USA > California > Napa County > Historical and descriptive sketch book of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino : comprising sketches of their topography, productions, history, scenery, and peculiar attractions > Part 16
USA > California > Lake County > Historical and descriptive sketch book of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino : comprising sketches of their topography, productions, history, scenery, and peculiar attractions > Part 16
USA > California > Sonoma County > Historical and descriptive sketch book of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino : comprising sketches of their topography, productions, history, scenery, and peculiar attractions > Part 16
USA > California > Mendocino County > Historical and descriptive sketch book of Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino : comprising sketches of their topography, productions, history, scenery, and peculiar attractions > Part 16
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The existence of this forest was first made known by Mr. C. H. Denison, of San Francisco, in 1870. Various theories have been advanced as to the cause of this petrifaction. Not being experts in geological science we refrain from expressing any opinion, and close by giving the views of Prof. O. C. Marsh, who visited the spot in 1870. He says:
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TOWNS AND WATERING PLACES.
"It is about two thousand feet in height, and is mainly composed of metamorphic rocks of cretaceous age, which are in places, as we ascertained, overlaid uncomformably by later tertiary strata, consist- ing of light-colored, coarse sandstones and beds of stratified volcanic ashes. This ridge had long been covered with a dense growth of chaparral, but just before our visit a destructive fire had swept over a portion of it, rendering it comparatively easy to examine a large tract of country, which apparently had never been explored. A care- ful examination of the locality where the first prostrate trunks had been discovered, soon made it evident that those now on the surface had all been weathered out of the volcanic tufa and sandstones, which form the summit of this part of the mountain ridge. Several large silicified trees were, indeed, subsequently found in the vicinity, pro- jecting from the side of a steep bluff, which had partially escaped denudation."
MOUNT ST. HELENA.
This mountain, whose summit rises to the height of 4,343 feet, and is a point from which run lines dividing Lake and Napa coun- ties, is the culminating point of the Coast Range in this section of country. From Calistoga it is about five miles to the foot of this mountain, and near ten to the summit. A good trail has been made for the accommodation of tourists which renders the ascent easy. From the summit a grand and magnificent view can be obtained of the surrounding regions of our State. With a good glass, in clear weather, many towns in the Sacramento Valley can be seen, togeth- er with the Sierra Nevada range, for over a hundred miles of its course. San Francisco Bay, and a large portion of the city, can be seen when not enveloped in the dense fogs, so common to the Bay region. Towards the North Clear Lake lies mapped out in plain view. Many of the valleys, mountains, towns, rivers and cities of the finest portion of California can be examined in a panorama of Nature from this elevation. On the West, beyond the Coast Range, extends the Pacific, rolling for leagues away in superb grandeur, ex- pressive of "boundless power and inaccessible majesty." Taken all in all the view from the summit is a hundred-fold worth the fatigues of the ascent, and we recommend all tourists to visit for themselves.
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NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
VIEW AT THE GEYSERS.
CHAPTER XIII.
AGRICULTURAL, RESOURCES.
Napa county has two important sources of wealth-her mines, suf- ficiently noted elsewhere, and her agriculture and kindred resources. Up to the last few years little attention was paid to developing the resources of the soil, wheat raising being the chief occupation of the farmer. There are some fields in the county, off of which for the last fifteen years, an annual wheat crop has been reaped. There are few localities in the world where wheat will grow better than in Napa Valley, but then such a succession of crops must greatly exhaust the
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AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
soil. Nearly the whole of the land in the valley is well adapted to all kinds of cereals, and with judicious rotation would produce a- large crop every year. Some of the land along the foot-hills is too gravelly to produce wheat to much advantage, but then this land is valuable for other productions. Oats and barley grow equally well with wheat, and fields have been planted in Indian corn producing crops that would compare favorably with those of the Wabash bot- toms. Yet corn does not grow thus in any but the rich valley lands. Early sugar corn matures well on the higher lands, but it must be planted early.
