Year: 1860

1
was believed that a good soil and mineral
wealth were not to be found together
Those of US who set foot upon the parched
earth of California during the heat of the
/ dry season may be pardoncd for the belief
tor it really seemed that the hard earth with
its deep assures, and the fiery furnace
to which it vas subjected without the visi-
tation of a relieving show er during the long
summer months, were incompatible with
vegetable life. But when the refreshing
rains of the Autumn came, closingup those
assures, sofening the soil and clothing the
whole landscape in the richest green, we
could afford to change our first impressions
Of the utter worthlessness of the soil-5ut
we didn We could not restrain our mirth
on witnessing the first attempts of some
infrm hankerer after greens" to culti-
vate patch near his cabin. The proress
of generating insects from flint by exposing
it to white heat, after the method of Mr..
Crosse, looked quite as probable of produ-
cling fruitful results So everybody thought,
quence was that for the first years after the
gold discovery, the mountain soil was con-
ceded to be barxen and no attempts to cul-
tivate it, worthy of the name, were made.
But in process of time it was found that the
prevalent idea was erroneous. Vegetation
was found to thrive on our mountain soil.
The discovery was made that the miner
could dig gold and raise edibles for his ta-
bic from the same spot of earth. The beau
tiful grounds and fruitful gardens which
everywhere adorn the homes scattered
through the mountains attest the error into
which we fell in early days and the fertility
of the soil in the mining region. But the
real value of the unoccupied and unculti-
waited acres everywhere to be seen is not
fully impressed upon us yet. We who came
from land where the behefcent heavens
did the irrigation for us, are 10th to as
sumo the high prerogative ourselves. The
cost and the trouble we count too high and
the reward too small. We hesitate, fearing
our own skill and the result


Should, however, we consider the fact
that better fruit of every description is ac-
tually produced in the elevated regions of
the State and on the very soil we once
deemed utterly worthless, that better veg
etables by far are raised in our own vicin-
ity than are brought from the valleys, and
should we recognize the disposition of the
American people to have the best of every
thing at any cost, we need not fear that
our efforts to cultivate products for the
market will be without adequate reward
Peaches grown at home sell readily at bet
ter prices than those grown in the famed
orchards in lower attitudes, and fruits of
all kinds follow the same rule. We have
seen potatoes from the valleys offered at
one and fve-eighths cents per pound in our
market when the home article sold readily
for three. Deduct the cost of ira sporta-
ton, and it will be seen the mountain cul-
tivator of that esculent gets at least three
times as much for the same article as his
valley rival. That almost any spot of
ground in this vicinity will produce a gen.
erous crop of potatoes or any other valua-
bic root used as food, by fair cultivation
and in quantities to pay the laborer, is sus-
ceptible of proof We hope to attract at
tention to the Importance OF cutivating the
soil of the mountains as a new branch of
industry, and as 4 source of profit. Once
undertaken it will prove beneficial TO the
operator, owners of canals, and the whole
community. If those who are out of prof.
table employment, would examine the sub
ject, we have no doubt but they would
reach the same conclusions that we have
arrived at. For those these observations
are made.


I,INCoLN's poSITIOy DrFTyrD-A n nrand