§?4 
0€T 3 
THE RURAL. WEW‘V©RKER. 
blanket at night in the barn, shod or straw 
pile, auil work early and late. The laborer on 
ranches works harder and fares much, worse 
than East. When it comes to the harvesting, 
they now have a combined harvester and 
thrasher. ()no man drives from is to 20 horses 
abreast; one guides the machine; one llils the 
sacks; one sews them, and they are then 
dumped. Thus four mou cut und thrash 30 to 
40 acres per day and leave the grain in sacks, 
so you seethe possibilities of farming on a 
large scale, with few hands. 1 hey raise crops 
in alternate years, because they have to sum¬ 
mer-fallow. Most valley fanners buy nearly 
everything they eat. In speaking of harvest¬ 
ing, a great many have regular headers. This 
new combined machine has uot been long in¬ 
troduced, but is growing into favor. I urn 
now speaking of the big grain ranchos. After 
harvest they harrow the stubble and when it 
rains lots of volunteer grain comes up, and 
they gru/.e that during the winter. When 
spring comes some take their ’cattle up into 
the mountains, where gross is plenty after the 
snow goes off. By the way, a great share of 
California is piled up badly, but it is much 
better for grazing than the Colorado moun¬ 
tains. 
Gardening in the valleys is a specialty as 
much as grain raising. Next to the river 
where it is low and water is near the sur¬ 
face, the vegetables are raised. Most of all 
kinds of work is done by the Chinese, lie- 
cause they can live in these malarious 
localities. Some boss Chinaman hires the 
land, sometimes paying $15 per acre rent: 
and in one place I know that as much as $30 
per acre is paid ns rent for an extra rich 
piece of Ixittom laud. They will grow crops 
the your round on such warm Ixittom land, 
take their loads and go back 15 and 20 miles 
into the country, where people have no 
chance of irrigation, and sell them. Those 
back places can raise some few things in win¬ 
ter. I am speaking of the section where irri¬ 
gation does not exist. California is such a 
lorge Btate the variation from uorth to south, 
and the changes from sea coast to valleys, nud 
then to the foot-hills and mountains, are very 
great. Bo when one is writing about, one sec¬ 
tion, ho is stating what is not true in another. 
We are living in the foot-hills, ubout35 miles 
east of Baoramento. It used to be a great 
mining section. All the raviuos have been 
dug iu)d washed out. A few miles from here 
was the Butter saw-mill, where they first dis¬ 
covered the yellow stuff. 1 have passed over 
the sites of several ex-mining towns that once 
flourished; but a few old stone fire-places are 
all that is left. Old-timers will tell of the fab¬ 
ulous sums taken out of this gulch aud that 
ravine, etc., etc., but most of those who used 
to handle thousands are poor now, aud there 
are many of them working over some old dirt 
to get a little to keep them alive. 
Old timers hate to till the soil. The many 
ditches that wore dug. to sell water to miners 
for washing out gold, at one dollar an inch 
for the water, now that mining is done—ex¬ 
cept that of quartz—are being utilizixl for 
farming and fruit purposes. That circum¬ 
stance has brought this portion of the foot¬ 
hills into cultivation, whereas if it had not 
been for the big ditches cut. in the mining 
times, this region would now be only grazing 
land. We pay 25 cents per inch for water for 
irrigation. At some places in the State it is 
cheaper ; in some dearer. The great bottom 
vulley where Fresno is, was once almost an 
arid waste, but the system of irrigation was 
resorted to on a large scale, and it being a 
level country, the subsoil is full of water, and 
they have no t dry cellars in a town where it 
was difficult to dig for water. The winter 
rainfall there is only about eight to 10 inches; 
here it is ubout 25 to 35 ; up to Redding and 
Red Bluff it is from 75 to 30. They can grow 
immense crops in the great valleys below 
Sacramento where they irrigate; but the 
country is very malarious. North of Sacra¬ 
mento the system of irrigation 1ms not been 
established as yet. 
We, in the foot-hills, foel we are in the 
healthiest portion of the Btate. We are two 
miles in the country from Auburn, Placer 
County, and this town of Auburn is a great 
health rewort, and only for its climate, [for 
there is nothing else—no springs or scenery or 
anything else to attract people but the air. 
Folks from the sea coast, that are asthmatic 
or weak-lunged, come to Auburn. I have 
lost 20 pounds, but 1 feel the stronger for 
it. Working out in the sun does not have 
the debilitating cirect it does East. My sou 
and myself have worked hard und feel good ; 
our appetite is good, and I nm freer from 
rheumatism than J have been for years. Wo 
are now harvesting our grapes. We have the 
Muscat, Flaming Tokay, Rose Peru, seedless 
Sultanas, and a few Isabellas. We have a 
now vineyard that will commence bearing 
next year, but it will take two or three years 
more to get it in full bearing. 
