194 TKANSACTIONS OF THE 



San Mateo. 



Redttood City, Jainiaiy 22. — The continued dry spell has not done any material injury as 

 yet. In this valley nearly all the plowing has been completed and sowing will soon commence. 

 After that work is finished there will be a pressing need for abundance of rain, as three Win- 

 ters have passed without a sufficienoj^ of water-fall to thoroughly saturate the ground. On the 

 coast side of the county, in the vieinitv of Halfmoon Bay and San Gregorio,the crops are later, 

 and the work of plowing and sowing is not yet well under way, although that )iortion of the 

 county is favored with nearly double the moisture that is obtained here. In the vicinity of 

 Peseadero grain raising has been superseded by flax culture and dairying. Flax is almost a 

 sure crop in that region and is found to be very profitable, while grain is not at all certain, but 

 quite the contrary, owing to the heavy fogs that abound in that region, which are almost sure 

 to bring rust, which is so disastrous. 



MontereT/. 



Salinas, January 22. — At the present outlook the crop prospect is not very favorable. The 

 total rainfall to date is 2.65 inches, against 5.32 uf) to the end of January last year. The acre- 

 age of land plowed throughout the county is greater than any year before, and the work is a 

 great deal better done. In fact the ground never was in so good a condition, and with a mod- 

 erate Spring rain a fair crop may be expected. A large portion of the land plowed, however, 

 has yet not been sown, the owners awaiting rain before sowing. The lower portion of the 

 Salinas Valle}' — say from Salinas to Moss Landing — is very little plowed as yet, but that por- 

 tion can be worked very late if we get rain in March or April. The stock on pasturage is not 

 suffering for feed, although sheepmen are anxiously awaiting rain to furnish feed for the young 

 lambs that will come next month. 



San Benito. 



HoLLiSTER, January 22. — The long continued absence of rain has caused a feeling of great 

 uneasiness in this county. There seems, however, to be no sufficient grounds for predicting 

 anything less than an average season. Up to date 2.22 inches of rain have fallen. This is 

 about one third less than is usual, but what we have had came at a most opportune time. 

 Grain is not sufFeriug in the least. Feed, although not abundant, is sufficient to sustain stock 

 for some weeks _vet, and cattle and sheep are now in as good condition as they usually are at 

 this time of the year. Two inches of rain any time between this date and the eighth of Feb- 

 ruary, followed by the usual Spring rains, will insure more than an average crop, so far as San 

 Benito County is concerned. We see no good grounds for apprehensions of anything less than 

 an ordinary harvest for 1884. Compared with previous seasons seeding is not far advanced, as 

 the acreage ali'eady seeded this year will probably not foot up much more than two thirds of 

 what it was last season. The farmers are all ready and waiting, however, and if a reasonable 

 rainfall is received during the next two weeks every available acre will be seeded. 



Tehama. 



Red Bluff, January 22. — The crop outlook for Tehama County in general is not bad, pro- 

 vided we have rain within two weeks. Green fields can be seen in every portion of the county, 

 and some of the ranches have a flattering appearance for the season. The southern portion of 

 the county is more in need of rain than the northern, but the farmers do not apprehend any 

 great danger at present. We have had more than six inches of rain to date, and have been 

 visited with damp fogs, which have done considerable to help the crops along. If the season is 

 not closed with unusiuiUy dry weather, there is no reason to suppose other than that we will 

 have a bountiful harvest. One fact is sure, we have never experienced a failure in crops in 

 Tehama County, and in speaking with farmers, they believe the old rule will prevail. 



Colusa. 



Colusa, January 22. — There is nothing green between Arbuckle and Willows. Above Wil- 

 lows, grain has sprouted, and on Stony Creek is not suffering very badl^^, but the gi'ound is not 

 wet, and without an extraordinary rainfall, we will have no ci'ops, except on low land, proba- 

 bly some near the mouth of Stony Creek. 



Santa Barbara. 



Santa Barbara, January 22. — Four and thirty-one hundredths inches of rain has already 

 fallen here. A larger amount of gi-ain has been sown than ever before. No grain is as yet 

 actually suffering for moisture, but rain must come soon in order to avert loss. Some localities 

 are still too dry to plow. 



Santa Cruz. 



Santa Cruz. January 22. — The crop prospects are about an average. The farmers are still 

 plowing, and planting is going on, though it is ral.her dry. The amount of acreage sowu will 

 be about the same as last season. The total rainfall to date is 4.23 inches. 



