Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-05-25
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.

haywood Colony was founded in
1892 by Foster g. Woocson, and to the
logged determination of the former
and the foresight and glib tongue of
the latter is due the wonderful trans
formation of great wheat fields, cattle
and sheep ranches into beautiful fruit
orchards, vineyards and pleasant
homes. The colony has had steady
and substantial growth from the start.
At one time there were under con-
struction eighty houses and it looked
like a city at once, but the rush sub
sided and since it has had no boom but
a steady growth. There are people
here from nearly all parts of the
world, but the greater part are from
New England and the middle west.
They are very friendly, very much
more so than in the east. About the
first question asked by stranger is,
"Where did lou hail from?" After an
explanation then you become ac-
quainted at once. The colony as it
now stands covers an area of about
ten miles in length and six miles in
width. On the north is the great
Frimell ranch containing % 900 acres,
also the Kraft orchard of 400 acres.
On the west are the plains and foot
hills where are pastured thousands of
cattle, horses and sheep. On the
south is Kirkroad, a great wheat sec
ton; on the east is the Sacramento
river. Just across the river is Vina
and the great Leland Stanford vine
yard and winery, the largest in the
world; 1000 acres of wine grapes.
Cinnamon do most Of the work in the
vineyard. Here are kept about two
hundred fine Holstein COWS, and they
have creamery on the estate. At
this place Senator Stanford reared
many of his bighbred trotters which
we're later shipped to Palo Alto.
Twelve thousand sheep are kept on
the range and three thousand hogs
are fed from the by-products of the
ranch. Here is some of the finest land
in the world. Malaria is prevalent
here and is the great drawback to
river bottom land. Cinnamon thrive
on it but white men shun it.
The fruit raised here successfully is
almond, pear, apricot, prune plum,
cherry, apple, grapes of all kinds,
olives, oranges, berries, etc. Here is
the largest olive orchard in the world,
$4,000 trees covering an area of 1900
acres. There are planted on the col
ony 12,C00 acres, or 1,S00, 900 trees.
Land ranges from $40 to SIS per acre
according to location. A ten-acre lot
of first class quality and general
adaptation, as real estate agents put
il, inside of one mile from the colony
proper sells for $3.50. The same kind
of lot two miles out sells for $500,
three miles out $500, four miles out
s400, five miles out $500 to $500. There
is something very peculiar about the
soil in this immediate vicinity. 1t has
to be worked at the proper time in
order to get it in shape. The "reC
hills" where orange orchards arr
being planted, is of gravelly cement
formation and when wet in winter {
jack rabbit will sink in to his gam
brels and in summer when dry, the
ground has to be blasted with dyna
mite in order to set trees. There ar,
already about one hundred fifty acre.
set TO oranges in the colony, abou
seventy-five on the fred hills" Thes,
trees are looking fine and it is only
question of time when large orang,
orchards will be planted all over til,
hills. 1t requires capital to develol
an orange grove, as they have to b,
irrigated and require lots OF care
Mr. Woodson has twenty acres of fin,
ones; Mr.. Foster has forty acres o
the finest three-year- old trees in tn,
state. Last year one tree two year
old had thirty seven full grow
oranges. The tree was removed from
the orchard and sent to the Sac
to the southern California orang
growers and demonstrated beyond
doubt that fine oranges can be grow
right here in haywood. The time
coming when this will undoubtedly b
a great orange section. The tow
supports several large general mer
chandise stores, two drug stores