This is a great country for olives. Wo shall 
start an olive orchard this season. We 
shall set out prunes, Bartlett pears, olives 
and grapes; these will constitute the main 
varieties of our new orchard. Our old is 
prunes, plums, pears, apples, nectarines, 
peaches, quinces and apricots. A great many 
are starting orange groves or orchards here. 
I don't think we shall. I did not mention one 
of the main fruits of the country, and that is, 
cherries. They grow to perfection and are 
profitable. The future of ttie fruit business is 
hard to tell. California lias comparatively 
a small population to feed; our outlet is East. 
The labor question is a great one in the future 
development in this Btat--. The old-timers 
have to lie left Out except for mining pur¬ 
poses, and a good.deal of Unit is being done 
higher up than we are. The common labor 
era through the country arc content to earn 
a few dollars and then blow it out and earn 
some more. Of course, there are exceptions 
to this, but the unsteadiness of white labor is 
such that people opposed to Chinese have to 
hire them to insure work being done. The 
fruit crop comes on with a rush at the 
same time as hop picking. There has been a 
scarcity of help this fall. The demand for 
work is not steady here, so for many months 
few hands are used. One big man advertised 
in Sacruruonto for white help to pick hops; no 
Chinese need apply. He got a few hands and 
paid them on Saturday; on Monday morning 
he was out of help; they had not got sobered 
off. He went to town and got Chinese because 
they work steadily. But the effect of the 
Chinese labor on the country is like that of the 
darkey iu the Bouth, so niati3’ think labor is 
dishonorable because the Chinese are the 
workers. It' the Celestials livo in town, it is in 
cheap boarding houses, ail in a huddle. They 
never improve a place, and it hurts any part 
of a town they get a hold in. What t hey earn 
is not used in improving or building up the 
country. If immigrants from other nations 
get work, all they earn goes to the gener¬ 
al good. Chinese are different; they have 
Chinese stores; the rice, tea, tobacco and 
whiskey they use are all from China. They 
send their money back and, so far as the 
general prosperity of the place is concerned, 
they are no good. But us laborers, they are 
necessary here at present. But if they are 
the only help it will result iu building up an 
aristocratic, non-working class of those that 
hire and poor but proud white trash; and 
the earnings of the country will leave it in¬ 
stead of building it up. A good deal can be 
said on the labor question. The Chinese are 
a necessary evil at present. If they never had 
Come here, I think the Btutc would have been 
richer. As it is, they have been a drain. 
As large as the State is, the people do 
not raise what meat they consume, neither 
pork nor beef; butter, cheese nor eggs. For 
stock purposes an acre of Illinois land is worth 
several acres here. They talk hero as they 
did South: “We don’t have to feed winters;” 
but it is burd to raise the stuff to feed. 1 have 
seen fields where the grain was cut for hay, 
and cattle were turned in on the stubble, and 
they ate everything up, so that the field 
looked like a summer-fallow. The average 
butter is good, for we huve cool uights. A 
great, many places are having a boom, and all 
are trying to get one up. A pamphlet about 
our county has been gotten iqi by the rnil- 
roiul and real estate speculators. The facts 
they tall are so represented that it looks more 
inviting to u tenderfoot than it does to nn old 
settler. A man has to work hard und prac¬ 
tice' economy here, as elsewhere. The average 
ranchman here does uot huve as great a vari¬ 
ety to live on as oue iu Illinois. But. their cli¬ 
mate is their beast, and most people enjoy It.. 
In conclusion, I would uot advise any one to 
leave Illinois for this Btate, unless he wanted 
climate, or is a real estate speculator, or a 
mechanic that would strike a booming town 
where he could get Jots of work. [The above 
interesting and instructive letter was written 
to our correspondent B. F. Johnson, of Illinois, 
who kindly sent it to us for publication.— Eds.] 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Arizona, 
Pucrnix, Maricopa Co., Sept, 15.—The Balt 
River Valley,of which Phoenix is the commer¬ 
cial center, is preeminently adapted to fruit 
growing—t.o growiug nil the semi-tropic and 
citrous friuts for which Southern California 
has so long been famous, Everything that is 
grown here is grown wholly by irrigation, for 
this Is a desert country except where the 
•laud of man has turned the life-giving waters 
upon the land, and transformed the once arid 
waste into the loveliest of green fields, bloom¬ 
ing orchards, and fruitful gardens. We have 
also a climate- unsurpassed even by that of 
California’s most favored vales, for the inva¬ 
lid, fur all those with week lungs or sore 
tin-oats. Come, then, ye heultli seekers! Come 
ye homo seekers ! Come ye investment seek¬ 
ers, and at the Territorial Pair of Arizona be 
eye-witnesses of what this favored land basal- 
ready accomplished in the production of 
grain aud pastures, orchards, vineyards and 
gardens. Droughts may come und droughts 
may go, but here the harvest time is sure to 
be abundant. Collie, friends, to our Fair the 
third week In October, and sec what Arizona 
can show of the fruits of the soil grown upon 
the same lauds where the Aztecs farmed by 
irrigation hundreds of years ago. Any one de¬ 
sirous of information may address G-. W. F. 
