Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-02

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end of the island and about half mile be-
low Isleton. This place, with narrow
frontage of the Terschuran and Hodapp
ranches are equally as fertile as any men
toned on Andrus or Grand Islands. Oh
posite Rio Vista some vegetables are raised.
but the resources will never be known I'M
til the reclamation is as perfect as that of
the island above. The same may be said
OF Sherman and Twitchell Islands, which
to-day are nothing more nor less than a
vast inland sea. This land can be re-
claimed and eventually will be, and he
who does reclaim will have land secocd in
fertility to none
Costumes
Is a post and express office on the Jack
son road, twenty miles southeast of Sacra
mento, on the Costumes river. The town
consists, in addition to the offices named,
of a store of general merchandise, way
side inn and several dwellings. The bot
tom lands of the Costumes are much wider
here than elsewhere, and some of the most
valuable farms in the county are in this
immediate vicinity. While the land is
most excellent for fruit purposes, most of
1t is devoted to farming. There are, how
ever, some fine orchards, notably those of
William Dixon, J. M. Belcher, w. r.
Grimshaw and D. Dalton.
Here grow the finest fields of corn. per-
haps, to be found in the State. the weld
being an average of 60 bushels to the
acre, and some small fields running as high
as so bushels. There are also large and
profitable alfalfa fields here, among which
perhaps, those of William Dixon and M
Pickett are the most noted. The former
has between 200 and 300 acres, from which
he cuts four crops per season, at an
aggregate average of ten tons to the acre.
This hay is nearly all marketed in the
foothills and the price received is about
$40 per ton. The average time between cut
ting the successive crops is from about 80 to
81 days. The fifth crop could be easily cut
Mr.. Dixon states, but he pastures his fields
nearly SIX months each year besides the
time occupied in growth for hay.
The land back from the river bottoms
rises into rolling hills, and is now used for
wheat, but by application of water in sum
mer, would produce excellent vines and
| fruit.
Courtland
Is situated on the Sacramento river.
twenty-four miles below Sacramento. J..
w. Houston, ex-Assessor of Sacramento
county, just about constitutes the town,
and does a large business. He has hotel.
general merchandise store, wharf, livery
stable, Is Postmaster, express agent. has
Western Union telegraph office, and does
commission and insurance business. His
son, Fred B. Houston, is a Notary Public
and agent for the D-UNIoN.
This is the great center for shipment of
river fruits to the East. 1t is gathered
here by buyers for Eastern and Sacramento
houses, packed ready for shipment by the
growers, and forwarded to Sacramento to
be sent on with carload lots.
Walnut Grove
Is on the Sacramento river, in the Pier
son District, at the lower point of the main
land of the county. There are two gen.
eral merchandise stores in the place, one
kept by Alex. Brown, and the other by
Harry L. Luffkin, managed by L. NJ. Linz
baugh. Alex. Brown also has a fine large
hotel, and has charge of the wharf, post
Office and express Office This town is
place of considerable Importance, being
the general supply center for large portion
Of Grand, Andrus and Tyler Islands, and a
good portion of the Pierson District, all of
which converge at this point.
Tyler Island.
Although an island by name and on the
maps, one gets on the island without know
ing it, and has to be told in order to know
he is there, for he has used neither bridge,
ferry or ford In fact, TYLER slough.
forming the eastern boundary, not being
navigable, was filled up, levee built on
the filling and a road on top of the leyee.
This, with levees along Georgiana slough
and the Mokelumne river, and a cross
levee between the two incloses about 1000
acres of the upper end of this island and
forms the most thoroughly reclaimed piece
of land along the river. The work of re-
clamation has been progressing for many
years, but not until the winters of 'S5 and
'S6 was the district considered entirely
safe. The successful accomplishment of
reclamation was largely due to the energy
and perseverance of John Miller, who
built new and strengthened old levees. and
had erected drainage pump, pronounced
by j. c. Pierson, well-known civil engin-
eer, to be the best in the State The front
land is all in fruit and on the back lands
are raised all kinds of vegetables, the fer
tility of the soil being second to none in
the world. One of the finest and most
valuable farms in the State is that of Mrs.
Lizzie Miller, on the upper end of this
island.
Steamboats,.
For several years past navigation on the
Sacramento river has been very much re-
tarded by the formation of shoals and
bars in the stream, caused by debris from
the mines, and the rapid and deep-draught
side-wheelers have been replaced by the
light-draught Aat-bottom stern-wheelers.
The San joaquin Company has several
steamers plying the river both above and
below Sacramento. Two steamers, be-
longing to the railroad company, now ply
regularly between here and San Francisco,
the apache and Modoc, which took the
place of the Julia and Cora, drawn off in
1850 for reasons above stated. Thest