The San Francisco call., 1897-03-27

est length from east to west is ninety
miles, and from north to south sixty
miles. The mountains of the Sierra
Nevada and Coast ranges cover a large
portion of the county on all sides except
the south. They are rugged and lofty,
rising in places more than 5000 feet above
the sea level. In the southery portion of
the county is foothilI region, half circu-
lar in shape, forming the northern end of
the Sacramento Valley proper. The CEN
trail and southern portions of this foothill
region consist of table lands, varying in
altitude from 500 to 700 feet above sea
level, cut by many streams of water FORM
ing narrow valleys.
The soil of the valleys is alluvial or sedi-
ment, containing a good deal OF disinte-
grated rock or gravel. Color of soil, light
red or reddish brown, rich and productive.
In these valleys the raisin and the best
varieties OF table grape. the peach, prune,
fig and apricot grow very rapidly, the land
producing abundantly large and luscious
grapes and fruits. The tabie-lands be-
tween valleys are mostly sandy clay loan,
granite, and clay soils. tim mbered-scatter-
ing ock and plne-and more or less COW
cred on surface with gravel and bo wlders.
These taole-lands or mesas are peculiarly
suited to the growth and perfection OF
such fruits as pear, olive, fig, nectarlne,
ounce and apple and for fine wine grape.
While in the high and mountainous
part of the county the winters are cold
and snow falls to great depth sometimes
IN this foothill region grass grows green
and roses bloom during the entire winter
season from November to April, the low
est thermometer ever known being Is deg.
above zero, and that only for an hour or
two in the morning, the general range for
the winter months being from 36 deg. to
TO 20 dec. above. No windstorms have
ever visited this section. No serious
spring frosts have occurred in the
past. The average yearly rainfall is SO
inches, and is generally distributed
during the months OF Septemb ber, Oc-
1ober November, December, January,
February, March, April, May and
some seasons middle OF June, thus render
ing irrigation Tor fruit trees and vineyards
unnecessary. During these months the
climate is simply superb. From the mid
die of June to middle of September the
weather is warm. This is the disagree
able part of the year, but while the ther-
mometer sometimes reaches ITO degrees
and does that for several days in sue
cession the air is dry and pure. the nights
charmingly cool and men, women and
children 60 on with their work of gather
ing, curing, packing and shipping the
luscious fruit, which is made so superior
by these very climatic conditions and suf-
fer no great inconvenience from heat.
The California and Oregon Railroad
(San Francisco to Portland) passes
through the county, and freight and pas
senger rates to and from points east and
northeast are the same as they are 10 San
Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose or Los
Angeles.
Schools and churches are ample for the
accommodation OF all who desire to at.
tend.
Our chief industries are agriculture,
fruit growing, stock raising, dairyin
mining, quarrying and lum bering.
For heaithfulness the county generally
is unsurpassed, and some diseases, such
as asthma, catarrh, bronchitis and all
kinds of lung diseases, are benefited by
residences here.
The market here is the best. The min
ing and ium ring interests of this and
adjoining counties create home market
for a very large proportion of our pro-
ducts, while the railroad carries the sur
plus east, by way of Portland and Sacra-
mento, going at once into the cooler cli-
mate of higher attitudes, reaching the
market twenty-four hours in advance of
shipments from central and southern por-
tions of the State.
The scenery here is of the grandest in
this grand State. Health-givlng springs
abound in every portion OF the county.
There is no county containing so many
and such large streams of water. Fishing
and hunting may be INDUCED in to the
hearts content.
Redding. the county seat, is on the Cal
ifornia and Oregon Railroad, eighteen
of .
It is the geographical center of that Dor
ton of California north OF the third stan
dard line, including the counties of Siski-
YOU. Trinity, Shasta, Tenama, Colusa and
Butte, the larger portions OF Modoc, Las
sen. Plumas, Del Norte and Hum boidt,
and smaller portions of Lake, Mendocino
aud Yuba, territory 1874 miles IN dame
Il is also the center OF population OF the