The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-03-10
REGARDING CALIFORNIA
some of Its Important Industries Con
sidcrcd.

Some OF Its important AhuHsDNAcb ""
sidcrcd.
Farming The farming OF the
large wheat districts Of California
forms a beautiful scene. From eight
horse to ten-horse teams are attached
to gangplows, the average being abouI
six-eight-:nch pl3ws for an eight-horse
team. From two to five such teams
then follow each other, each team be-
ing handled by only one man, and eacl
will plow from six to nine acres a day
In lighter soils, and for spring sowing
a seeder and harrow is often attached
to the gangplow and the grain plowec
under the ground, being then some
what leveled by the harrow or drag
The field receives no further attention
until the harvest period.
Raisins California is the only rails
In producing State in the Union
Her rasins are known the world over
and thie industry, which is only the
outgrowth OF the past twenty years
ranks to-day among the most import
ant of cur State. The raisin crop OF
Fresno for 1887 is estimated by the
Fresno Republican at about 75,000,0Ou
p1unds. This is equal to 3,750 car loads
of ten tons each. AS it requires 31a
pounds OF grapes to one pound OF rals-
ms, this represents a total of ralsin
grapes of 262 100000 pounds. The
largest raisin vineyard is at Lucerne.
Tulare county, and consists of 960
acres. The Burton vineyard, FRESNO
county, has 230 acres in raisin grapes
Electro Power.-The largest trans
mission of electric power is from
natural reservoir of 30,000,000 gallons
on the north fork of the San joaquin
river, /, 400 feet above Fresno, to that
city, a distance of thirty-five miles.
Power is transmitted from Folsom tc
Sacramento, twenty-five miles. 1t pro.
pels street cars and machinery anc
lights the city From the Mokelumne
river to Stockton, thirty miles, power
is being transmitted, as well as in 9TH
er directions to mines. Other large
works are being constructed IN Tuo-
lumne, Tehama and other counties.
Brandy Still The largest brandy
still in the world is that of Ell Pinal
vineyard, near Stockton. When run.
ming at full capacity it can convert b.
600 gallons of wine into brandy daily.
making about 1000 gallons of brandy
per day. There are several stills in con-
900 to 1000 gallons capacity.
Largest Vineyards. - The Stanford
(Vina) vineyard, the largest in the
world, of $3.50 acres, produces l5,000,-
900 pounds of grapes annually. -Four
steam grape crushers use up 100 tons q
day, running steadily three months.
Natoma vineyard, Sacramento county
is the next largest, having 5000 acres
in bearing vines. St. George vineyard,
Fresno. has 1000 acres. There are
many vineyards ranging from 800 tc
1000 acres.
Sugar Mills.-California has four
sugar beet factories in operation. The
first established in the United States
was at Alvarado, Alameda county. 1t
closed December 5, 1897, for the season.
One hundred thousand tons of beets
were crushed, producing about 26,000,-
600 pounds of sugar. The Chino fac
tory closed for the season December IL
1897, having crushed 98,742 tons Of
beets, and made 26,670,000 pounds of
sugar The Watsonville factory con-
sumed 10000 tons of beets and made 40
000,0 600 pounds sugar. Another factory
lately in operation is at Los Alamitos.
The factory at Salinas will exceed all
the others, and have capacity Of 500
tons sugar per day, and an annual yield
of 120,000,000 pounds The old Starr
Mills at Crockett, Contra Costa county.
are being changed into sugar refinery /
and will have daily capacity. of 1000
tons of beets.
Largest Orchards The Bidwell or
chard, at Chico, contains the largest
and greatest variety of fruit trees in
the State. There are 1850 acres in
trees. In 1896, 9S,485 fruit trees, of
twenty-five varieties, produced 1926, $50
pounds of fruit; 14,571 fruit trees, OF
seven varieties, produced 6,476
pounds of nuts. The largest olive or
chard is in Santa Clara county 1t
contains over 1000 trees, all bearing.
The largest fig orchard is at Piru, in
Ventura county, and covers 720 acres.
The San Diego Land and Town Com
pany has the largest lemon orchard in
the world, $4,000 trees, mostly in bear
ing. The largest prune orchard of
which we can get any record is that
near Los Gatos, in Santa Clara county