The land below Napa City down to Soscol is a kind of adobe, but not very heavy. A great portion of it is swamp and overflowed- commonly called tulé land, and only waits to be reclaimed to be the richest and most valuable land in the county. It requires compara- tively little labor to reclaim these lands, and experiments about Sos- col prove that when reclaimed they are unsurpassed for the produc- tion of grasses, beets, sorghum, and other vegetation. Messrs. Thompson have reclaimed quite an extensive tract of this land, and find that it surpasses any other they have.
Along the foot-hills on either side of the valley the soil is gravelly and not well adapted to grain. Yet, this land is the best that can be found for vineyards. It is also very extensively used for grazing pur- poses. The quantity of this grape land is very great, and could be made valuable. About St. Helena, the finest vineyards that are to be found, are on land that was formerly called waste land, covered with chemisal. The fine vineyard of Mr. G. S. Burrage, Northeast of Yountville, is on the hillsides, which were useless for any other pur- pose, barely affording a scant amount of feed a short season of the year. Indeed, for land that will produce the finest flavored grape, and one from which wine of the finest bouquet can be made. we must look to these hill lands.
HOP CULTURE.
The soil and climate of Napa seem peculiarly adapted to the rais- ing of hops. The vine grows and bears well, needing but little la- bor in harvesting. The hops grown in California contain a larger proportion of resinous lupulin than the imported article, and this
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NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
gives it a greater value for brewing purposes. The main production of hops in this county has been about St. Helena. Mr. A. Clock came into that section in 1867, and rented a piece of land from Mr. D. Cole on the rich bottom land near the river. The first year he planted fifteen acres, and till 1871 gathered fair crops, but the mar- ket price was low, so that he did not realize much of a profit, and had he not been possessed of great energy would have given up the enterprise. But in 1871, although his crop was light, the quality of the California hops had begun to be appreciated, and he realized a handsome profit. Off of the fifteen acres he gathered over ten tons, selling the same for an average price of about sixty cents per pound. This brought him in a revenue of near $12,000. He purchased a tract of land and set out thirty acres more in hops, and erected a large concrete dry house 54x70 feet, two stories high. Mr. R. F. Montgomery, whose farm is situated about one mile North of St. Helena, has also engaged to considerable extent in hop culture, and feels well satisfied with the enterprise. He has erected a dry house 30x40, two stories high. From the ample experiments of these two gentlemen there is no longer a question as to the adaptability of the soil and climate of Napa for hop culture, nor of its affording a re- munerative source of employment. There are now hundreds of acres along Napa River well adapted to the culture of hops, which now lie idle, covered with briars and willows, affording little or no revenue to the owners.
THE TEA PLANT.
. Mr. S. Brannan a few years ago started a small tea garden near Calistoga. Everything started off with promise of complete success, but the garden was soon neglected, so that the experiment proves only that the plant grows finely. It is probable that if planted in the foot hills, and cultivated with care, that a good quality of tea would be produced. Owing to the very large and increasing consumption of the plant it is to be hoped efforts will be made to test thoroughly the adaptability of our soil for its culture.
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FRUITS AND NUTS.
It would be superfluous to enumerate the different kinds of fruits
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AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
of Napa County. They are too well known to need any notice. Suffice it to say that nearly every variety has been produced, and of the finest quality. Besides the common fruits, experiments have been made at raising oranges, lemons and other semi-tropical fruits. Oranges have matured on the ranch of Geo. C. Yount, near Yount- ville, and there is little doubt but that in sheltered localities on the hill-land, where frosts are light and rare, that oranges can be grown well. Gen. M. G. Vallejo, of Sonoma, has oranges, lemons and olives growing and bearing in his garden. The oranges mostly grown here have been from the seed, and consequently are not as good as the grafted ones of Los Angeles. Our climate is peculiarly
adapted to the drying of fruits and raisins. When proper care is taken in the picking and drying of fruits they command the highest market value, owing to their superiority. Dr. D. K. Rule, of St. Helena, and W. H. Crabb, of Oakville, have cured raisins which were superior to any of the imported article. The grape mostly used for raisins has been the Muscat of Alexandria. The experi- ments made in producing raisins prove conclusively that the only reason why this is not now a lucrative business is because proper care and attention has not been devoted to it.
