The record-union., 1892-07-19
BEAUTIFUL SIERRA VALLEY.
Chaplin Writes of Its Situation and
Resources.
A Place Where Horse-Culture Is One
of the Leading Industries-
Poker Is Another.

Valley it is about sixteen miles wide. Inc
metropolis of the valley is at the south
ern end, where the stage road comes ~
from Truckee, and although bearing the
names of Eta and Sierra Valley, these
are practically one town. Along this side
of the valley the waters come down from
the melting SHOWS in the vicinity OF
Webber, independence and Gold Lakes,
and produce almost ideal conditions Tor
dairy farms-cool climate, never excess
i've, pure water and good grasses.
This is a growing town, whose pros
perity is somewhat handicapped by the
misfortune that dealers have not been
able to persuade the mass OF the citizens
that it is better to trade at home than to
send their money away.
Twelve miles to the northeast is Loyal
ton, with its two hotels, stores. shops,
etc. 1t is situated at the mouth OF small
valley inclosed by mountains on three
sides and well-watered by melting
snoWs. :,
In travelling sixteen miles to Summit
one passes over a great deal OF land COW
cred with a light growth OF sageprush,
with here and there small patch sllgntly
impregnated with alkali, but OF nature
likely to be reclaimed by cultivation.
Obstacles in the way of rendering this
land productive are lack OF lrrIgatlng
water and the difficulty Of subdulng
plant with very tough root called shoe
string" that require very heaVy team
to plow.
When once under cultivation the land
will produce grain without irrigation,
but it is in extreme years liable to injury
from frost.
Summit is a very small town, located a
few miles from Chat, in Long Valley,
station on the narrow-gauge railroad
running from Reno TO Amadee. IL is
very hard to realize that in driving along
this apparently level road through val
lev that has no more snow and Tar less
wind than the States of the MISSISSIPPI
Valley. one is passing over the summit
of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
& few miles west from the town Last
Chance Creek comes down from large
valley where an extra thousand feet ele-
vetion gives far greater rainfall anu r.
rigates quite a belt Of land on each side,
reaching down fifteen miles TO BeckWlth.
This is the great body OF meadow land
where they raise the hay to winter the
great bands of horses that run upon the
sagebrush and upon the mountain ranges
during the summer time.
One drives for fifteen miles along the
west end of the valley to Sattley, which
is delightfully."- located In the edge OF the
timber.
LEADING INDUSTRIES.
Those that impress the traveller as the
leading industries are horses, butter,
beef, lumber and poker. Although lit
tie out of the ordinary course, the promi-
nence of the latter industry certainly en-
titles it to mention. Possibly there are
quite as many days devoted to it as to
either of the other branches.
THE HORSE SITUATION.
Many years ago there were brought
into Sierra County some of the very best
Percherons that ever came to California,
and good prices were realized Tor their
colts. Others heard how much money
was in the horse business, and, tempted
by cheap lands and free ranges, started in
with such stock as they could get for a
little. AS the surplus of horses was ac-
cumulated, those nearer the great mar
kets have sooner realized the necessity of
reducing prices to effect sales, and Sierra
horses have been increasing in numbers
from lack of sale, until one owner be-
came so desperate as to offer his neighbor
thirty sound horses, from five to seven
years of age, and weighing one thousand
to thirteen hundred pounds each, for
twelve hundred dollars. These are good
grade PercheronS.
1t is estimated that there are a thousand
horses in Sierra Valley suitable for mar
ket, most of them general-purpose and
draft horses, and that there are pretty
nearly as many more that had better be
disposed of or destroyed, as representing
a class not likely in future to bring or do
enough to pay for their feed. There
would still be left the choice brood mares
and young stock, besides enough to do
the work. 1t is probable that buyers
could secure, for cash, large band of
good unbroken horses, ranging from
thousand pounds upward, and suitable to
put right in at farm work, for fifty dol
lars each. For seventy-tive to one hun
dred dollars each they could buy band
of good carriage or heavy draft horses.
Ii the writer owned a large band of
those horses and had grown tired wait
ing for buyers to come in, ne would join
some neighbors and rent farm in the
vicinity of some large city or in some
section where orchards were being
planted and keep on breaking and sell
ing horses. AS fast as one band was
nearly disposed of he would have another
sent down. In this way he would avoid
many of the annoyances and much ex-
pense incident to selling from city
stables.
THESE MOUNTAIN HORSES
Have extremely good feet, legs and con-
stitutions. Their endurance gives them
preference wherever they become
known in market. The grade Percherons.
when well broken, are Just what fruit
growers in the valleys want. The CITY
calls for the heavy draft and fine carriage
horses. When there is surplus of
horses everywhere buyers are not likely
to seek them at great distances from
home.
HINTS ABOUT DAIRYING.
For the butter industry Sierra Valley
has a model climate. and many Of the
dairies are abundantly supplied with pure
water at a temperature ranging from 40O TO
50o. The grange has done much in educat-
ing the people toward higher standard of
dairy knowledge, and there are some
VeTV we'll conducted
more advanced now feel that they are
just beginning to see light ahead, and
propose to test, weed out, breed up and
feed up.
The majority are like those everywhere
who say that farming doesn't pay. They
are quite certain that their present meth
DDS are far in advance of their neighbors',
and that all these new-fangled notions
are humbugS So many are of this kind
that he who brings butter from this val
ley has TO prove that it is good before he
Is IN position TO effect a satisfactory SALE
Some have a reputation well established
DuJ the presumption is against the local
lty- not on account of unfavorable con-
dltlons, but from lack of progressive
spirit. Many sample copies of the best
dairy papers are being circulated, and
leading citizens are preparing to secure
cooperation OF Professor 'Wickson of
Rerkeley-the Farm Institute leader-as
well as that OF the Dairymen's Union.
the University OF Nevada, dealers in
dairy supplies and others in holdino n
show of dairy cattle and products and
conducting a dairy institute some time
early next winter.
If they denote as much energy and ex-
pense to making this a success as thav
are giving to the District Fair. they car,
expect il to be very fruitful of good ra
suits arising from advanced ideas II
wants not less than three days, a we'll