146 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ October, 



ususually feeds on the leaves of trees— especi- 

 ally the sassafras — and instances are known 

 in which it has been destructive. This is a 

 female specimen and is unusually large. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



LETTER FROM MISSOURI. 



Benton Citt, Audi-aiu county, Mo., } 

 Sept. 27th, 1879. <, 



Messes. Editor : U you think the follow- 

 ing would interest your readers please give it 

 room in your columns : 



Benton city is on the St. Louis, Kansas 

 City and Northern Railroad, one hundred 

 mOes from St. Louis and seven miles from 

 Mexico, which is the county seat of Audrain 

 county, and has a population of about 6,000, 

 but no saloon. Good unimproved land- 

 prairie and timber — is worth from $4 to $8, 

 and improved land $8 to $16 per acre. Wheat 

 is yielding 15 to 30, and corn 30 to 60 bushels 

 per acre. We have good soil, markets, lumber 

 and water. Also, good schools and good 

 society, and a healthful climate, but the 

 country needs more farmers and manufactur- 

 ers. I have lived here several years and I 

 find that I can do better on a farm here than 

 I could do in any of the several States in which 

 I formerly lived. The stock range is an item 

 of considerable importance. Sectional preju- 

 dice is a thing of the past here now. The 

 population is from all parts of the Union, and 

 sectionalism would not know where to begin. — 

 Bespectfully, B. F. Wi/lde. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



We offer no apology for publishing entire, 

 in the Farmer, the following diary of a trip 

 from Elk Grove, California, to the shores of 

 the Pacific. It is written by an old and es- 

 teemed native citizen of Lancastec- county, 

 who cast his fortunes in the Golden State 

 thirty years ago, and who will probably end 

 his days in that modern El Dorado. He has 

 always been plain, unostentations, honest, 

 frugal and industrious — an honor to his town, 

 his county and his State— and his domicilia- 

 tion in California, we feel confident is as great 

 a gain to that State, as his absence is a loss to 

 ours. We beheve our readers will be inter- 

 ested in his narrative, and some of them may 

 wish, as we have, dozens of times in reading 

 it over, that they had been with him, to have 

 had a practical demonstration of the scenes he 

 describes so graphically. From it they may 

 gather something about the civil and physical 

 geography of California — its products, its curi- 

 osities, its world-wide wonders, and its local 

 phenomena. Of course, he makes no preten- 

 sion to scientific lore, or he might have devel- 

 oped much that would have been of material 

 interest to the scientific specialist. As it is, 

 it cannot but be interesting and also useful to 

 the farmer, the fruit grower, and tlie cultiva- 

 tors of cereals and garden truck. Under any 

 circumstances, a journey of that character 

 far more satisfactory in making personal ob- 

 servations upon the country passed through, 

 in relation to its quality, its soil, its hills and 

 valleys, its productions, its people and their 

 ways of doing things, their social and domes- 

 tic condition, and its climate, than in passing 

 through it at a rapid railroad speed— at one 

 motnent elevated in mid ah-, and the next 

 driving through deep excavations and dark 

 tunnels, with all visible objects swiftly reced- 

 ing from view, and apparently running with 

 reckless speed in an opposite direction. Com- 

 mend us to this "good old way" in gaining a 

 a knowledge of the texture and composition 

 of the country we are traversing for pleasure 

 and profit. 



" March to the Sea." 



Elk Geove, September 11, 1879. 



Editor Lancaster Farmer — Dear Sir : 

 General Sherman marched from Atlanta, 

 Georgia, to the Sea; but according to the 

 adage of the famous Sam Patch, "some things 

 can be done as well as others." My friend, Mr. 

