Solano County 



'ITH its shores skirting the salt water of San Pablo Bay westward 

 from the delta of the Sacramento River, Solano County trends 

 northward for some forty miles, traversing the rich bottom-lands 

 for about two thirds of its extent, and reaching the foothills in the 

 northwest. 

 There is a great variety of soil, including the red gravel of the foot- 

 hills and the black sandy loam and rich alluvium of the bottoms. The over- 

 tflowed lands are composed mainly of decayed vegetable matter, mixed 

 ^ith sediments. Experience has proved that the heavier soils are the best 

 For pears, and the more sandy for peaches and apricots. In many parts 

 )f the region the surface soil is ten feet in depth. 



Solano ranks among the leading horticultural counties, and during the 

 )ast ten years has made wonderful strides. The early ripening and the 

 superiority of her fruits has given the county a national reputation. The 

 ^aca Valley fruits and vegetables find their way to market during the early 

 [part of the season. During the past year the development of agricultrue in 

 [Solano has been unusually active, and thousands of acres of marsh-land 

 [have been reclaimed and are now being devoted to the production of aspar- 

 lagus and grain. The orchards, which have always been a source of vast 

 (wealth, have also been increased in acreage during the year, and it is esti- 

 mated that there are now over a million and a half of deciduous and citrus 

 [trees, with fruit ripening every month in the year, and the soil is adapted 

 to every variety of fruit grown. From these trees their owners gathered 

 thousands of tons of fruit during the season, and the gross value of the 

 [crops is estimated at more than five million dollars. Fruit trains leave daily 

 during the season for the East. Cherries are shipped early in April and 

 [apricots early in May, with all other shipments at a correspondingly early 

 [date. Vegetables are grown in large quantities and find a ready sale in 

 [the markets of San Francisco. The chief fruit sections are round about 

 [Suisun, Vacaville, and Laguna, and the principal varieties of fruits grown 

 [are apricots, peaches, pears, plums, prunes, and table grapes. A large 

 I proportion of the crop is shipped green for table use. 



The grain industry in Solano County ranked second during the season 



[In the list of agricultural products, and several thousand tons of grain were 



[grown which had a gross value of four million dollars. Solano can show 



[millionaires who have amassed their wealth directly from her grainfields 



and still reside at the scenes of their labors. In the wheatlands of the 



Montezuma Hills the yield is particularly large, and the crops certain. 



Some of the best dairying sections of California are found along the 

 borders of the Solano tule lands. These indeed are but the very richest of 

 all agricultural land, in the slow process of formation. 



Solano is also making her record in the manufacturing industries. 

 Besides the great Government navy plant, situated on Mare Island, oppo- 

 !8ite the city of Vallejo, there are the flour-mills of the Port Costa Milling 

 Company, which turn out daily twenty-five hundred barrels of flour and ten 

 hundred sacks of crushed barley. One packing establishment at South 

 Vallejo has exported $150,000 worth of salmon to Germany during the 

 year, and another at Benicia has put up an equal amount of fruit. The 

 Benicia Iron Works during the year made shipments which averaged ten 

 thousand tons a day. The total value of Solano's crops for 1906 was more 

 than $30,000,000. 



The metropolis of the county is Vallejo, — a money city, a city of homes, 

 whose people are up and doing. It is located on a magnificent waterway, 

 with a climate balmy, yet toned with the vigor of the sea air, and prac- 

 tically free from fogs. Vallejo owns her own waterworks. Electric railroads 

 are about to be constructed which will connect Benicia, in this county, with 

 Napa and St. Helena, in Napa County. 



