Year: 1870




less.n That is an old fogy's idea; every
good farmer will tell you that the more cows
are restrained from running around, the bet
ter they pay him. 1t is now the beginning
of March and out side of cultivation there is
not enough of grass on an acre to fill an
empty-bellied COW, at least in my neighbor-
hood nor has there been since last June.


The talk about turning animals out to get
their living in the mountains of Tuolumne as
a great privilege is farce. There is any
quantity of good tillatle land in this county.
but the more the stock run at large upon it
the less there is for stock to get, for the rea-
son that grass is not allowed TO run to seed,
and consequently there is nothing left to pro-
duce another crop, except weeds that stock
will not eat until every thing else is gone.
Again if animals we're not permitted to run at
large, the profits of farming would be consid-
erably more, for the reason that the farmer
would no. have to protect his crop against
any animals but his own, and ne would not
keep any more than he could feed. Again
he says, ''there is not one fourth of this coun-
tv fenced. and never will be-" 1t ,ciI
be cultivated without fencing, it will not pay
for fencing, then why does he want the farm
er to fence? But it will pay to cultivate
without fencing, and the revenue of this coun-
ty would be considerably more then by allow
ing stock to run at large.


Now let US see what number of animals
there was in Tuolumne county, in 1868. Ac.
cording to the statistics, there was 1850;
being decrease of 7,4Sl; from 1867, if the
decrease of 1869 is the same as 1868, there is
only about 5000 animals in the county, hors-
es, horned cattle, sheep, goats, asses and
hogs. At 90 dollars per head they would
amount to 100000; there being in 1868 an
increase over 1867 of S134, go in real estate,
and SCI, $50 in personal property
having decreased one-third. If the increase
for 1869 is the same as for 1868, then the
farmer pays more taxes on the increase of
real estate alone, than is paid on all the ami
mails in the county. One.third of the stock
is not turned out. except in the inclosure of
their owners; and if the other two-thirds were
restrained, so that poor men could commence
and plant the hills of Tuolumne in the grape
and other fruits. then this county in few
years would be able to pay off her debt. As
far as the vine has been planted, as fine grapes
have been grown cs in any part of the State.
or any other country, and in as large guam
titles on vines of tie same age. In this coun-
ty we can raise the grape and other fruits if
we cannot raise grain. Again he says this
is not an agricultural county, it certainly is
not q stock-ra;sing county, for the reason
there is not feed sufficient on the hill-sides to
feed large number of animals. can look
out of my window on the hill-sides, and a
COW would starve to death hunting for spear
of grass on them, and | can look over more
than GAO acres, and yet it is a great privi-
lpge for animals to run en- the commons
Now If the hills that | can see were planted
in the vine alone, they would bring more rev.
enne to this county than the same number OF
acres Of the richest soil sown in grain. Then
let MS have the trespass law extended to this
county, to give the poor farmer and vine
grower a chance, so that he would not have
To spend five hundred or thousand dollars
to make lawful fence for some man to let
so COW, 81 hog. or 81 goat run on
the commons. The fence law is one Of the
most unjust laws that was ever made in Cali
fornia


In Tuolumne county there are many farms
that have not sufficient timber on them to
burn, let alone to fencs with. and all the
building and fencing material has to be
bought, and some farmers have to purchase
their fuel now. | do not believe there is suf-
ficieat tim ber left in this county to fence it
in. in 100 acre lots, and what is left is want
ed for a better purpose than to put around a
vineyard, orchard. or other labor on the
farm; that is to build houses, barns. stables
and out-hnuses, that is what every farmer
wants more than fence. | think there is
near million of acres in this county suitable
for planting the vine. For the table wine and
raiSins in France in 1898 there were 4. 210,
GOO acres cultivated in the vine and produced
900. 72i ,0SS gallons of wine, and valued at
about thirteen cents per gallon, amounting
to Sl20, 600, 900 besides the brandy. Now if
| am not wrong in my estimate of the num-
Der of acres suitable for the vine in this
county, and think | am not, from what has
been run out nv the surveyor, it can be seen
by the above figures. that it will be better for
the land owners to roll up their sleeves and
plant their land in the vine. instead of having
to make fences that somebody's old COW can
not rob him Of his labor. then this county
would have the means of paying her debt.
Bus the county never will 50 long as the
fence laws are in existence The farmer and
his products will have TO pay the debt. and
not the stock raiser Because the animals
are decreasing in this county. notwithstand-
ing it is such a great privilege to run animals
on the commons of Tuolumne county. Ami
mails have had the privilege for the last Is or
% years, and what is tie result? why the
farmer has to pay tribute to the owners Of
stock that run on the commons, some one has
said this: millions for defence but net one
cent for tribute" Then let the Legislature
make laws to protect the farmers growing
crop from both two-legged and four-Iegged
animals. Then there will be no more
quarrels among neighhors. 1t is the fence
laws that cause all the quarrels. and not poor
fences. Suppose the Legislature by law
should make the farmer build just such a
house, how high it should be. how many
rooms it should have in it. how many win
dows and doors. chimneys and fire places
there should be, and just such barn. etc,
that would be a just law. would it not? think
they have the same power to make such a law