Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-03-18
AMID LUxURIAST FLOWERS AND FRUITS.
Il. MunrU Writes Of His Trip TO the Pacific Coast
and HIS Winter Surroundings
IonT CALIroRNTA. March 8


According to suggestion drop you a
| line as believe we Vernonites enjoy q
good fish story even if told as one alights
| from a glass boat with fish in hand rs
| evidence tilat we have been there.
left the Windy City en- the 10th OF
| December lest while the rain was max
ing the streets interesting. There was
n light fall of snow on nearing central
Illinois. extending onward through To-
wa, Missouri, Kansas 10 Kansas City,
up i.hrougb the Rockies to summit and
down TO Salt Lake City and Ogden,
~ ring an even spread that far of few
iaches dt y the entire distance. Every
available patch enroute through the
| mountains seemed TO be utilized in gar
den and small orchards in the mining
regions, which seemed such contrast
among the rocky environments 'fhe
Mormon city is we'll surrounded with
nice orchards aud its hot springs Were
steaming away at q temperature of 1879
degrees. The Mountain island out in
the famous lake seemed prominent al
though twenty miles away. Those con-
versant with the lake say it is constant
ly receding from its shores and prairie
like surroundings
Mountains, sand and sage-brush SEEM
ed most conspicuous while passing
through Nevada till nearing Truckee,
where by irrigation there are some small
farms and orchards to be seen ere one
makes the ascent of the Sierras, as the
train makes the loops in its climb up
and through the forty-,wo miles of snow
sheds in almost one continuous stretch
with very little snow then in evidence
of their necessity. Arriving at Blue
Canyon, u ar our highest altitude. with
short stop, some of the passengers
made the most of the fast melting snow
ere they left the beautiful" by having
a frolic at snow balling then and there
as we were soon TO be passing down
| through the placer mining district to
| spring like conditions, where even gen
| tie Annie" doffs her sunbonnet and says
| it is time to clear the front yard and let
| the daffodils, Chinese lilies and violets
show themselves ere we take a look far
! ther down where one apparently sees
among the evergreen branches dropping
with the weight of drops of magnitied
| gold, which ale soon brought to our no
tiee a few stations ahead Young Amer
lea on either side Of the coaches shouts
Oranges Oranges mice nAvels only
! bNU ScHtS dpi6C6 aofeA AOl " DAp ehN
| fifSen for two bits we are soon pass
| ing b. the finest Of wheat fields, vine
yards, orchards of pears peaches prunes
plumbs, almonds, olives, oranges and
figs Many OF the wheat farms or ran
ches' as they call them, are being divid
ed into small lots to suit purchaser
2040-to so acres-for vineyards and gen
eral fruit farming, varying in price from
$50 to $500 an acre according to improv
ments and locality, The soil here in
San Joqain county, is sandy filled witt
rich hufnus and a little clay. Its posi-
bility in wet season is a simple won
der. Those that attended our larger ex
hibits were able to see what some of tn.
possibilities of this land Of fruits an(
flowers were like
Ihave gatheredalmost every day from
the 10th of December to the goth Of Jan
uary, Black Prince and Tokay grapes
for table use that were fine. A number
of clusters weighed 80 and pounds
apiece. Lack of help TO gather before
the close of shipping season was I: great
los4 to some that could not conscientious
ly sell them to wineries. Grazing or
the Tullee has been good for three weeks
and miles of almond orchard Dis look load
ed with snow, they are so full of bloom
at present. This yarn, which l. easily
verified if you were here is altogether
too long, so excuse.
Yours truly,
GEO. H. MUNRO.