Butte County 



HALF of the foothills that lower westward from the Sierras, and half 

 of the prolific bottom-lands that lie along the Sacramento River, 

 Butte exhibits a diverse topography and an equally various aggre- 

 gate of resources. Toward its eastern confines the county be- 

 comes mountainous, and the heavily timbered slopes of this region 

 give rise to an important lumber industry. Three fourths of its western 

 front lies along the Sacramento River and affords an ample water com- 

 munication for freight traffic with San Francisco. 



The foothill region of the county is made up mainly of the red soli 

 that has become famous In connection with the raising of citrus fruits 

 and olives. The bottom-lands in the west are variously composed of adobe 

 and black loam. Although Butte lies well in the northern half of the State, 

 its location in the great interior valley brings its entire western half in what 

 is known as the thermal belt, with the result that nearly the whole county 

 is adapted to the cultivation of those orchard products which ordinarily 

 pertain to regions considerably further south. 



The effect of this thermal belt, in conjunction with the varied topog- 

 raphy of the county, is to lend an immense variety to the resources of 

 Butte. These range from such semi-tropical fruits as the orange, lemon, 

 and olive, to the diverse orchard products and grain of more northerly lati- 

 tudes. Until recently the great staple product of the lowlands has been 

 grain, but a tendency is developing to break up the great expanses of 

 wheatlands into more diversified produce areas and smaller ranches. In 

 1905 there were over a million bearing fruit-trees in the county, with a 

 third as many more to be classed as non-bearing. Two of the peach 

 orchards of Butte rank as among the largest in the world. 



Paradoxically, the oranges of Butte ripen earlier than those of the south, 

 with the curious result that, before the holidays are over, her orange crop 

 has been disposed of, and chiefly to the more southerly counties. 



Among the other varied orchard products of this typically fruit pro- 

 ducing county are to be listed apples and figs, prunes, cherries, apricots, 

 pears, and almonds. 



Stock-raising is only second to fruit and grain producing in its import- 

 ance to the county; cattle, sheep, and hogs are pastured in large numbers 

 throughout the region. The lumbering resources of the eastern half of 

 Butte lend a decided color to the cities which have grown up at shipping 

 points. Chico is one of the important lumber marts of California. 



The canneries of the county are the seat of a thriving industry, — on 

 the one hand affording the agriculturist a sure and steady market for his 

 orchard products, and on the other furnishing employment to many hun- 

 dred local people during the growing season. 



The gold yield is in the form of fine gold from the river bottoms, ob- 

 tained by special dredging processes. The scene of this industry is the 

 Feather River, and the output for 1903 was $1,329,998. 



Added to the transportational facilities afforded by the Sacramento 

 River, the Southern Pacific Railroad traverses the center of the county 

 and the Western Pacific is preparing to enter, having Oroville as one of 

 its important way points. The latter city is also the terminus of the North- 

 ern California Railroad. 



The educational facilities of Butte are the particular pride of the 

 county. In addition to a well-established rural school organization and the 

 excellent systems of the several cities, there is the State Normal School at 

 Chico, with between four and five hundred pupils in regular attendance. 

 Chico is the metropolis of the county, and is a city of pleasant tree-lined 

 avenues, with a considerable church population. 



The county is 1,720 square miles in extent, and Oroville, with a popu- 

 lation of 3,500, is the county seat. The county is known as one offering 

 exceptional opportunities to the family man of small means. 



