ARTESIAN WELLS—PRODUCE OF THE VALLEY. 
33 
borings have been made in several places in the valley, near the town of San Jose, with signal 
success, in having reached abundant supplies of good water. In two borings through the 
alluvial clays, to the depths of 8.0 and 140 feet, the water rose to the height of 20 inches above 
the valley level. These clays are mostly of a yellow color, and in great part derived from the 
degradation of the tertiary sandstones flanking the ranges on each side. The lower beds are a 
bluish clay, resembling those of Los Angeles valley, although not by any means so deep. At 
120 feet below the surface the sand rock has been reached in the centre of the valley, near the 
town of San Jose. It is not likely that these unconsolidated beds have a much greater thickness 
in any other part of the valley. Through these loose deposits the Caoti, Guadalupe, and other 
minor streams which water the valley, cut their way, wearing a channel 15 and 20 feet below 
the surface. -The bed of the Caoti is filled with pebbles of obsidian, trachyte, and lava, derived 
from the hills on the east. Mixed with these were fragments of chloritic and aluminous slate, 
from the same sources. 
Owing to the rapid travel through this valley, nothing but a slight reconnoissance could be 
made of the nature and disposition of the strata. The sandstones are a continuation of those of 
the Salinas valley and Gavilan, and therefore probably of the same age. These are noticed 
when describing that valley. 
This valley may be called the garden of San Francisco. Located at the extremity of the bay, 
so that the products can be transmitted cheaply to market, it has every advantage which posi¬ 
tion and climate could confer upon it. Defended by the Santa Cruz mountains from the sea 
shore, it is freed from the abruptly chilling influences of the sea breezes, yet deriving great 
advantages from the vapor wafted over the tops of that range, and which are, to some extent, 
seized upon and appropriated by the higher hills east of the valley. It receives abundant sup¬ 
plies of water, and enjoys an equable and warm climate, with a good deal of moisture. With 
these essentials of fertility, it adds a soil which partakes of the nature of a sandy loam, and 
appears capable of raising every cereal and useful plant. The orchards and nurseries estab¬ 
lished here are remarkably productive. That of Mr. Jesse Beard, near the Mission, in the 
original Mission orchard, has a farm of over 150 acres under cultivation besides the orchard, 
which contains, besides several thousand young trees in rows, 1,800 apple trees, 1,000 peach, 
200 cherry, 250 plum, with pear, quince, fig, and grape trees. The peach trees have been 
remarkably productive, yielding three, four, and even five to a cluster, and some trees bearing 
hundreds of double peaches. The fig trees attain a height approaching fifty feet, and from two 
and a half to five feet in circumference, with the leaves eighteen inches across, and some fruit 
measures eight inches around. The pears hang in clusters or ropes from the branch, bending 
it over, making the tree resemble a willow. The Jullien variety is much cultivated. 
Mr. Lewellan has planted an orchard near Mr. Beard’s, which, among other fruit trees, 
contains over 6,000 apple trees, and nearly 9,000 trees of all kinds. The u tune” cactus is 
cultivated here, and grows well sixteen to twenty feet high. 
Wheat has commenced to be extensively cultivated in the valley. The u California bearded 
wheat” and the (C Chile” are the two varieties, of which the latter appears to grow best, being 
more free from smut. It is a white grain of a good size, and averages forty bushels—running 
up to fifty bushels per acre; but this is esteemed by no means a large crop. In Alameda 
county, Messrs. Hawley & Cornell, of Union City, have estimated their yield of Chile wheat as 
fifty bushels ; Australian wheat, 40 ; barley, 75 ; and oats, 100 bushels per acre. 
5 U 
