News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-04-05
A SENATOR'S BIG RANCH.
LELAND STANFoRD'S WONDERFUL
CALIFORNIA FARMS
4 Farm Which Contains $4,000
Acres-What IL Grows-The Sen.
ator's Beneicences

A Farm Which Contains $4,000
Acres-What IL GrOws-The Sen.
ator's Benehcences.
Mr. Henry B. Shackleford, q South.
erner in the employ of United States
Senator Leland Stanford was in At
lanta, Georgia, recently, and was in
terviewed by a Cons tn i'm reporter:
"Senator Stanford" said he towns
the largest ranch in the world. It
contains 56, 600 acres, through which
run one hundred miles of ditchiug, some
$500 acres are planted in grape wires,
and 1000 acres are devoted TO alfalfa,
which makes the best sort of hay for
ca tie. In this vineyard were raised
countless tons of grapes, which pressed,
made one million gallons of wine. We
have a wine cellar which holds 1000, IG0
gallons, in two thousand gallon pack
ages. The crushing machine can mash
four hundred tons day. In one bonded
warehouse we now have about iU,OJC
gallons of brandy. TIL is the product
of the vineyard for this year. The wine
is not for sale yet; is not old enough"
"What about fruit!"
'We are not in the fruit business ex.
tensively, for we have only some 3J 600
fruit trees planted. These are mostly
peach and plum
"Any other ranchesW
''South of the ranch | have described
lies another one, imme lately on the line
of the railroad This is a comparatively
small one, containing 10000 acres,
wholly planted in wheat. This wheatis
of superior quality, and extraordinary
crops are made. This is shipped in
bulk"
"What about the stock farm2"
This stock ranch is known all oven
the world. 1t is known as Palo Alto,
and is situated thirty miles south of san
Francisco. Here are to be found horses
of the finest blood in fact all are blooded.
This collection of horses is worth one
million dollars. Just TO think of that
Here are some of the most valuable racers
in the world. The fastest two year old,
three year-old, and four-year-old horses
are here. This ranch contains 12, 0OO
acres. The cattle is, of course, of the
finest strains, aud is worth nearly a
qulrter of million"
''Tell me something about the owner
of these vast estates. What manner OF
man is hep'
Iceland Stanford, as everybody
knows, is a United States Senator from
California. How much money he is
worth it is impossible to state. He is
rated anywhere from so. 900, 900 tc
800, 900, 600. / do not think this is an
extravagant estimate. He is a man, eve
inch of him. A benefactor. he is always
racking his brain to devi-e some new
plan for helping the people. He has
given to the State of Calfornis
these three ranches ! have de-
scribed, and his university, which
cost several millions of dollars. His
home is in San Francisco, but he has
residences at each of his ranches. lie is
always giving to charitable institutions,
and can truthfully say that he is one
of the best men l ever knew. l am his
paymaster and civil engineer To give
you some idea of the expenses he has to
meet in running his mammoth con ens,
will state that he EN- )loys about four
hundred men. paid out in January Or
his vineyard ranch $40, 00)."
"California must be great country
at is. The climate in some parts OF
the State is not unlike that of Georgia.
In San Franci. co you find the most
equable climate in the world. In the
northern section of the State it IS pretty
cold, and in the southern part pretty
warm. The immense tracts of land are
very productive, and their owners amass
fortunes in few years But do you
know the key of the situat on, the one
thing to which may be ascribed the sue
cess of farming in Californian
"No; what is it2'
"Irrigation. But for irrigation many
of the farms which now blossom as the
rose would be dreary, sterile wastes.
Take the San Joaquin Valley for exam
PIE. Much of this land was unproduc-
tive and given over as worthless. W hen
the modern system of irrigation was in
troduced it was applied to vast tracts of
this territory. " hat was tho result2
Why, the transformation was phenome
nal? These barren stretches were at
once converted in fruit ul ranches, yield
ing plenteous crops of gram and hay.
Irrigation is regarded as a necessity In
California. The truth is, it would not
pay to farm but for this mode of arti-
fetal watering. And it has been reduced
to an art. Now, l will tell you some
thing else about its value. Land which
few years ago was untitled because it
would not pay to cultivate it, now is
planted in alfalfa. This is sort of grass
which has been found to make the very
best kind of hay. Here we raise five
crops year. Four tons to the acre is
not infreqUently cut, and this sells for
$40 a ton. What farming land in the
South yields so profitable a crop as thisl
The hay is in request by the ranchmen,
who prefer it to all other kinds for cat
tie. 1t is a great milk-producing feed"