Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-08-23
A CALIFORNIA LETTER.

The more | see of California the bet
ter like it. The dust is not so bad
rs it is there, if we should have few
DAYS of dry weather, the roads would
be as hard and smooth rs . pavement.
There are sandy spots but not extern
sive. The main crops here are Lima
beans. fruits and walnuts. The bean
! fields look nice now, the ground is
completely covered, they don't pole
them and the weeds are kept out
clean. All farming is done very neat.
The corn is a good crop, it grows to Il
height of 9 it. and even 10. There is
a worm in nearly every ear, at the tip.
1t don't seem to hurt the corn but it
looks as if it might. There is a plant
called Alfalfa. They cut two crops a
wear, itresembles the red clover some
but it is finer and very nutritious.
The strips of country lying between the
mountains and the sea, look very mar
row to one seeing it the first time, but
come to travel over it, it spreads out a
great ways. When | first saw this
valley | thought the hills ran right
to the water on both sides of me. The
mountains are so much higher than
they look and look so much nearer than
they are. that it nearly upSets me.
Every house built back from the coast
t,cI.c 90 lao Io,ninr oN-ar towards the
mountains. There is a great wall of
rock. Just back of our house. The val
ley soil is very productive, they raise
beans wear after year, on the same
ground. but it is wearing out. The
foot hills are covered with good soil
and the very best pasture is found ON
them. 1t is perfectly dry, but the
farmers say they don't want to see 1t
rain till January. The dry grass which
is wild oats Is better than green. Fruit
and berries grow i'll abundance. We
will have straw berries till December,
and peaches a long time yet. Our fig
trees have now the second crop of fruit
on for this year. / can send you some
apple blossoms from tree with fruit
on. Vegetables is John Chinaman, IS
crop and they keep them growing the
year around, by irrigatl on and a good
deal of work. We can buy them of
him cheaper than we can raise them
and he always has fresh vegetables"
7 4 al Int ta n 70 nd
| can enjoy eating it. The farmers are
through work until the bean harvest
they have nothing ut all to do, SO they
come here and fish and camp out"
and have fun and make their life worth
living. There is company from
Santa Paula, (about 80 miles, camping
here now. People will camp OUT in
their own door yard just for the novel
ty of it.. 1t is possible that they go
out to coax the fleas ont, so they can
sleep in the house. | will tell you
about the fleas some other time, / am
not very wei! acquainted with them
yet, never can catch them "at home. :"
llt tNNl laloNlllS lOtNi vi blC N'Nthli 10
either source of ANNOYANCE or of
great pleasure, enjoy it very much
sometimes go out in the evening, when
it is full moon to watch the tide come
in. 1t is not only pleasant but grand.
There never is any frost here. | think
told you before, that they kept their
flowers out the year around What
would YOU think if should tell you
that the watermelons have the second
crop. After the first crop the vines
start from the root, and about Christ
mas have the second crop of melons. !
will tell you of California as fast as
| learn il. / will have something to
say about Mackcrcl fishing the next
time. Yours Respectfully.
FRANK PIERCE.