226 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



ing lo a temperate climate ai'e raised with success. A garden, eleven 

 miles distant from Montere}^ City, furnishes this place and adjoining 

 counlrj' with all kinds of melons, not inferior to an}- raised in this Slate, 

 without the employment of any artificial means, such as irrigation, or 

 even manure. 



The old mission orchards do not produce much. The orchard of the 

 Mission San Carlos, on the Carmelo Kiver, is small and unimportant. 

 San Antonio has been allowed to go to wreck for want of proper care. 

 The oVchard of the Mission San Juan alone is worth notice. I have not 

 been able to learn the quantity of fruit the last named produces yearly. 

 On the east slope of the Gabilan Mountain, on the farm of Mi-. T. Vaclie, 

 is a vine^'ard and orchard of diminutive size, where, every year, some 

 wines and brandy are made, of tolerable good qualit}'. 



TIMBER. 



Although there is a great variety and abundance of timber, such as 

 while and black oak, pine, fir, laurel, redwood, etc., the pine alone is put 

 to some use, owing to its proximity to the place of shipment. The Mon- 

 terej' jjine is of a hard and tough quality, very useful where strength 

 and durability are required, such as for flooring, planking wharves and 

 bridges, and like purposes; but similar to all wood of its kind, it may 

 DOt be put in contact with the ground, and when used for piles it is not 

 durable; the part under Avater is destroj'ed in a few years b}' the borer, 

 (^Tarridu JVuvalis.) For spars it cannot be recommended, because it is 

 rather knotty. Two vessels have lately been constructed out of this 

 wood. 



The only steam sawmill existing in this count}^, located some three or 

 four miles from Monterey City, is of thirtj^ horse power, and Jnay saw 

 seventeen thousand feet of lumber in twenty-four hours. Its operations 

 have some time since been suspended. 



Pine is also made into cord wood, for shipment. The annual export 

 from Monterey is from fifteen thousand to twenty-five thousand cords. 

 Eedwood is found in great quantities south of Carmelo River, distant eight 

 to fifteen miles from Montere}' City; but the ravines are deep, the coun- 

 try very rough, and making roads in those localities for hauling timber 

 would be rather a difficult matter. However, if this were a thriviuij 

 place, there would be spirit of enterprise enough to render useful a valu- 

 able article now entirely worthlebS, although so near. 



MINING. 



During the last two years several mining claims were taken up, and 

 at some of them active operations begun. The " Saragoza" mine, (sil- 

 ver,) located on the southwest part of the Gabjlan range, was worked for 

 some time; the result, although promising at the start, did not answer 

 the expectations, and the works are at present suspended. 



Ths " Soberana Maria," (silver,) located in the San Antonio Mountains, 

 was worked for about eight months, proved a failure, and was aban- 

 don'ed. 



The " Burri-Burri," (copper,) located at the southeastern termination 

 of the Gabilan range, has been worked for a long time, abandoned once, 

 and now again in active operation. 1 am not able as yet to give any 

 correct items in regard to the results as far as experienced; the share- 