STOCK RAISING.
A great portion of the hill land in the county is unsuited to cul- tivation for other purposes than grapes, and has thus far been used for pasture. Large herds of cattle and flocks of sheep have been kept upon these hills. Cattle can be raised in California at less cost than in any other country, but a greater range is required, owing to the absence of Summer rains. After the grass is once eaten down the drouth prevents much of a growth thereafter. Formerly the hills and valleys of the county were covered with wild oats, affording the finest of pasture ; but the stock has almost entirely destroyed this. Now, owing to the native grasses on the hills drying up so early in the season and affording so scant a pasture, those who are largely engaged in sheep raising find that the quality of the fleece from their flocks is benefitted by preparing better feed, and much at- tention has of late been paid to the growing of grasses for feed. Al- falfa has been raised extensively and found to be very good. Ex-
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NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
periments with timothy and other Eastern grasses have not been fa- vorable. Some parties in this and Sonoma counties have experi- mented with the Texas Mezquit grass and report quite favorably, but as yet little is known of it. The finding of some grass adapted to our soil and climate is for our stock raisers a great desideratum. It is evident that the pastures are gradually failing and something must be done to supply the deficiency.
OTHER PRODUCTIONS.
There are many kinds of productions which the quality of the soil in Napa, and the climate give, assurance could be raised at a profit, which never have been attempted. Among these, one is rice. We do not believe that any attempt has yet been made to raise rice in this State, except as an experiment, yet the experiments prove that our tulé lands when reclaimed, are excellent for this production. It is more than possible that at no future day rice may be counted among the staple productions of our State and county. Flax is also another production for which large quantities of our land is well suited, and for which a ready market could be found. Flax, hemp, ramie and jute could all be produced in Napa Valley, and thus a very large bill for importations be saved to our producers. These are among some of the possible productions and the evidence for their adaptability is similarity of soil and climate to countries where they grow. and the few experiments made with them. The great de- mand for sacks in the State to ship the wheat crop makes it appear strange that no efforts as yet have been made to raise these textiles and supply the home market with the manufactured articles. Over fifteen hundred pounds of flax seed have been gathered from an acre in other parts of the State, and the stalk above the average in other countries in regard to strength and the quality of the fibre. And this was on land no better than hundreds of acres in Napa Valley. Another production that offers great inducements to capi- talists to engage in it, is that of raising beets and making sugar. „"The beet grows finely all along up the rich bottom lands of our valley, and in the tulé lands wherever reclaimed. There have been two sugaries in active operation for quite a time in the State, and they have proved eminently successful.
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AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
SERICULTURE.
Several extensive experiments have been made in this county in sericulture. That the mulberry will grow here, and that the worm will do well, admits of no question. The trees make a wonderful growth, and the silk produced is of a superior quality. We do not claim a superiority for any one county, but over other silk produc- ing countries. Several years ago Mr. Brannan planted out quite a large field in mulberry trees, and these have made a fine growth, and now produce a large quantity of leaves for feeding. In 1872 a house or room was fitted up for a feeding room for the worms, and the business carried on quite successfully. The mulberry orchard and feeding house have since been placed under the charge of an ex- perienced sericulturist, and more extensive improvements made. It is rumored that in a short time a silk manufactory will be erected at that place.
Messrs. Hallin & Amerup also planted large numbers of trees in Brown's Valley, West of Napa City, but so far nothing more than the setting of the trees has been done.
