The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1888-02-09
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA.


Lana OF sunshine. Fruit and Flowers.
Especial Correspondence
SACRAMENTO. Jan. 10, 1854
Here we are In Sacramento City after a
visit to the surrounding country, under n
cloudless sky, the thermometer this day
standing at forty-cight degrees above zero.
merchants doing bus ness with open doors,
and people on the streets without wraps.
flowers blooming in the open air, oranges
and lemons on trees in the door-yards of
the coy rcsiienceS n revelation to one
who arrives from the frozen east and who
has dropped down in four hours from the
summit OF the Sierras where the snow is
ten feet deep and the thermometer at Is
degrees below zero.
Sacramento City is the capital of the State,
10 located eighty-three miles northeast froIi
Ban Francisco at the confluence of this
American and Sacramento rivers, the latter
navigable stream, and is the railroad center
and the largest fruit sh piping point in Calf
fornia Fifty-four trains from seven differ
ent directions arrive and depart daily, tie
shops OF the O. Il. X H. furnishing employ
ment to two thousand mechanics and labor
ers The city is built upon level plain.
wide streets running at right angles, let
tered from A TO north TO south and LIST 10
3lst from west to eagk
Many fine buildings adorn the residence
portion OF the city, but many of the bust
ness structures with their wide awnings re-
main as erected during the mining era OF
thirty years ago, presenting novel appear.
ance TO us from the East The State Capitol
building is modelled after the Capitol at
Washington, and cost over two million dol
lars; is surrounded by grounds not excel cd
in beauty of landscape gardening and semi
tropical plants by any capital grounds IN
the United States The city boasts of the
Croker art gallery costing over four hun
ured thousand dollars, donated to the city
by Mrs L. b. Crocker, said gallery contain.
ing large collection of choice statuary and
paintings, In which is in active operation
an art school This gallery. second to none
in the United States. Will amply repay the
tourist who NAV visit IL
There are many other fine buildings,
among which are tho new Catholic cathe-
dral, Masonic and Odd Fellows temples,
different churches school buildings and
two elegant theatars. numerous hotels and
business = ructures The CITY contains
about 80 600 population, and has large
wholesale trade, one store having 225 en-
ployes The CITY il well lighted by two
electric light and one gas company. The
Stl.e fairs are held here in September each
ycnr. the State Agricultural Society having
large exposition building and mile race
track
An exposition building adjoining the rail-
road depot is being erected, where a con-
tinuous exhibit of the products Of Central
California will be shown and printed infor-
nation relative to same distributed The
area of Sacramento County is 620000
acres The land Is of three characters, foot
hill. pla ms and RIVER bottom, The foot-hill
land is peculiarly adapted to the produc-
lion of fruits and prapeS The plains lands
are mainly devoted to gra n raising, and no
failure OF crops since the Amer can occupa-
ton OF this country In some portions of
the county fruits, berries and grapes are
extensively produced on this class OF land,
and from small farms of forty and sixty
acres considerable incomes are derived
The best lands are those on the i'm
mediate banks of the rivers, and are de-
voted TO the production of fruits and
vegetables The income per acre is fab-
ulous enabling the owners of the river
bank orchards to own and manage a line of
steamers ON which their produce is trans
ported to Sn Francisco markets or TO
Sacramento City for shipment E1st Pre-
vious TO the last two wears many of these
lands were held in lnrge tructs; now the
owners are subdiyding thom and offering
them for sale to actual settlers
For many wears California was regarded
MS valuccss save tor it's mineral wealth,
hut American enterprise has developed
that its richness in the line of agriculture
nnd fruit raising is inferior to none in the
world From the cultivation of cereals the
step was taken successfully in the line of
fruit and vine raising, and lastly in the
growing of oranges md lemons consequent
" the fruit grower here has no waste time,
but can IL he will. utilize every day in the
wear. He actually gather tluiU OF
some kind from his orchard every month
of the year. as the winter fruits embrace
oranges. lemons. pomegranates olives and
persimu ons which ripen during the
months of November December and Janu-
ary The spring fruits embrace Strawberries,
raspberries. blackberries and cherries. and
are marketed in April MAY and June The
summer fruits are aprioots, llums peach IS.
figs. pears and nectarnes. and are marketed
from june to October. The fall fruits are
apples. pears. grapes. ounces. prunes and
peaches to which may be added almonds,
walnuts and peanutR HoIs, broom and
Egypt'an corn. alfalfa, sweet potatoes, etc
arc all gown with profit We who have
spent our lives east of the Rocky Mountains
can have no reasonable conception Of 9
country that apparently has but two sea-
sons. an autumn and spring, as it is here ir
the Sacramento valley The rainfall com.
mences about November / and ends in
Nav. but only at intervals du ring that time
SO that with few exceptions there is nc
cause for suspension from outdoor labor
Flowing begins here as soon as the rains
commence-.n fact many farmers who