West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1893-03-16
CALIFORNIA TALK.
An Interesting Article On The "Gol.
den State" aud It's Resources.

California is disappointment to
every new conner. He is disappoin.
ted in not finding it the counter.
part of his Imagination, aud In
finding better things than he
anticipated.
California has six seasons; namo-
ly, tho wet, the dry, and the other
four. There is rain for about six
months, usually commencing in
October and ending in April. Tho
other part Of the year is dry and
warm. For months never "a cloud
obscures the sky. The coast is
visited by fogs, but the inland
valleys are not. In the wet season
vast areas become bogs, almost
impossible. In the dry season the
breath of deserts blow coolingly
over what seems like arid wastes.
The grass is faded and crisped to
brittle dryness in tie summer, and
in the winter it is growing green
everywhere. December, clad in
robes of green, is almost as pleasant
as May. In Augustine thermome-
ter may register la0 degrees above
zero in the collar, and then the
rancher is seen climbing the
mountains TO tho piuories to get "a
Whit OF cool air. This conversion
OF the Valley of California into a
huge drying kiln cures the luscious
raisin and other fruits. 1t is u
great boon TO the country.
California is colossal. The farm
is always q ranch. What is consid-
cred a ranch generally has not less
than q square mile of land, and
often thousands OF acres. Great
gang plows, drawn by six or eight
horses, follow one after another in
the great oxpanses called ranches,
during the winter. On a similar
scale III the summer tho combined
harvesters move along after squad
OF horses with company of men.
From this combined harvester the
sacks of wheat are dropped. Each
sack holds about 140 pounds. If
the combined harvester is not used
the header is. 1t just takes the
heads off the wheat. On an average
the yield OF wheat is not as largo MS
in good wheat regions east but
many men, seeding such large areas
make it pay abundantIy.
California has had three stages Of
development. First, tho mining
period. Marshall's discovery Of
gold in 1913 peopIod the new
Eldorado with delivers for DUST
from the fonr corners Of the globe,
If n globe has that many corners.
The output OF gold has ran down.
The miner now-a-days averages
somewhat as the "sang digger" Of
the Allegheny mountains. lie still
prospects, gets whoever will to put
up GRUB stake" the "fnd" to
be equally divided. The typical
miner ends his life a sick old man
in the hospital. The miner is a
disappointment 10 those who once
delighted in an ideal golden
shore"
The mining furore brought the
people here. They had TO do some.
thing to Darn living when mining
began to decline. The fertility Of
the soil was soon discovered. Dry
farming was the second period Of
development. The golden grain
was worth more than the output
Of the minos. The cultivation Of
the soil was mere scratching.
Even yet an eastern farmer would
not expect to crop from the surface
skimming 50 generally practicod.
Hay here is not grass dued. It
is wheat or barley cut in tho milk,
or later lIay.baling is a business.
Hay balors charge - per ton. Hay
is needed more in summer than m
winter.
Not ono teamstor IN hundred
feeds hls team at noon. Ia the
morning aud at night are the fash
ionable meal-times among the 400
Of horse and mule flesh.
The California bred horse is next
to the iron horse. Farriers claim
that the climate toughens the
draught horses that have left the
world behind on the kite.shaped