Johnson Secretary, Arizona Industrial Expo¬ 
sition, Phoenix, Maricopa Co., Arizona. 
F. S G. 
Canada. 
East Asbiniboia, N. W. T., Sept. 18.— 1 The 
crops are nearly all saved and are fairly good. 
Wheat, eats and barley are about all that are 
raised here yet. The country is quite uow, 
having been settled only about live years, so 
that I have no idea of the acreage under culti¬ 
vation in this far west part of our Dominion. 
Gardens have dene well this season, and wild 
fruits, such as saskatoons, wild cherries, cur¬ 
rants, gooseberries nud raspberries, were quite 
plentiful. There is. as yet, very little culti¬ 
vated fiuit, but 1 think all kinds of small fruits 
will do very well. 
Dakota. 
Gallatin, Griggs Co., Sept. IK.—In some 
localities wheat yields from 25 to 30 bushels 
per acre and in other places where the grain 
was struck by the June frost and hail the yield 
is from five to 10 bushels per aero. We had a 
frost on the 23d of Juno that cut everything. 
The out yield is iu some parts very good and 
in some only five bushels per acre. Contis 
but little ruined in this country, but what is 
raised this year is good. Parley a good crop. 
Hay good; no tamo hay raised here to speak 
of, all wild hay, but better than tame hay for 
feeding stock. Potatoes, a splendid crop, bet¬ 
ter than those of the last two or three years. 
All kinds of garden stuff plenty this year. We 
raised a cantaloupe from the seed sent from 
the Bubal last year, that weighed 111 pounds. 
It was a beauty. There was a large crop of 
wild hops this year. No fruit to speak of, 
mostly all killed by the June frost. Peas 
grow well in this country and are never 
buggy. L. L. 
Indiana. 
Rockville Take Co., Sept. 28.—Early crops 
very good. No fruit this year. Potatoes where 
planted early very good. A large acreage of 
wheat planted and looks well. A. c. b. 
Nkh York. 
ORIENT, Suffolk Co , L. L, Sept. 18 —Farm¬ 
ers here, as a rule, till their laud in the samo 
old way iu which their fathers and grand¬ 
fathers tilled it before them, knowing and 
caring For no other or better way, so that 
many of them were startled by my progres¬ 
sive ideas of farming as a business to be car. 
ried on in the samo way as any other business. 
This farm contains about 50 acres of tillable 
land, naturally easily affected by drought, as 
the soil is largely a gravelly loam. This ten¬ 
dency has, however, been largely overcome 
by the liberal use of manures. One hundred 
dollars [>er acre are spent yearly for this pur¬ 
pose alone. The fertilizers used consist chiefly 
of city manure and fish scrap, with an occa¬ 
sional application of artificial lertilizers. Ex¬ 
cept on about six acres, two crops are grown 
yearly. Many Rural readers who believe in 
the tradition* of the past, will be apt to shake 
their heads upon beariug of a rotation where 
grass and gram, with the exception of millet, 
do not find a place. The following is t in- usual 
rotation: first year, onions, with late carrots 
sown between the rows. The yield is, onions, 
about 800 bushels and carrots about 1,0<)0 
bushels per acre. Next season come Early 
Wakefield cabbages, with corn as an after 
croji, followed the next season by early pota¬ 
toes and beans or millet. The working force 
numbers from 11 hands iu the busy season in 
Juno und July, to id or 12 the rest of the sea¬ 
son. No stuck is kept on the place except 
that necessary for its proper working. There 
is no specialty, but the same routine of crop 
is kept up year after year, no matter what 
the ju ice may be. Another condition of suc¬ 
cess is that all seeds for farm use are, where 
possible, grown upon the farm, As to the 
most interesting part of this style of farming 
—the financial one—1 muy say that outside 
of Wall Street, where fortunes are gained or 
lost in uu hour, 1 know of no sale investment 
that is paying anything like the percentage of 
this one. Let me say in conclusion to Rural 
readers that iu farming, as in every other line 
of business, “brains” will tell, and that there 
is always “room at the top.” u. K. p. 
Ohio. 
