STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 261 



before the rainy season commences, as much is wasted by the wind and 

 rains. 



Plenty of United States Government and State lands can be secured 

 all along this great valley, and occupied for agricultural purposes and for 

 the raising of stock, but the best stock lands may be found among the 

 foothills, equal, if not superior to any in the State. Eich and valuable 

 grasses, which make the best food for fattening cattle, horses, and sheep, 

 abound here, and fit them for an earl}" market in the winter. Swarms 

 of fisa float in the lakes and rivers, the best of which are the salmon 

 trout. A home market can be relied upon for all of these luxuries by 

 the consumers who are settling in among the foothills and mountains 

 which surround this valley, opening the richest of mines of gold and 

 other metals. In fact, this section of country will soon stand second to 

 no other portion of the State in its yield of the precious metals. 



We find the most pleasant, rayjid, and cheapest route of travel to reach 

 these different points of interest, is by steamer to the Port of Los Ange- 

 les, then by easy coaches that daily run into the interior. 



On the seventh day of October, Mr. Jewett wrote as follows. After 

 stating that they had been measuring the field of cotton preparatorj^ to 

 making the necessary proof before the Board of Judges, and that it con- 

 tained one hundred and thirty-three and one half acres, he says : '• We 

 have commenced picking; the cotton has filled well with bolls, and it 

 looks very fine. Cotton planters of experience give it as their opinion 

 that if the autumn frosts keep off as usual, there are many acres that 

 will produce over five hundred pounds to the acre, and but few acres 

 that will go as low as two hundred and fifty pounds. We hope to be 

 favored by the frosts. The Mexican cotton is much behind that grown 

 from Eastern seed, but the bush is strong, and bears a heavy foliage, 

 which we think may protect it some. The plant is well loaded with 

 fine large bolls of cotton, even better than the other sorts. Some say 

 it will acclimate so as to come on earlier in the futur6." 



