Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-11-19
CALEDONIA lEIIER.
OXFORD RANCHO, ORANGE, CAL, ?
Nov. l.. 1885.

Nov. /, lSS5.
Editor Dsmocrat:
You will see bv the heading OF this
that We are in the same place as Nht IA
heard from last. We are a. much IN love
with this part Of the United States a.
ever. The summers here are not 80 In
tensely hot a. most of the eastern peo-
pie have been led 20 think. To De sure
il is nearly perpetual sunshine by day,
nut one doesn't mind the warm weather
where every day - warm so much :
he does the sudden change from a cold
day % hot one.
The sun has shOue al or part of every
dav since the rainy season, and since
aid rains were over. which was some
six months agC. we have not had enough
rain AZ anv one time 10 lay the dust; and
il is well that il l. so, for rains in the
dry season are detriment 10 fruit cult
ure. II is the sunny sky that dries the
fruit better thsn any machine ever III
vented. Then. too, water applied when
and where needed i OF far greater value
20 the ranchman than spasmodic show
ers.
Que would naturally think that every
thing would look dry and parched after
this long interval Of rainless weather,
but such i not the case where ranches
are properly cared for. The problem l.
solved when one sees the streams of
water constantly running in the canals ;
but the various methods employed IN IT.
riyating the soil will not attempt 10 de-
scribe at this time.
This has been a typical California day.
The morning air Was cool and oraeing,
like June morning In New England.
The sUu rose clear from behind Odd
SaddlebaCk" Mountain (the highest peak
OF the santa Ana foot hills, and contiu-
ued u uninterrupted course without a
cloud crossing its pathway, and set be-
Meath the western horizon like a huge
ball of IRE. We had work in our orange
grove. aud during the heat Of the dty
preferred the shady side of the tree, Al
though We were Invested OF both coat
and vest. There has been good coast
breeze all day, as there is nearly every
dav. aud as on the hottest days, II was
plenty cool in the shade. soon after the
sun set il would have been dark but for
a full moon, which was up before its
competitor was fairly down. We have
no long twilight here, as there Is north
and east.
We are nine miles instead of ninety
miles from the coast, as YOUR type made
Us say ia our last letter on an air line.
The nearest seaport l. New Port, twelve
miles. We have visited number Of sea-
shore resorts, but find none which 10 our
minds compare fayOrs6ly with those Of
Maine in works Of Nature. There are a
A. IL
been made beautiful by artificial means.
But, turning 10 the mountains, We find
nature enthroned in all her grandeur.
You see suOw-capped peaks in mid-sum-
mer. Ia the canyons are giant live oak
and sycamore trees, aud countless yarie-
ties Of Wild flowers Near the foothills,
on Uncultiyated land, grow quantities OF
wild mustard. such as the Bible speaks
OF In Matthew Is 81. 10 the mountain
lakes and streams are 10 be found guam
titles of speckled beauties. Madam
MCdieska's Winier home is in the foot
hills, twenty miles from Orange.
Three coal mines are located near
here, but only one is doing much bust
ness az this writing. All kinds Of fruit
do not grow here the year round, a. some
people imagine. Different kinds come at
different seasons, thus giving Us varie-
" of some kind the year round. Those
ripe now are persimmons, guavas and
figs We have lemons and oranges the
whole year, but the proper season for the
latter in this valley i from January to
july. Our Washington navel orange has
no equal. This twO-stOry orange is DO
novelty. \ book on horticulture, pub
lished in l6I3, gives picture OF the
navel orange and calls it "Pomum
Adami fatum." This is the earliest
reference known. The blossoms rarely
have any pollen, and the fruit il usually,
though not always seedless. The variety
Is reproduced by budding. Where it
originated is not known with certainty,
but il was probably in Southern Asia.
Thence il was taken 10 the region of the
Mediterranean, and eventually diffused
over the world. The first navel orange
tree known 10 have reached the United
States came in 1870. and the first 20 reach
Southern California in 1873. It now
takes the lead in our orange groves.
The walnut crop has just been market
ed at good prices. IL the American peo-
pie were more for taste than looks, they
would buy walnuts in their natural state
rather than after the shell has been
bleaC he'd by sulphuring.
Some OF the finest raisins this country
has ever produced were raised this year.
One of the surprising things about a
rsisin vineyard is the small size of the
vines, which, being cut back every year,
are rarely more than two or three feet
high, and the great size Of the punches.
These, when fully ripe, are cut and laid
out in shallow trays between the rows of
vines, where, without the addition of
any sugar, they are allowed 10 dry in the
sun until they become rsisins, which is
all there is 10 the process, except turn
ing when about half dry. The most sur
prising thing of all to some Is the fact
that all rsisin grapes are white grapes,
until they are turned purple in drying.
We have vegetables from our garden
the year round.
We will close with wishing the Dem
oerat much prosperity in its new quar-
tiers, in the new block, ut the new county
seat. Yours IA ever,