154 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



northern part of the State. There are now in Marysville three thousand 

 bearing orange trees, and many of them have been in bearing for a num- 

 ber of years. They present incontrovertible evidence that this is a citrus 

 fruit country. With the proper shelter of cypress hedges or rows of trees, 

 orange and lemon trees will grow and produce on all the valley lands. In 

 the foothills there are many thousand acres of land admirably adapted to 

 citrus fruit growing, which can be had at very low prices. The exhibi- 

 tion of these two counties was a large and handsome one. The display of 

 fruits, vegetables, and cereals attracted general attention. The display of 

 citrus fruits was the best in the Pavilion. The exhibit of B. N. Bugbey, 

 from the alluvial soils, near the Sacramento River, in Sutter County, was 

 noticeable. He had samples of corn which was as large as any grown in 

 the best of the corn States in the Mississippi Valley. Some specimens 

 represented yields of seventy-five bushels to the acre. He had wheat in 

 the sheaf higher than a man's head, broom corn that returns fifty dollars 

 per acre, and mammoth vegetables of all kinds. Yuba and Sutter Coun- 

 ties are comparatively owned in small holdings, and have had, as a conse- 

 quence, a higher and more thorough development. There is as much 

 wealth, and as many of the comforts and luxuries of life among the farm- 

 ing population, as can be found in any agricultural section of the world. 

 These two counties present unexcelled inducements to home-seekers. 



SOLANO COUNTY. 



It was unfortunate that the best of all kinds of fruits were out of season 

 when the State Fair was held. The exhibit made by Solano is no index 

 to either the quantity or quality of fruits produced in her orchards and 

 vineyards. The development of fruit growing which has taken place in 

 that county is perhaps without parallel on this coast. As late as 1860, the 

 whole country, now included in the far famed " Vaca district," was a past- 

 ure, covered with horses, cattle, and sheep. At about that time a few 

 family orchards and vineyards were planted, and when they arrived at a 

 bearing age they fruited so early as to be the first, or among the first, in 

 market, and brought the highest prices. The vegetables raised in that 

 locality brought high prices for the same reason. The soil is warm, deep, 

 and fertile, the location is sheltered from the cold ocean winds, and the 

 hot, desiccating winds from the north, and the crops are therefore abun- 

 dant and of fine quality. Add to this their early maturity and the conse- 

 quent high prices, and it will be seen that fruit and vegetable growing 

 must be very profitable. Fortunes were made by fruit and vegetable grow- 

 ers, and orchard, vineyard, and garden planting received a wonderful stim- 

 ulus. It is estimated that during the spring of this year three hundred 

 thousand fruit trees were planted in that district. In 1868, the shipments 

 of fruit from Vaca district were on an average only four carloads per day 

 in the flush of the fruit season. In 1886, twenty million pounds of fruit 

 and vegetables were produced and shipped, and in 1887, thirty million 

 pounds were produced, which was worth $600,000 at least. The Vaca dis- 

 trict illustrates the development and the revolution which is taking place 

 in agriculture in California. This little strip of land, not more than six 

 thousand acres, planted in orchards, vineyards, and gardens, and those as 

 yet not in full bearing, produces a greater annual value than ten times its 

 area in grain, and gives employment to several hundreds of men, women, 

 and children, at 'good wages in the fruit season. Suisun Valley is also a 

 rich fruit section of Solano County. It is another of the sheltered spots of 

 the Coast Range, and is three by seven miles in extent. There are now 



