The San Francisco call., 1910-10-10


the state will thrive well here. Apples
do not reach their perfection on the
lowlands, but on the high foothills are
apple orchards that produce fruit that
will rival that produced in any part
of the world.
There is no better soil for sweet
grapes anywhere in the world and the
crop of the vineyard may be disposed
of to advantage at home, for the sec
ond largest winery in the state-that
of the Italian Swiss company-is To-
Gated here.
Most of this land, which is destined
to be famous as a fruit growing CEN
ter is at the present time farmed to
grain, yielding Is to 25 sacks to the
acre, the county being known as the
banner wheat county of the state.
This land can now be purchased from
SIS to $50 an acre
LAND VALUES ADVANCING
These prices will not obtain for any
great length of time, for the same
character of land In other yicinities
where ordinary improvements have
been made the selling prices run not
less than $500 to $500 an acre, and it
is not exaggerating to say that In hve
years this land. which is now selling
at from S25 to $50 an acre, will be
worth from 5000 to $500 acre
The rolling foothills, which begin
about Is miles east of MADEIRA, are
destined to be the great citrus belt OF
the county. A strip of territory about
five miles in width in the range or
Table mountain Is what is known as
the thermal belt of the county, where
there is little frost and where the soil
is peculiarly adapted to the growing
of oranges, lemons and olives
The San Joaquin light and power
company is now extending It's wires
across these foothills to the counties to
the north and with cheap power thus
insured the foothills of MADEIRA county
will soon rival the citrus belts of the
older citrus portions of the state.
SUCCESS WITH CITRUS FRUITS
The growing of citrus fruits will not
be an experiment, for orange and lem
on trees. which were set out years ago
by the first settlers for ornament, have
thrived without care or attention and
have borne and are now bearing lus-
cious fruits of good color and quality
These lands are rated at $50 an acre
at the present time, but when their
value is known they will bring much
greater prices, for land not as well
adapted to the growing of citrus fruits
In other parts of the state are selling
for from $3.50 an acre up to $500 an
acre.
Further east are the high mountains.
which hold locked IN their bosoms min
eral wealth which will some day startle
the world with it's richness when ia
cilities for exploiting the vast deposits
are at hand. Here, too, are the vast
forests of sugar pine, cedar and yellow
pine. which supply the MADEIRA sugar
pine company with about S5.000.000 feet
of lumber annually and which is car
ried to the mills of MADEIRA in fume
6S miles long-the longest fiume in the
world. This company employs vast
number of men and has a payroll of
$500 900 a year. There are other small
mills in the county. which give employ
ment and furnish building material at
low figure.
MILL AND QUARRY WORK
The Thurman door company has
factory in MADEIRA which employs 125
men and has an annual payroll of
100000 year. From this mill doors
and sasheS are shipped In carload lots
to all parts of the world
Near, the base of the mountains the
MADEIRA granite quarrfes are located.
There are two of these quarries at
Knowles, a few miles from Raymond,
the gateway to the Yosemite and the
terminus Of a branch railway. The
superb quality. and as there is veri-
table mountain of it that industry will
be fourishing 100 years hence.
These quarries employ 470 skilled
and unskilled men and furnish granite
for the best buildings of the state The
MADEIRA courthouse, which cost $780,
600, is fine structure and was built of
this stone, as were also such buildings
in San Francisco as the postoffice, GUS
toms house, Fairmont hotel, Bank of
California and others.
There are several good mines in the
county, but the industry might be said
to be in its infancy. Some day the
mountains will be exploited and made
to yield their wealth. They will give
employment to hundreds and add to the
wealth of the county.
TWO RAILWAY SYSTEMS
The shipping facilities of the county
are good. as the Southern Pacific and
the Santa Fe roads transverse the
county, MADEIRA being the shipping
point. Being midway between San
Francisco and Los Angeles we are in
easy access of two of the biggest mar
kets of the coast, while numerous
small cities along the lines of these
roads consume a great deal of. the local
product.
what can I do while my trees and
vines are not producing?' Is a ques-
ton that many a settler will ask 1T
is one that is easily answered Poul-
try thrives here, and when 1t Is re-
membered that the products of the
chicken yards are shipped here from
the east by the carload, it is readily
raan hot fbere Ia rooa for