Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-02
Lands OF Wonderful Fertility Rohed in
Perpetual Sunshine
THE HOME OF CITRUS FRUITS
Towns of the County and Their P1nci-
pal Business Firms-Sacramen
and American River Sections
Splendid Opportunities
for Homeseeaers.

of the State, both north and south, east
and west. In area it contains over 96S
square miles, or $4,000 acres, and nearly
every acre Of this vast territory is suscept-
ible of successful cultivation or other profit
able use. The rich warm soil, known as
alluvial or bottom lands, are very extern
sive, and are found along the entire length
of the Sacramento river, including numer-
GUS islands, and also extending back on
either side of all the rivers and streams.
There are probably no more productive
lands on the globe than some of those
along the Sacramento, where resulting
vegetable growth is so uxuriant as to
make a true statemest Of them appear
absolutely incredible, and on account of
the equable and semi-tropic climate, the
growth is continuous with many products,
the entire year, without interruption.
The remainder of the county is COM
prised principally Of plains lands and those
of the foothills. These lands, many OF
them, but comparatively a few years
ago sold at Government prices, which
are now held and sold at 800 per
acre or more. Experience has shown that
these uplands, both plain and foothill, are
most excellent for agricultural productions,
and especially for that branch generally
included under horticulture, and a some
what detailed statement concerning the
productions grown upon the various soils,
the undeveloped resources, opportunities
for home-seekers, etc, will be of interest
to the Eastern people now visiting this
State.
AGRICULTURAL WEALTH AND PRoDUC-
TIoNS.
In a carefully prepared article upon az
riculture in Sacramento county, written by
P f. Plat, of the well-known firm of w.
r. Strong & Co, Sacramento, and which
has just been published by A. J. Johnston
d Co., in the work upon resources of Sac
ramento county, appears the following:
THE SOIL AND CLIMATE.
There are three principal qualities of
land in this county: the river-bottom land
"a deep, rich, sediment deposit; second
bottom, which is a deep, sandy loan and
the red bedrock land of the plains; all OF
which are especially adapted to fruit of
some kinds. 1t would be very difficult to
name any product of the vegetable king
dom that could not be grown without irri-
cation on the rich river bottoms first men
toned, or with irrigation on the second
named; while the red lands-owing to
their shallowness-ar not so desirable for
tree-culture, but berries of all kinds and
every known variety of the finest table
grapes do remarkably well on them. AS
the term is understood in the East, there
is no winter here The tender Gala lily,
as well as the olive, lemon and orange
tree, blossoms or bears fruit in the open
air during the so-called winter months.
Neither is the heat OF summer oppressive
There are no sunstrokes and the farmer
finds no inconvenience by reason of excess
i've heat. This article is not intended as
treatise on climatology, and the subject is
mentioned only for the purpose of showing
why the fruit-grower here has no waste
time, but can, if he Will, utilize every day
of the year not only so, but he may actu-
ally gather fruit of some kind from his
orchards, if not every day, certainly every
month of the year. Let us contemplate
for moment the various crops that are
now being successfully and extensively
grown, and we will take them in order.
commencing with the
WINTER FRUTTs-oRANGEs, LEMONS, ETC
These embrace oranges, lemons.
pomegranates, olives and persim
mons, which all ripen during the
months of November, December and jan
uary. 1t has only been during the last
four years that ithas been generally known.
even to our own residents, that the first
two would do well here, consequently there
are not a large number of bearing orchards
TO be found, but enough full-grown trees
exist to prove that they can and do thrive
and produce fine fruit. The writer is per-
sonaily connected with a firm that has
brought to Sacramento county during the
last three years over $4,000 orange and
lemon trees, and will bring here in addi
ton to those now growing in its own nur-
sery grounds this winter, at least $4,000
more. So great has been the demand for
planting in this district, that it is sure that
in a few years orange and lemon culture
will form an important part of our indus
try. The crop of oranges in Sacramento
county this year is estimated at 1000
boxes Five years hence il may be 10000
boxes, and increase thereafter in like pro-
portion. Oranges and lemans ripen here
much earlier than in the Southern part of
the State. This fact may seem strange to
many, bat any who doubt ii may prove it
to their satisfaction very easily by comnar-
ing the fruit from the two localities in
November. 1t is a fact that tAeoranges of
and other central counties age
ALWAYS SOLD AT FANCY PRICES
Long before any are received from the
southern counties. This is an advantage
which will be apparent at a glance AS
to the quality-the writer, with others, in
charge of the citrus fair exhibit fran Cen
trail California at Chicago in the winter of
1857, was assured by experts that no bet
ter oranges ever reached that market
They were compared with the products of
Florida, Louisiana ans the Mediterranean.
and suffered nothing by the comparison.
The japanese persiomon is the finest
fruit of that family in the world, and grows
here to the size Of apples. Olives do well.
and are being extensively planted. They
are very profitable both for picking and
for oil. \ grand opportunity is here pre-
sented for any one who win make study
Of the business of raising ohges, and who
understands their commercial value. Sam
piles of olive oil made in Sacramento
county, and in the foo;hill region adioin-
ing, were exhibited last year at Chicago.
and were pro-. need much Superior TO the
imported article. The olive tree grows
rapidly and bears p~olificaliv: it is easily |
grown and very long lived. There can be
no doubt that before many years the olives
Of California, ike her raisius are now do
ing, will drive the foreign article out Of
.he market. Olive culture, as well as or
ange and fig growing. is soon to he lead I!
ing industry in Sacramento county.
'PRING FRUITs-BERRIEs AND CHERRIES.
We next come to the spring fruits such
Is mature and are marketed in April. Nav
md June. These embrace Strawberries.
aspberries, blackberries and cherries
Every acre of tillable land in Sacramento
ounty will grow the finest Strawberries in
reat profusion. This is az very profitable
rop and should be more largely cnlh- I