Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-04-10
ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE

SOME INTERESTING THINGS THAT
HON. FL. ST. GEO. TUCKER SAW
ON HIS TRIP ACROSS THE
CONTINENT.
CALIFORNIA THE ORCHARD OF THE
WORLD-THE WINES-ORANGES AND
SNOW DRIFTS-A GREAT HORSE RANCH
"A PARADISE OF ToWN-THE CHI
NEsE THEATRICALS-ANIL ILLUSTRATION
OF THE TARIFF TAX-YIRGINIANS IN
CALIFORNIA.
&C., &C, NC.
The fact that Hon. II. st. Geo. Tucker
returned home last week from his trip to
California as member of the escort to the
remains OF the late Senator Hearst of that
State, appointed by Congress, has been
mentioned. Thinking that his observations
on the trip would be interesting to our
readers, a reporter of this paper called Oh
him. MI. Tucker, in the outset, put an end
to the reports circulated through the press
about the trip being a junl1eting excursion
by saying that on the whole trip nothing
transpired in the conduct of the members
of the escort that any gentleman would have
hesitated to permit in his own parlOr at
home-no drunkenness, no unbecoming lev
ity and nothing unsuited to the solemn oc-
casion. The party left Washington on a
Saturday evening and arrived at San Fran
cisco on the following Thursday evening.
They expected that according to prior
arrangement the funeral would take place
directly after their arrival, but 1t was at
the request of Mrs. Hearst postponed until
Sunday. The Congressman OF the escort
committee were besieged with hospltable
invitations directly after their arrival, but
held conference and decided to accept
none until after the funeral.
What struck you as the principal feature
of California asked our representative.
CALIFORNIA THE ORCHARD OF THE
WORLD.
ssWell,'' said Mr.. Tucker, sit was the
fruit bearing. 1 came away impressed with
the conviction that California is to be the
orchard of the world. We returned by
way of Los Angeles and found the fruit
growers and wine makers to be the most
active advertisers in the world. They take
right hold of a stranger and he is not likely
to be permitted to get away without know
ing what they have. Los Angeles is about
the centre of the orange region though we
saw oranges as high up as Sacramento. 1
saw some ranches with orchards of from
400 to 500 acres Of trees bearing filberts,
English walnuts, apricots, figs, and almost
every other fruit and nut, and every foot of
the ground as beautifully cultivated as a gar
den. We saw on every hand vineyards of
800 and 400 acres with the vines as thick
as man S arm, cut off close down to the
ground and the whole cultivated with as
much scrupulous neatness as a Virginia
housewife has bestowed ON the garden patch.
1t sounds strangely to us, but the oranges
and snow are not far apart. Coming
through the Sierra Nevada mountains one
morning just after day break, [ pushed
aside the curtain of my berth and saw out
side, the snow covered side of the noun
tain. By the time we had dressed and
gotten breakfast we stopped at station
about fifty miles away where some Of us
got eff the train and pulled ripe oranges
from the trees. Frequently the orange
orchards that we saw with trees bending
with the fruit, had the snow covered noun
tain side for back ground. The ship
ments of oranges from stations in Califor
MIA seem fabulous to Eastern eyes. From
Riverside" station last year they shipped
four thousand car loads Of navel oranges
these oranges have no seed. We found thai
<we could buy English walnuts at eight cent
a pound and oranges at $3.50 to 81 a box.
THE WINE BUSINESS.
At Fresno, which is in the wine country
we saw Butler S great wine vaults, and were
told of another vault in NaDa Vale.
that cost 100000. They have tank
that hold 1900 gallons of wine
some artificial and some cut in the sole
rock. The best claret found [ could bu,
lat 121 to Is cents a gallon by the cask, bu
Iby the case it came no cheaper than you ge
lit in Virginia. l am not much of a judg
OF wine, but Senator Barbour, who is {
connaissenr, told me that the Charlottesville
claret is equal to any. made in any part O
this country.
SOME INTERESTING AND NOVEL FACTS
ABOUT HORSE BREEDING.
We visited the great Hagan ranch ant
there met its Superintendent, Mr.. Taylor
a former officer on Gen. A. 7. Hills staff
and a son of DR.. Taylor of Fredericksburg
They have 5000 acres Of land on what foul
teen years ago was a desert. This chang
of a desert into garden has been done b
irrigation. They have 800 horses on th
ranch. I was given some information
about their breeding, which will be YER
novel to the farmers and stock raisers o
the Valley Of Virginia and very muc
against all their former usage in this re
spect. No such things as grooms al
known and horses are bred just as cattle al
by turning one stallion into field contain
ing drove of mares and paying no furthe
attention tohim. In answer to my inqu
ries Mr. Taylor told me that he had nevt
had mare injured even slightly by IT,
stallion, and the product of colts is large
than by the old system. What will he sti
more surprising to our home horse breeder
is the fact, told me by Mr.. Taylor, that h
uses Jacks for breeding purposes precisel
in the same way and with the same success
Another surprising thing he told me wa
that he works the stations in harness apo
tion Of every day to the farm machines;
is healthful to them. Mr.. Taylor sal
the old idea of a stallion being NATURAL
vicious was exploded and under this moo
of treatment they are as quiet and work
Ill .,., o,,,r ofhar h0rsa On this ranch L