 Stewart, Mrs. Stewart and myself, fitted up a 



two-horse wagon for the purpose of going from 

 Elk Grove, Sacramento co., Cal., to the shores 

 of the Pacific Ocean. We set out on the iith 

 of Jtdy, 1879, at 7:30 a. m., and arrived at 

 Sacramento City at 12, m. Here we purchased 

 a tent, provision, and an outfit for camping at 

 our various stopping places. After loading 

 up our cargo we started again on our journey, 

 and crossed the bridge that spans the Sacra- 

 mento river, entered Yolo county, continued 

 up the river, keeping on the levee until we 

 reached Mr. Clark's ranch. The day being 

 very warm, we made our first camp for the 

 night. Mrs. S. got us»up a nice supper of 

 beefsteak, boiled eggs, coffee, cake, and 

 cheese. After supper we pitched our tent in a 

 shadv grove, where the Alfalfa clover was 

 two feet high. 



July 25. This morning we started for Wood- 

 land, which is quite a large town, situated in 

 the wheat-growing district of Yolo county; 

 they were at this time busily engaged in 

 threshing their wheat of which they had a 

 large crop. After leaving Woodland the next 

 place we arrived at was Madison, a prominent 

 railroad station. 



There is an immense flouring mill at this 

 place ; also large storehouses ; and there are 

 hundreds of tons of wheat piled up in and 

 about the place. After leaving Madison we 

 took our course up the Cache Creek Valley. 

 This valley has some of the best farming land 

 in the county of Yolo, or perhaps anywhere 

 else in the State. After reaching the head of 

 the valley we entered the canyon, which has 

 a very heavy grade. After traveling up this 

 grade we reached the top of the mountain and 

 came to a fine sulphur spring, on a ranch be- 

 longing to the widow Fisk. To-day we saw 

 the first deers,* on the grade descending the 

 mountain on the otlier side, and alter driving 

 pretty late we pitched our tent and camped 

 on Mr. Hall's ranch. 



Jidy 26. This morning we had "California 

 Quail"! for breakfast, and it being Sunday we 

 remained late in camp to rest our horses. 

 After starting out again we visited some of 

 the quicksilver mines, being now in Lake 

 county. We also came across a sulphur spring, 

 and also some soda springs, and after resting 

 ourselves and horses we started on and camped 

 for the night two miles from the town of 

 Lower Lake, in the county aforesaid. 



Jidy 27. This morning we drove into town 

 and fed our horses. This town is supported 

 by the quicksilver mines, and the small moun- 

 tain ranches in the neighborhood ; after leav- 

 ing here we drove on until we came to good 

 water and grass, and here camped for the 

 night. There is a ranch of 480 iCcres of the 

 most splendid land here on the top of the 

 mountain. The man that lives here informed 

 me that he could not grow corn nor vegetables 

 on his ranch, as the deer were so numerous 

 that they destroyed everything in the shape 

 of garden truck. They have to make a high 

 fence around their enclosures in order to keep 

 out the deer. 



July 28. This morning we met a camp of 

 hunters. They brought in two deer and we 

 bought a hindquarter from them, so we had 

 venison for breakfast. After breakfast we 

 struck camp and reached Kelseyville at 8 

 o'clock, A. M. From there we went to Lake 

 Valley, which is, in my opinion, one of the 

 greatest wheat-growing valleys in the State of 

 California, and raises immense crops. At 11 

 A. M. we arrived at Lake Port, which is quite 

 a fine town, situated on the upper end of 

 Clear Lake. This lake is about forty miles 

 long and has several steamboats navigating 

 it. After leaving Lake Port we passed 

 through Scott's Valley, which is small but 

 very rich. The people were just engaged in 

 heading (harvesting) their wheat. At 2 P. M. 

 we arrived at Potter Valley, and after dinner 

 we hitched up and took the road for Blue 

 Lake. Traveling about twelve miles we held 



Pacific coast of North America. 



fCallfornia Quail" {Lcphortyxcali/or. 

 crested bird belonging 

 family. 



up and camped for the night. Our bill of 

 fare, as usual, was fresh venison and quails, 

 prepared in Mrs. S.'s best style ; and doubt- 

 less they were better than those of the Israel- 

 ites in the wilderness. 



July 29. After setting out from camp this 

 morning, we arrived at Blue Lake at 10 a. m. 

