre hat canno
now be touched for from $50 to $3.50. Bact
from the railroads, however, there is still
some Government lane and some railroad
and other lands for sale and capable of a.
high culture as any in the railroad belt
and that can be had at reasonably low
figures. To-day from Sacramento to Col
fax, Placer county, along the railroad is on
continuous settlement, almost one con
tinuous line of orchards, farms and indus
trial works, and there is not in all tn,
State a more contented and prosperou
people.
1t is within bounds to say that N
county, not even excepting Alameda, So
mona and Santa Clara, has, all things con.
sidered, made such rapid progress as Placer
The successes of the former are the growth
OF twenty-five years of occupancy and cult
walton; the latter is practically a new anc
recent discovery and has made its gian
strides within the last six year
or so. Ten years ago not a car
load of fruit in the aggregate wa
shipped from the whole county; las
year from Newcastle, the f~ruit-shippinl
center of Placer, went ont one-ifth of al
tuc kiCCh Uult SuiRLucutS VI IL Otdtt
California gets but little of Placer's bes
fruit, the most of it now going East. Ths
water capacity of Placer for irrigation i
exceeded by that of no other, though it i
not as yet all developed. The vast accumu
iations of water for mining from the Amer
lean, Bear AMI Yuba and their tributarie
are now being diverted for irrigatinl
purposes; hundreds of miles of ditche
traverse the county, and they are beinI
constantly extended. Nevertheless ver
much of the fine growth is the result O
non irrigation, notably in vineyards
Olives, almonds, walnuts, oranges an,
lemons are freely grown, and notably olive
culture is engaging q great deal of atten
ton, and some of the best exhibits in tn
fair are those of olives and olive oil from
Placer. Placer has a population o
about 21,0O0-it is capable of %supportin
100000 easily. Dramatically, it is great,
blessed, and Auburn, Its chief tow
situated at an altitude of 1850 feet, is
recognized sanitarium for the dryness an
purity of its atmosphere and the genIalit
of its climate generally. 1t is il conse
quence a great resort, but there are sewers
, other places that are also made the oh
%jective point of pilgrimage BY invalid;
while along the head waters of its stream
are springs and mountain camps and re
mantle spots where the air is bracing an
laden with the aroma of the resinous fol
r ests and waters gush from mountain side
pure as waters ever can be, and TO whic
tourists resort and hat are the summe
homes of great numbers escaping from th
hot valleys and the fogs of the sea shoft
La Placer too lies the largest, most beauti
ful and loftiest sheet of fresh water in Id
world, the famous and romantic Tahoe
the resort of thousands and one of the chit
natural attractions of the State of Califol
mia.
But columns might be consumed i
merely noting the advantages of Placer
and the invitation of our sister county t
the homeseeker. We cannot even refe
!, to her fine school advantages, the constitr
, ton of her society-stable, progressive, in
telligent; of her water powers, her buildin
stone deposits, her vineyard interests. he
raisin curing industry. etc.
Calling attention finally to the exhib
! which is evidence of the strength of all th
!: claims pr ferred for Placer, we invite e
. pecial examination of the display of so
urarlo ord tho dnaro cochac ofo mod