Arizona republican., 1905-02-16


famed Russian river valley and follows
CLOSELY the west bank of the stream for
a distance of fifty miles or more to the
city of Ukiah, the county seat of Men
docino county, passing en- route the
towns of Geyserville, CloVerdale and
HOpland. Three miles south of Clo-
verdaIe the twenty-five hundred acre
vineyard of the Italian Swiss colony is
passed at Asti. This winery has a
storage capacity of four million gall
Ions of wine, and boasts the largest
tank in the world. 1t is a subterran-
can cistern cut out of the solid rock,
and holds half a million gallons-be-
ing ten times the capacity of the fam
Gus tun of Heidelberg.
The Russian river valley from
Healdsburg to CIoverdaIe is from one
to three miles wide, and is bounded by
low hills covered with open timber.
The bottom lands are noted for their
fertility, while the foot hills are adapt
ed to fruit and vine culture. Two miles
above Cloverdale the mountains be-
come more lofty and abrupt and APP
proach the river from each side, and
for ten miles it rushes down a steep
narrow picturesque mountain gorge.
The railroad hugs the mountain sides,
just above high water mark, and pre-
sents one of the grandest and most
charming bits of river and mountain
scenery to be found in the state.
Sonoma county contains about one
million acres Of land. being the size
of Rhode Island, and stands sixth in
the counties of California in point of
population, and eighth in the value Of
assessed property. In neither is she
exceeded except by counties containing
cities of large population. 1t is in the
rain belt. and drought is unknown, the
rainfall varying from % 10 so inches.
The entire county presents an air of
prosperity and contentment, and no
matter in what direction one turns. he
is surrounded by we'll improved farms
and pretty homes.
The county owes much of its pros
peTity to the great diversity of indus
tries that may be profitably engaged
in. In the low lands bordering the
coast and bay shores dairying is ex-
tensively carried on, and poultry rails
lns Is profitable in almost every sec
ton. although this industry has driven
everything else from the field around
Petaluma. Cattle and sheep and goats
range the hills in the northern part OF
tho county.
Sebastopol is in the heart of the
berry industry, while the rich bottom
Ianus of Russian river produce inn
mense crops of hops and corn. Prunes
cherries, peaches and all other dccid-
uous fruits grow to perfection in almost
every valley in the county as do
grapes, almonds and walnuts. Around
Cloverdale oranges and lemons are
grown equal in quality to those pro-
duced in any other section Of the state
But wine grapes are so much more
profitable, that orange culture is not
engaged in extensively.
The county is heavily timbered with
redwood, pine, fir, several species OF
oak. madrone. laurel and many other
varieties of trees too numerous to
mention. 1t is also well watered by
running brooks and falling
springs of pure filtered rain water.
owing to its proximity to the coast,
the climate of Sonoma county is a
happy medium, where neither excess
sive heat in summer nor cold in winter
is encountered.
I intended to tell more about Glow
erdale, but must reserve that for an
other time.
A 2. WALBRIDGE.