The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-03-08
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA.
A Trip Through Sacramento Valley, tho
Land of Sunshine. Fruit and Flowers,

SACRAMENTO, Jan. IS, 1888
Here we are in Sacramento City after a
visit to the surrounding country, under
coudless sky, the thermometer this day
standing at forty eight degrees above zero,
merchants dong 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 residences, a 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 10
degrees below zero
Sacramento City is the capital of the State,
is loc1ted eighty-three miles northeast from
San Francisco at the confluence of the
American and sacramento rivers, the latter
navigable stream, and is the railroad center
and the largest fruit shipping point in Cali
fornia. Fifty-four trains from seven differ
ent directions arrive and depart daily, the
shops Of the c. p r. II. furnishing employ
ment to TWO thousand mechanics and labor
ers. The city is built upon a level plain,
wide streets running at right angles let
tered from A to Y north to south, and LIST to
31St from west to east
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 excelled
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
bred thousand dollars donated to the city
by Mrs. l. B. Croker, said gallery contain
ing large collection of choice statuary and
paintings, in which ia in active operation
an art school This gallery, second to none
in the United States will amply repay the
| tourist who may visit IT.
| There are many other fine buildings,
among which are the new Catholic cathe-
dral. Masonic and Odd Fellows temples,
different churches school buildings, and
two elegant theaters, numerous hotels and
| business ructures The city contains
about 10000 population, and has large
Wholesale trade, one sore having 225 en-
ployes The city is well lighted by two
electric light and one gas company The
STATE fairs are held here in September each
| year, the State Agricultural Socie y having
a large exposition building and mile race
| track
| An exposition building adjoining the rail-
road depo5 is being erected, where con-
| t1nuous exhibit of the products of Central
| California will be shown and printed infOr-
nation relative to same distributed The
urea of Sacramento County is $40, 900
acres The land is of three characters, foot
hill, plans and river bottom. The foot-hiIl
land is peculiarly adapted to the produce
| ton OF fruits and grapes The plains lands
are mainly devoted to gram 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 cass 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 line Of
steamers on which their produce is trans
ported to Sun Francisco markets or to
Sacramento City for shipment East Pre-
vious to the last two years many OF these
lands were held in large tracts; now the
owners are subdividing them and offering
them for sale to actual settlers
For many years California was regarded
as valueless save Tor its mineral wealth,
hut American enterprise has developed
| and 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 and lemons consequent
| ly the frult-grower here has no waste time,
but can, if he will, utilize every day in the
year He may actually gather fruit of
| some kind from his orchard every month
OF the year, as the winter fruits embrace
oranges, lemons. pomegrdnates, olives and
persmmonsS 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 apricots plu ms, peaches,
figs. pears and nectarines, and are marketed
from June to October. The fall fruits are
apples, pears, grapes, ounces, prunes and
peaches, to which may be added amends,
Walnuts and peanuts HoTs, broom and
Egypt an corn, alfalfa, sweet potatoes, etc. :,
are all glown with profit. We who have
1 spent our lives east of the Rocky Mountains
can have no reasonable conception of a
country that apparently has but two sea-
sons an autumn and spring, as it is here in
the Sacramento valley The rainfall COM
mences about November l and ends ID
May, but only at intervals uring that time,
so that with few exceptions there is M
cause for suspension from outdoor labor
Flowing begins here as soon as the rains
commence-in fact, many farmers who
summer-falIoW their lands IN April and
May seed the same in August and Septem-
Der before the first rains
The change from one season to the other
is marked with no sudden or severe clmat-
ic changes While sieet and snow, to say
nothing of billiards. at this time of the year,
ere the fortune of the people at the East,
here in the Sacramento valley the people
are basking under clear skies and can pluck
| fruits and flowers The writer noticed in
one of the markets this morning the fol-
lowing fruits and vegetables being in.
| formed they were grown in this immediate
| vicinity: Asparagus, caulitiower, cabbage,
celery, artichokes, sweet potatoes, sprouts,
| spinach, peas, satisfy, string beans, new
potatoes, onions, oranges, lemons, persim-
| mons, English walnuts, almonds and rails
ms In an interview with the signal service
officer located here. / am informed that this
present winter has been an unusually cold
one-in fact, the coolest in the past thirty
four years.
| A few days since a snow-storm actually
swept over the valley and snow fell to the
| depth of an inch, afford ny great amuse-
mcnt to men, women and children during
| the few hours it lay upon the ground He
also informed me that Sacramento County
| shows a warmer winter, spring, and We rly
| average temperature and about the same
summer and autumn temperature that tn.
great citrus belt in Northern Italy does al
shown Ivy the following table which he