The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-03-21
MRS. F. W. DOYLE'S LETTER.
Alfalfa is Very Profitable Produce Of
San Joaquin Valley, California.

the people of the East little idea
Of this land Of abundance and sun
shine, as ! learn from observa-
tion and in eading our Fresno
papers, as we go along, so | will
speak a little OF the rich soil of
the San Joaquin Valley and Alfalfa
growing.
The SOL of this valley is among
the richest on earth with the ex-
ception of the Yazoo Valley of the
Mississippi perhaps the most fer
tile spot on the hemisphere. 1t
is a vast basin which was former
ly a lake 450 miles long and aver
aging 60 miles wide with a desert
at the southern end and swamp
for its northern boundary. The
geologists call it sea trough and
it has received the silt and decay
ing vegetation washed down from
the Sierra Nevada Mountains on
the east and the coast range on
the west for ages until what is
known as the delta region has
been covered with a soil of uu-
measurable depth and richness.
1t lays a little toward the GEN.
ter and is drained by two great
rlvers-the Sacramento from the
north and the San Joaquin from
the south with innumerable trib-
utarleS. They meet and flow to-
gether into the Bay of San Fran
cisco.
Down in the southern part of
the valley is Fresno, county seat
of Fresno county. 1t has been
; called the Ralsin city, for 1t Is
surrounded by vineyards and
orchards aod producing an aver
age of 70, 600, 900 pounds of ralslns
} every year.
1t is the country of figs, which
also are becoming very valuable
staple now that the people have
learned how to cultivate them.
Fresno county now turns off from
twenty to thirty million dollars
worth of products every year, and
IN few years will double that
record.
Alfalfa the thrifty hardy profit
able clover of the semi-arid region
grows to perfection IN Fresno
county. In the deep, rich soil of
this valley it Yields luxurlantly
and is green throughout the year.
On the best soils 1t may be cut
eight times in q season each cut
ting will yield from one to two
tons per acre, making from SIX to
ten tons per acre each season.
Some seasons the hay sells from
S25 to $40 per acre and in others
from $50 to $50. Fed to stock,
and especially to young animals
it is worth more money, hogs do
well on alfafa, and an acre o. it
will feed ten hogs, and young pigs
will make, from fall till spring,
an average of 200 pounds each,
under favorable circumstances
This would make the land pro.
duce from $50 to 500 per acre in
a season. That is certainly not
bad.
There certainly is money IN
dairylng in this county as well as
in other parts of California, espec
tally if the cows are kept on good
land and managed on business
prlnclple with water for irriga-
ton. The alfalfa crop never fails
: and the farmer is as sue OF the
cash as If he had money IN the
bank. Dairy men figure on keep
ing twenty COWS on thirty acres
: of alfalfa and netting from IS to
IS per COW, besides this SKINNED
milk will earn from 81 to 50 per
month per COW fed to calves and
young hogs.
AS there are so many things of
interest and profit here, l shall
not touch on any other subject At
present, but perhaps in the near
future my friends and readers OF
(; the News will hear from me again
4 The weather Is fine like June II
I the East, and we think this {
0 lovely country.
.----------------------
; Mi: S Jennie Carson, who has
: spent several years ia Lincoln