 Blue Lake is one of the most beautiful sheets 

 of water that can be imagined, and is as blue 

 as indigo. It is about four miles long, and 

 we continued down its margin until we came 

 to a place called "Valley Rest," where we 

 stopped to lunch. After traveling down the 

 Canyon for some distance we came to a stream 

 that was literally filled with trout,* and here 

 we camped for the night, being just one week 

 from home. 



July 30. Mr. S. got an empty barley sack 

 and made a seine and commenced fishing, 

 with indifferent success. At 10 a. m. we ar- 

 rived at Ukiah which is the county seat of 

 Mendocino county. There is a very fine 

 Court House here, and it is a lively and 

 handsome town. This is a good wheat grow- 

 ing valley, settled among the mountains. 

 After buying supplies we started on the up 

 grade for the mountains. This was the heavi- 

 est grade we have thus far met with. We ar- 

 rived at the top of the moutain at 6 p. m., 

 and camped at a spring called " Shady-side." 

 Here we fell in company with Mr. Lapham, 

 wife and brother, from Ohio. He is an artist 

 taking steroscopic views of some of themouu- 

 tains and valleys, of which these are some of 

 the most magnificent in our country. 



July 31. This morning Mr. Lapham took a 

 view of our two camps, and the scenery 

 around them. We now commenced to enter 

 the Red-woodt timber over a heavy grade, 

 and after traveling all day we camped at a 

 place called "Prairie Camp." 



Awjust 1. This morning we crossed the 

 north fork of Big river. In crossing the 

 mountain we saw a small bearj, but as we had 

 not lost anything we passed him by. At noon 

 while feeding the horses, we picked a bucket 

 full of huckleberries, there! being acres of the 

 finest here. At 4i p. m., we arrived at Men- 

 docino city, and the Pacific Ocean. Here the 

 weather was so cold as to render a change of 

 clothing necessary in order to be comfortable. 

 We encamped at Little river in an enclosure 

 belonging to Mr. Stevens, which sheltered us 

 from the winds, which nearly always prevail 

 along the Pacific coast. We were now just 

 ten days from home. 



Augusfi. This day was spent in taking a 

 view of the coast, and collecting shells, of 

 which there are sometimes an abundance, and 

 occasionally some rare ones. 



Awjust 3. To-day Mr. S. and myself col- 

 lected shells and crabs, 5 when the tide was 

 out, and we had them for dinner, with pota- 

 toes baked in the ashes, and huckleberry pie, 

 and they were eaten with a relish more than 

 usual. 



August 4. To-day Mr. S. and myself, ac- 

 companied by an old German, went out on 

 the coast to collect Abolonies, but it proved 

 a complete failure. We then made arrange- 

 ments with an old sailor to go out again next 

 morning. 



August 5. This morning Mr. S. went out with 

 the sailor, and they soon came back with a 

 sackful! of the "Abolonies. "If We did not 

 want them for the animal mollusk so much as 

 we did for the shell. Mrs. S. fried one of the 



*Tlii8 was pfobably the common biook trout {iatmo fon- 

 tinalis), which abounds in many of the clear streams of 

 northern North America. 



+Red-wood.— This may be the Red-pine or Norway pme 

 (Pinus-rubra) which is so widely distributed throughout 

 our coubtry and is so exteusiyely used in shipbuildmg, 

 and especially for mastB, It not, what is it ? 



tProbaWy the yonuK, or a variety of the Blacli Bear, 

 (Urmi.^ avierimmui). The "Cinnamon Bear" of California 

 and OreROU is said to be only a variety of the common 



yxhe -e are four species of "huclileberry" in' the United 

 states (GoyiussiKia). namely the Box (trocycera). Dwarf 

 (dumom). Blue (/roni/oso) and Black {rennasa), of which the 



arf I 



)the 



: ABC» 

 ■edible 



5 Probably the comn 

 abounding along all our coasts. 



tXhe term "Abalony" is new to ua and must be very 

 local. From the fact three or four adult persons 

 made a meal off it, and that probably the shell was saved 

 entire, it must have been a large bivalve, sea shell. 



