Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-04-28
FRESNO COUNTY.
Some of Its Many Resources and Advan-
tages Under Brief Outline.

Some of Its Many Resources and Advan-
tages Under a Brief Outline.
Fresno is the third county in size in the
State, and has an area of 5000 square miles.
Its eastern line stretches along the summit
of the Sierras, from whence the county ex-
tends westward down mountain slopes,
over the foothills, across the vast level val
ley situated on both sides of the great San
Joaquin river, and well up into the foot
hills of the Coast Range where is traced its
western boundary. 1t is situated in the
very center of the great San Joaquin valley
about 200 miles from the city of San Fran
cisco. The Sierra Nevada mountains in
the Eastern part contain numerous lofty
peaks-Mt. Whitney, the highest in the
United States, with an altitude of $1,000
ct, and Mts. Lyell, Abbott, Goddard
tearsarge, Brewer and Tyndall, each with
attitudes of over 1900 feet, their tops
being clothed in perpetual snow. Above
5000 feet their sides are rugged and barren.
but from that down are mostly smooth and
aloping, heavily timbered and filled with
grassy meadows.
WATER COURSES
The San Joaquin and Kings rivers have
their sources high among the snow capped
peaks and course in bold and nearly paral-
lei streams westward and northerly through
the county. These great rivers, with their
innumerable tributaries, constitute such
complete, abundant and well-distributed
water supply for all purposes as not to be
excelled in this State, if on the coast.
THE FOOTHILLS
Along the entire extent of the county be-
tween the mountains and the valley is
what is provincially termed foothills"
These consist Of unduiating hills and slop-
ing plains, partially wooded and much
broken by streams and ravines. and CON
tain great variety OF soil and climate
To the west vast stretch OF level land
extends from the base of the foothills,
distance varying from 60 to so miles.
Through these lands flow tie San JOAQUIN
and Kings rivers, whose waters are abund-
ant in the driest seasons, and numerous
lesser streams whose waters are absorbed
by the agricultural lands in summer, prin-
cipal of which are Ash Slough, Berenda
OItth-
TYPOGRAPHICAL SECTIONS.
I hus it will be seen that geographically
the county consists of two great parts, the
mountain slopes or foot-hlll region, and
the great level agricultural valley land,
each abundantly rich in resources of its
own kind and especially valuable, the one
TO the other, but it is to this latter portion
we desire to call attention.
THE VALLEY SOILS
The soil varies much in character even
in the same locality, but is mainly confined
TO three kinds-sandg loan. white ash and
that known as the red lands. With the
first two the soil is generally thick and
rests on sandy subsoil. These lands
are easily irrigated. requiring but little
preparation IN the way of leveliug and but
little water in cultivation.
The red lands are very stroRg and fertile
but are generally more or less of the hog
wallow variety. A person can grasp the
meaning of that term if he can imagine
township of land boiled up like a huge
caldron of thick soap and while bubbling
is suddenly cooled. On the tops of these
bubbles the soil is red, while the little val
leys between are a kind of black adobe.
This class of land is undeTlaid with bed
rock which in some places comes nearly to
the surface, but which generally is met
with at depth OF from eighteen TO thirty
inches. This land requires vastly more labor
TO prepare for irrigation, bat when pre-
pared. 1t ranks with the best in themarket.
Except in the neighborhood of the rivers
or natural water channels there is no thick
brush TO clear FROM the land. and no heavy
sod to break. There is no portion of this
rich agricultural State where lands NAV be
found capable of producing more success
fully so large variety of crops, embracing
all those kinds grown in northern temper
ate and semi-tropical la;itudes, as here with
the application of water. the coun-
try is also excelleutly adapted to raising
stock, and nowhere in the world do they
require less attention On the pasture
lands are oyer 100000 sheep, producing an.
nually over 100000 pounds of wool
IRRIGAFIyG CANALS.
Careful inquiry among the leading ditch
owners develops the fact that the county
at the present time contains what NAV be
termed trunk canals, that are now in oper-
alton to the extent of over 900 miles. bulli
at cost of not less than s., 100000, carry
ing 100000 gallons per minute, capable oil
watering 100000 acres.
This shows the immense extent of the
present irTigating system which can easily
be largely increased as the demsnd foi
water makes necessary. All these bitches
are ready for any emergency in the use Of