832 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



District, will be the further settlement and improvement of the agricultural 

 lands of the district. Already this influence is visible in improvements, 

 particularly in the habits of the settlers themselves; they needed stirring 

 up to greater industry ; they needed new ideas; they had long lived isolated 

 and were backward in all things. There is quite a change for the better. 



During the summer canals were projected and are now in process of con- 

 struction, that will irrigate about seventy-five thousand acres of land. By 

 next spring some of these works will be so far completed that water will be 

 supplied to many thousand acres, and settlers can begin to cultivate and 

 improve land. The Carson and Colorado Railroad traverses Owens Val- 

 ley, connecting with the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, and this with the 

 Central Pacific at Reno. The Carson and Colorado will, it is expected, 

 soon be extended to Los Angeles. The output from, the mines of Inyo, 

 mostly silver and lead, is estimated to exceed a million dollars each year. 

 In Owens Valley are one thousand five hundred and ninety stands of bees, 

 valued at nearly two dollars each. 



The county is well suited to the growth of grapes and making of raisins, 

 though little has yet been done in this direction. Last year seven hundred 

 and two gallons of brandy were made. 



During the year four thousand two hundred and eighty-nine calves were 

 dropped in Inyo County. The stock cattle number seven thousand one 

 hundred and ten. Colts for the year, one thousand two hundred and sixty- 

 two. Thoroughbred bulls and cows imported during the year, twenty-two. 

 During the season about five hundred thousand sheep pasture in or pass 

 through Owens Valley; most of these come from Fresno, Tulare, and Kern 

 Counties. From the valley six thousand one hundred pounds of honey were 

 sold in the year. Wheat product, one thousand and eighty centals; oats, 

 five hundred centals; barley, six hundred and sixty- five centals; hogs, nine 

 thousand six hundred and twenty head; horses, three thousand one hun- 

 dred and seventy head. These figures are taken from the assessment roll, 

 and are well known to be far under the truth. jNo statistics are available 

 of the yield of fruit. All the fruits of the temperate zone are grown, 

 including figs and almonds, and are of unsurpassed excellence. ■ Strangers 

 who attended our fair, said they had never, in any county, seen such 

 apples, pears, peaches, grapes, etc., as were shown. The fruit production 

 of Owens Valley is destined to attain great proportions. 



The water of Owens Lake carries a very high proportion of soda. Dur- 

 ing the year works have been built at the lake, vast tanks, or ponds con- 

 structed for evaporating the water, and several thousand tons of marketable 

 soda obtained. The success of the experiments being now demonstrated, 

 the gathering of the soda will be done more extensively. 



Apprehensive of making this report too long deters me from continuing 

 further. In fact, I am not at all certain if this is such a report as is 

 wanted or usually given from agricultural districts. If anything different 

 is wanted, please inform me. 



Respectfully, 



C. MULHOLLAND, 

 Secretary Agricultural District, No. 18. 



