Year: 1866

BUTTE COUNTY As FRrTf PRoDrcNc Src-
rIoS--Butte county farmers have 50 generally con-
fined their operations to the cultivation and pro-
duction Of wheat and other cereal grains that the
county has acquired the reputation abroad being
adapted only to this single species of agriculture.
And when a season OF drought has caused the
grain crops to be meagre IS to scarcely pay for
their reaping and garnering, but little nothing
has been realized for the year by those engaged in
tllng the soil. Sometimes, indeed, the operations
for the year have resulted In burden Of debt.
when from drought or other causes, the cereal
crops have failed. This liability should be provid


ed against By all who are engaged in Agricultural
pursuits in our midst The habit of putting in q
few acres of grain only. and waiting the approach
OF the harvest for the profits of the year, is
too general to he always successful. Besides the
soil and climate is not better calculated to certain


y produce annual crops of grain, than other conn
ties in the State, or than other States. where the
drought or ay, is liable to affect the grain crop
Bot there is not a county in the State of Cali
fornia where table fruits arrive At greater perfec-
ton, or can be produced in greater abundance with
less labor. If they do not always command high
price here, shall be placed in railroad com
municaton with San Fransisco, and every descrip-
ton of table fruit be placed in that market IS
fresh they be placed there from the counties
surrounding the Bay. With railroad communica-
ton with Sacramento, they can gathered in the
San Francisco market the following morning, and
that is all that be done with fruits grown in the
counties surrounding the bay. The difference in
cost Of transportation. would be more than made
up by the ease and abundance with which our soil
and climate will produce table fruits in compari-
of the bay II Oregon can ship fruits and -four to
San Francisco, requiring three DAYS ocean travel.
certainly Butte county can do SO. when it shall re-
quire less than twenty -four hours to place them in
the same market in readiness for morning trade
Some few parties have thoroughly tested the
pacity of soil and climate for pomological pro-
ductions. In abundance and excellence they are
unexceled. The orchards of Chico and Hamilton
townships have proven this by the profusion and
variety of their productions. Some few parties
have demonstrated the capacity of our soil and eli
mate for the production of vines and nut-bearing
trees. There might be thousands Of cultvators in
vallies and foothills. who would End it profta
bic to thus market every variety Of apples pears,
peaches, plums, cherries and grapes, and small
fruits that need only to be known the growth Of
this climate to command a ready SALE over the
products OF sections subject to the ocean winds
and fogs. All persons engaged in agriculture in
the county might thus add to the receipts of their
harvests, with little addition to the expense
of running their farms, if they but improve the
advantages they possess in favor of pomology and
vine culture. 1t does not require years of toll and
care here, in some Of the lower counties, to
bring vines and trees to profitable bearing. they
do not equal Jonah's gourd, they at least spring


into existence in single year, and produce enough
to pay the expense of planting. 1t will thus take
but few years for Butte county to be dotted over
with vineyards and orchards and farms and take as
proud a rank among the producing counties of the
State she has ever held among mineral counties
for the prOfu.e production Of the precious metals.
Every agricuturist of the county may thus add
largely to the profits of his products. and be able
to sit under his Gown vine and fg tree = with his
household gods around him, enjoying life under a
avoring Cline and with the best OF the fruit OF the
earth.