The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-02-06
CALIFORNIA LETTER.
Prof. E. E. EnIow Writes OF that
Sunny Land.

To the EdltOr oil Inc fSepuoIlCtn'
Whilst you are enduring the rigors
of an Eastern winter, we, hasking IN
the sunshine with the thermometer
mounting high in the eighties. and
cbeered Ivy the sony of the meadow,
lark and other sOngsters OF our YER
dapt hills aud valleys. have cause tor
appreciatiny the present contrast of
Maryland with California. Yet for
many a robust person all these would
he sacrificed for the juggling bells. or
for a chance of rounding a deer or
tanning Mr.. Bruin.
Speaking of the snow, we, too.
have any amount of il. far up in the
mountains, where, it is said. sleigh
ing was never better; but here,
twenty FIVE miles north of the Col
den Gate. our tnearest to snow has
been a few lrnsts. Being but so feet |
above sea .level and under the int1u-
ence of the warm waters of the Japan
Current, we expect none except as a
rarity.
+ Last wear was an uncommon one |
! for California on account of the album
dant rainfall. Consequently in some
localities there was hut little grain
sown, This year, on the contrary,
we have had hut three or four COOL
rains and the farmers have made
good use OF their time hy plowIng.
sowing, pruning and planting for the
past ten weeks. Many vegetables
are being planted now, hut believe
there is no month in the year but
what you can buy vegetables from
the Chinese gardens. What can he
done by the Chinese in this line can
be done by others with the same
amount of care.
This section being somewhat brok-
en- by the foot.hll!s of the Coast
Range, is better place for dairying
and fruit culture than for ordinary
farming. Stock may go uhsheltered
and unfed the year around. but as a
rule mich cows are taken up and fed
from July until after the rains set In.
OF the many choice diaries in this
community comparatively few are
run by the owners. Most of them
are let out to Swiss. Italian and P0r-
tusese dairymen. An energet Ger
man of this place claims that he will
soou he prepared to milk by steam.
but AS yet his machinery has not ar
rived from Germany. Butter,cheese
and milk, tho products of these dair-
les, are shipped to San Francisco, a
distance of 26 miles, milk being sent
tWile each day in Tin cans containing
eight or ten gallons each.
Snme kinds of fruit do exceedingly
we'll here.
Allow me to quote from work
edited by Charles f. King, OF Boston,
who says concerning
NOTED CALIFORNIA FARM
that NovatO ranch, owned by Sena-
tor DeLong. is one of the most -four.
ishing in California. 1t is located
about % miles north of San Francisco
on the Northern Pacific r tilrOad.
The property comprises fertile val.
ley. and the hills or mountains which
surround it. The sizs of the ranch is
sixteen Thousand acres. equal To a
tract of land seven or eight miles
) long and two or three wide. or to
two. thirds OF an ordinary town. 1t
takes one hundred and fifty nen To
run such a farm, with the help of so
horses and mules and several en-
gines. From 300 to 400 cattle are
kept, seven hundred hogs, five hun.
: dred hens, three hundred pigeons
and plenty of dogs to hunt the wild
game which abOunds in this vicinity.
One thousand acres are devoted to
raising grain. one thousand acres are
kept for raising grass for the diaries
and horses. and two thousand tons OF
hay are annually gathered. The ten
} diaries yield from five thousand 10
: ten thousand pounds of butter each
week. horsepower is used tor churn-
ing.
: But this ranch ia particularly fam.
: GUS for the quantity. quality and elr-
gance Of the fruit grown thereon.
: There are at least forty thousand
fruit trees now growing on it. The
. visitor who should come to this
J charming spot IN the early spring,
when the hills are q cen in their new
3 coat of verdure, and this mammoth
orchard Is in bloom, would be excus-
! able in INDUCING IN the most extrav.
3 agant expressions of rapture at the
$ beautiful sight. Almost the entire
valley seems turned into magnifi-
I cent bank of flowers. while the air is
fairly heavy with their sweet per.
9 fume. reminding the delighted spec
3 tatOr of the "Vale of Cashmere" &c
, eloquently described by Tom Moore
. This large orchard Ia divided AZ