Wm. H. Baxter, of Springdale Farm, commenced the culture of silk on his arrival in this county in 1869, and has pursued it since with varying success. As yet, sericulture is almost a new industry in California, and the processes necessary to its successful develop- ment are things of but yesterday. It was found what was good in Spain and France would not always be well here. So that many fail- ures have been sustained, is not surprising. Mr. Baxter shared these early losses fully, but now he has succeeded in making this a hope- ful and paying industry. He has abandoned the use of artificial heat in his feeding house, finding that the climate of Napa is all that is needed. Mr. Baxter now has over 50,000 trees of the Moretti, Alba, and Multicaulis. Last year, (1872), he fed over 300,000 worms, of the French annuals. Thus far he has done little in the silk culture, having used most of the eggs in filling large orders from France. The foreign demand for California eggs, which are found to be the best that can be had, is very great.
One great drawback to silk culture in California is the high price of labor. It is questionable whether the cultivator can afford to pay the wages asked by laborers to gather the leaves and feed the worms.
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NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
Yet, as the whole season requires less than two months' work, we have hopes of seeing this difficulty overcome. The work seems well suited to women and children. But the greatest obstacle to this industry is that the two silk factories in this State have not, so far, supplied machinery necessary for reeling the silk from the cocoons. but have required this work to be done by the producers. Doubt- less this want in the silk factories will soon be supplied, and the person who has a few trees, and produces a small quantity of co- coons, find a ready market for them. Then silk culture may be re- garded as a success. California presents more advantages for the prosecution of this industry than any other country. It requires less outlay and less care ; the worms are free from disease and the growth of the tree is most exhuberant. Everything, except the ob- stacles above noted, points to this State at no very distant day as the greatest among silk growing countries.
VINICULTURE.
California seems to be the natural home of the vine. Thoughi there are some favored localities where the finest flavored grapes grow, yet hill and valley alike produce an excellent quality. The distribution of the grape is general, not only over Napa, but almost over the State. It was discovered by the missionary Padres more than 100 years ago that the soil and climate of California were well adapted to the culture of the grape. Wine was made on a small scale for home use long before the conquest of the country by the United States. But the Mexican and early American settlers plan- ted a few vines, which are still in vigorous growth. There are ser- eral small vineyards in this county over twenty years old, the trunk of the vines being from four to six inches in diameter, which pro- duce an enormous amount of grapes. Some of these old vines may be seen upon the farm of Col. J. B. Chiles, in Chiles' Valley, at Wm. H. Nash's former vineyard above St. Helena, and at the ranch of Geo. C. Yount, deceased. These vines were all of the Mission variety. It took several years for our farmers to learn that the planting of vineyards on a large scale could be made profitable, and the manufacture of wine an important and extensive branch of industry.
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AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
The first one to plant a vineyard of any consequence-one for any other purpose than for grapes for table use-was J. M. Patchett. As ear- ly as 1850 a small vineyard had been planted on the property which he afterwards purchased. The year of his purchase he planted a greater number of vines and also an orchard. In 1859 he was so well con- vinced that wine-making could be made remunerative that he erected his cellar, now standing.
The first vineyards were planted in valley land suited to the cul- ture of cereals, and grew luxuriantly. It was found, however, that the grapes produced a wine inferior to those planted in a more grav- elly soil, or in the foothills upon each side of the valley. Year by year the area planted in vineyards is extending, the amount of grapes increasing with the number of vines and the age of those already planted. There must be in the future a vast extension in viniculture and the manufacture of wines for export. The home market is scarcely sufficient for the wine product of a single county. Vinicul- ture has already become a most important industry in this county. Instead of the old Mission variety, most of the vines recently planted are the best obtainable in Europe. Careful experiments have been made to ascertain which varieties are best suited to our soil and cli- mate, and men of great experience and capital have embarked in the wine business. Extensive cellars have been constructed, and all the necessary appliances provided for the production of excellent wines upon a large scale.
A great change has taken place in the wine business. It has be- come, to a great extent, centralized in a few hands. The proprie- tors of small vineyards no longer attempt to make their own wine. but sell their grapes to large establishments which have the necessary capital and conveniences for the business. This plan has proved advantageous to all parties, and has yielded to the vineyard owner a larger profit than he could have made by cultivating grain.
