State Agricultural Society. 341 



at the same time it has a soil rich in the elements of production and most 

 certainly so in those of durability. 



LATE POTATOES. 



While our attention is on Grand Island we will state that on our 

 return trip, when most of the party had gone to San Francisco and Sac- 

 ramento on the regular boats, the Victor ran up through Steamboat 

 Slough and stopped at a ranch on this island, some two miles from its 

 head, in order to let us see some late potatoes growing on the tule land. 



They found here a field of fifteen acres of potatoes growing most lux- 

 uriantly, the bulbs being quite plentiful in number and generally of fair 

 size — some being as large as a man's fist. They were of the Pigeon 

 Point red seed. The tule, which was very heavy and tall, had been cut 

 down in June, and after drying had been burned. The ground was then 

 plowed and harrowed well, and plowed and harrowed the second time. 

 The potatoes were planted between the twenty-sixth of July and the 

 second of August. Had Early Eose seed been planted, the crop would 

 have been ripe and eould have been dug some time since. 



ANDREW'S ISLAND. 



On the east and southeast of Grand Island, and separated from it by 

 the Old Eiver, lies Andrew's Island. This is as long as Grand Island, 

 but not more than a mile wide on an average. Some four or five farm- 

 ers in the center of it have clubbed together and built cross levees above 

 and below them and next the sloughs on either side, and have produced 

 this season most excellent and satisfactory crops .of wheat, barley, corn, 

 potatoes, and other vegetables. No general work for reclaiming this 

 island has yet been commenced, but we understand there soon will be. 



Still to the southeast of Andrew's Island are two other long, irregular 

 islands — Tyler and Staten — containing about twelve thousand acres each, 

 and separated from Andrew's Island by the Georgiana Slough and by 

 the North Fork of the Mokelumne Eiver. We did not visit these islands, 

 but they are said to contain very valuable tracts of land and susceptible 

 of easy reclamation, which is already commenced. 



SCHOOLCRAFT ISLAND, 



Containing twelve thousand acres of land, lies directly west of Grand 

 Island, being bounded on the north and west by Miner's Slough, and on 

 the west by the west branch of the Sacramento Eiver. The land of this 

 island, viewed from the boat, seems lower than that of Grand Island, 

 and has not been covered with so heavy a bed of sediment. It looks as 

 though it might be more difficult of reclamation. The next island visited 

 by the excursion party was 



BRANNAN ISLAND, 



Which lies directly south of Grand Island and east of the town of Eio 

 Vista. The reclamation company own most of this island, and are now 

 engaged in damming the sloughs that put out into it. and putting in flood 

 gates preparatory to a thorough reclamation by levees. -Upon this 

 island, at Smith's ranch, we found a fine vineyard of Mission grapes. 

 The bunclies were the largest and most compact we have ever seen of 



