458 



2. Hartford Prolific. — This is now a well-known grape. It is a strong, 

 thrifty vine, and an abundant bearer. Under the sulphur treatment, as 

 above, it wholly escaped the mildew. It is a ^'ery early grape ; ripens 

 early in July. 



3. Grevelitif/. — This grape much resembles the Clinton, with larger 

 berries, sweet and juicy. It ripens shortly after the Hartford Prolific, 

 and, with the sulphur treatment, was this year quite free from mildew — 

 the great pest of all grapes here except the Scuppernong. 



PRODUCTS OF SONOMA, CALIFORNIA. 



Sonoma County., Cal. — The chief products of Sonoma County, Califor- 

 nia, are wheat, corn, barley, oats, potatoes, and all the varieties of fruits 

 grown in a semi-tropical climate. The grape is cultivated very exten- 

 sively for wine and table purposes, and will eventually constitute the 

 chief product of the county. The variety known as the Mission or 

 Native grape is chiefly grown for wine-making, but all the foreign 

 varieties yield equally well, and seem to be adapted to the climate. 

 Price paid by wine makers to the farmers from three-quarters to one 

 cent per iiound, delivered at the press. In that portion of the county 

 contiguous to the sea-coast, where, in consequence of the prevailing 

 heavy fogs, the grass does not entirely dry, the dairy business is chiefly 

 carried on, yielding handsome returns to those engaged in it. Potatoes 

 are also extensively cultivated there, but for want of rotation of crops 

 the yield has decreased and the quality deteriorated, causing farmers 

 to abandon their cultivation and turn their attention and farms to the 

 more i>rofltable business of the dair^^, which, however, is confined to the 

 making of butter, which meets with ready sale in the San Francisco 

 market at from 30 to 75 cents per pound. The yield of wheat has been 

 very large this yenr in Sonoma County, considering the fact that in the 

 greater portion of the State the wheat crop has been an almost entire 

 failure for want of moisture. The several valleys in the county yielded 

 as follows : Dry Creek, 42 bushels per acre ; Russian, 3S ; Santa Rosa, 

 35 ; Sonoma, 34.40 ; other small localities equal to So ; niaking the aver- 

 age yield for the county 37.35. Average price paid per bushel, $1 44 j 

 many farmers realized $1 05. 



Hops were at one time profitably cultivated in this county, but the 

 prices having declined to 10 to 12 cents per pound, growers found that 

 they could cultivate more profiable crops, and nearly all the growers 

 plowed up their yards, and abandoned their cultivation. The fruit crop, 

 peaches, apples, pears, &c., has been unusually light this year, owing to 

 the prevailing north winds at the time the fruit was in blossom and while 

 forming. From the same causes the quality is not as. good as it is 

 generally. 



WOOL IN MENDOCINO, CALIFORNIA. 



Mendocino County, Cal. — One of the most important items of interest 

 in this county is wool, the fall clip of which is just now going to market. 

 This business is rapidly groAvingin imi)ortance, and the experiment has 

 met with great success. The fall clip this year is largely in excess of 

 that of any former year ; in fact, is nearly equal to last spring's clip in 

 quantity. Not that sheep will produce an equal clip in the fall to the 

 spring clip, but owing to the large number of spring lambs that yield 

 their first fleece in the fall. 