Rkllefontaink, Logan Co., Sept. 20.—The 
season hero is still very dry. We have not 
had a soaking rain since spring; but, notwith¬ 
standing, we have u fair crop of corn, which 
is nearly all in shock und most of the ground 
has been seeded—an unusual thing soearly in 
the season. The corn will make three-fourths 
of a crop. Potatoes aud many vegetabb s are 
almost a failure. Potatoes are bringing 00 
cents to $1 per bushel. Wheat was a half 
crop or more; grain plump; oats generally 
good. What few apples there wore have 
mostly fallen off. Pours plenty; some j>eacln s, 
but few trees. Grapes fine and very abundant, 
L. u m. 
Oregon. 
Joseph, Union Co., Sept. 15 —Until re¬ 
cently I lived iu Umatilla County in this 
State, where crops have been heavy, wht at 
being the principal crop and barley next and 
oats uext. Not much com is raised there: 
but it does pretty well, considering the small 
attention given it. Potatoes grow ns nearly to 
perfection there as anywhere in the wot Id, 
This country, away up in the extreme north¬ 
east of the Btate is properly a stock country, 
and 1 think it will prove to be one of the best 
butter sections on this coast, as the climate is 
cool aud there is abundance of Bunch Grass 
and plenty of cool water. The la ml is of such 
a nature that not, more than one-fourth of it 
can be cultivated: the rest is rocky, but grass 
grows on it all the same. There isn’t much 
graiu raised, only enough for borne consump¬ 
tion, there being uo market without hauling 
it 80 to 10b miles over a rough road. All the 
hardy vegetables do well. The late frost 
killed down the potatoes, but if it holds off 
two weeks more we shall have an abundance. 
All the tender vegetables we get, such as 
“roasting ohvh” tomatoes, cucumbers, water¬ 
melons, etc., etc., are raised down on the 
lmnuha, about 4,000 feet lower down than 
this country. The Iinuaha is a river that 
empties into Bnako River above the Grand 
Roqml River. It takes a person all day to 
come up from there (about 12 miles) with a 
load, 1,000 pounds being a good load for two 
horses. The land they cultivate down there 
is in small patches, nud with.tho heutof the 
suu and plenty of water to irrigate, (hey cau 
raise anything The suow seldom lies on the 
ground more than two or three days and is 
never deep. The stock are driven down there 
to winter. There is plenty of grass on the 
hill sides, the only trouble being from stock 
sliding; if they get on the uorth side of the 
hill they are pretty sure to slide on the.south 
side but it is rocky and there is no danger. 
We have had plenty of rain this month; the 
ground is wet 10 inebesdeep; grass has start¬ 
ed well and stock are doing fairly, r, a. s. 
Grasses and CLOVERS During Drought. 
—The effect of the unusually severe drought 
of t he present season on the grasses and eio- 
vers at the University of Illinois has been ob¬ 
served with interest, according to a late bulle¬ 
tin issued by Professor G. E. Morrow. Alfal¬ 
fa or Lucerne has made the most continuous 
growth and remained most fresh and green 
during the time of the greatest heat and 
drought. The stems are more harsh and 
woody t han in favorable seasons. Red Clover 
ranked next to the Alfalfa in growth during 
the worst period of drought, aud is counted a 
much more valuable plant for that region, its 
presence iu pastures and meadows has been a 
great help. The common or medium variety 
started sooner aud made better growth after 
cutting than did the Mammoth. A small 
meadow of the latter variety gave a very 
large crop, whilo'thu yield of Timothy, Red 
Top aud Blue Grass in other meadows was 
much reduced. Clover sown last spring made 
a fair growth, while Timothy sown last, au- 
tumu and this spring failed entirely. - Of the 
more commonly grown grasses prdpen, Or¬ 
chard Grass stood easily first in quickness of 
starting growth after culling, or after rain,. 
and in the quantity of food furnished during 
the driest weather. Timothy well illustrated 
one of its weakest points, showing little sign 
of growth for three or four weeks after being 
cut, and not responding roadily to the first 
rains. Blue Grass stopped growth probably 
first of all the pasture grasses, and for a time 
seemed lifeless. After moderate rains it quick¬ 
ly revived anil has made a fair growth. 
Johnson Gran—which ianot counted valuable 
for us, as it is a very coarse grass and kills 
to the ground with slight frost, although the 
roots have not apparently been injured during 
the last two years -is worthy of note froth the 
great growth made after the moderate rains 
of August. 
Among the lesson* retaught Central Illinois 
farmers by this drought are these: It is well 
to give Red Clover a prominent place in seed¬ 
ing laud* for j mature or meadow if the hay is 
to be used on the farm. Orchard Grass lias 
not been so well appreciated as it should be. 
It may well be tried more extensively. Blue 
