STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 369 



PLACER COUNTY. 

 By E. W. Maslin. 



Placer County lies between latitudes 38° 70', and 39° 30'. Its direction 

 is northeast and southwest, and is about 100 miles long, by varying widths, 

 from 10 to 30 miles, the course and distance being governed by the courses 

 of the rivers which define its boundaries. It extends from about 8 miles 

 from the Sacramento River to the summit of the Sierra Nevada Mount- 

 ains. The southwestern one third lies in nearly a square, the northeast 

 corner being near Auburn, the distance across the county, from the Ameri- 

 can to Bear River, being only about 8 miles. From the narrow portion 

 the county gradually widens northeasterly to the State line. It contains 

 1,386 square miles. Its slope and altitude may be understood by follow- 

 ing the line of the Central Pacific Railroad. 



Twelve miles west of the town of Reno, in the State of Nevada, the 

 Central Pacific Railroad enters the State of California, thence the road 

 crosses southwesterly the county of Nevada, to the town of Truckee; thence 

 it continues westerly along the dividing line between Placer and Nevada 

 Counties until Cisco is reached, where the immigrant may fairly say he is 

 in Placer County. 



Summit Station is the highest point the railroad reaches, having an alti- 

 tude of 7,017 feet. Near by is the famous Donner Lake — a small but beau- 

 tiful sheet of water. About 14 miles distant is Lake Bigler, or, as it is 

 popularly called, Lake Tahoe. 



The upper and eastern part, from Dutch Flat to the eastern boundary, 

 constitutes the lumbering section. Work may here be had for about eight- 

 months of the year, at milling, cutting cord-wood, shakes, posts, and shin- 

 gles. The section, however, is fast developing other interests, and is des- 

 tined to be famous for its superior apples and pears. Indeed, the district 

 already enjoys an enviable reputation for these superior fruits. At Dutch 

 Flat and Alta several tracts are now being planted to orchard. 



AGRICULTURE. 



The purely agricultural section of the county lies in the southwest por- 

 tion of the county, and is traversed by the Oregon and California Division 

 of the Central Pacific Railroad. It contains the towns of Roseville, Lin- 

 coln, and Sheridan. The soil is deep, alluvial, and productive. Grain is 

 the principal product, though attention is paid to the breeding of high class 

 live stock of all kinds. During 1887, much land has been planted to fruit. 



FRUIT BELT. 



On the spur of the mountain beginning at Rocklin and extending to Col- 

 fax, is the fruit belt of the county. The line of the railroad runs on the 

 axis of the spur, and immediately upon it are found the towns of Rocklin, 

 Pino or Loomis, Penryn, Newcastle, Clipper Gap, Applegate, and Colfax; 

 situate from three to four miles apart. 



THERMAL BELT. 



A true thermal belt exists upon this spur. Damaging frosts in the history 



of fruit raising in Placer, are exceedingly rare, and are only felt at such 



seasons when frost prevails over all the State, and the damage is onlv suf- 

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