Since the time when Mr. Patchett commenced his vineyard the industry has grown till now it stands foremost in the county. The first shipment of wine from Napa county took place in 1857, and consisted of six casks and six hundred bottles; in 1871 the export was over half a million gallons. And still the industry is but in its infancy. Among the first who looked upon the wine business as a
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NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
lucrative industry, were Drs. G. B. Crane and D. K. Rule, of St. Helena. Both these gentlemen had been practicing physicians and apothecaries in Napa City for many years, but in 1859 Dr. Crane, becoming wearied with the profession, and seeking for a country home, bought a tract of land on the Bale grant and commenced the planting out of a vineyard. His vineyard, one of the largest in the county, is planted mostly with Mission vines. Much of the land for his vineyard was such as people at that early day regarded as almost worthless. His first cellar was erected in 1862, a diminutive affair, built of wood. In 1870 he commenced the erection of a concrete cellar 44x75, two stories high. Dr. Crane labored hard to get Cali- fornia wines introduced into the Eastern markets. He established a wine house in St. Louis, and carried it on till the last year or more.
Dr. D. K. Rule, in 1860, also purchased a tract of land on the Bale grant, about one mile southeast from St. Helena, and planted a small vineyard. His vineyard was planted on land cleared of the chemisal brush, and that was considered valueless. But he found that this soil was pre-eminently adapted to grapes. He has at different times sold off portions of his farm as first purchased, so that now he has but a comparatively small vineyard. A considerable portion of his vines are of the finest foreign varieties. He has no cellar and does not manufacture wine, but sells his grapes.
Mr. Charles Krug, whose vineyard lies about one and a half miles north of St. Helena, is a native of Mainz, on the Rhine. He came to America in 1851, and to California in 1852. In 1858 he entered into the wine business in Sonoma, and the same year was employed by Mr. Patchett, of Napa, to make wine. In 1861 he obtained a tract of land near St. Helena of Soo acres, and set out 15, 000 vines. He has continued increasing his vineyard till at present it covers 68 acres and has 60,000 vines, 40,000 of which are fine foreign varie- ties, among which are Johanisberg, Riesling, Franken Riesling, Rhenish Muscatel, Burger, Chasselas, Malaga, Muscat of Alexandria, Zinfindel, Black Malvoisie, Flame Tocay, Rose de Peru, etc. Mr. Krug's first wine cellar, still standing, is 14x20 feet, 23 feet in the ground and raised 53 feet above. covered first with straw, then with earth, and finished with a roofiing of redwood shakes.
The rapid growth of the vineyard and large increase of wine
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AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
necessitated building additional cellar room from year to year, until the past season, when the present large and substantial concrete was completed, which is capable of holding from 250,000 to 300,000 gallons. It is from outside to outside 90x104 ft., the middle or main building being two stories. The upper room, 44x100 fect clear of posts, will be the press room or general manufacturing room. Im- mediately under is a room +3x100 feet that will have all the modern apparatus for keeping an even temperature for fermenting wine. The west room, 21x100 feet, contains the distillery and stores for new wine, with office room at one end. The east room, 21×100 feet. will contain the old wine, except the very old, which will al- ways be found in the old cellar.
Mr. Krug takes great pride in brandy making, and employs an aged and very competent French distiller making cognac from clean wine that is only equalled, and not surpassed, by the best French brands of the same age.
Messrs. Pellet & Carver are more widely known as wine-makers than as grape-growers, yet their vineyard is among the best in that vicinity. It is situated adjoining those of Drs. Crane and Rule, and contains 38,000 vines, mostly foreign, of very much the same va- rieties as those of Mr. Krug. Their vines, like those of Dr. Rule, were planted on land cleared of a heavy growth of chemisal. Their cellar, one among the carliest built in that section, is 50x64 feet, partly under ground, two stories high. The wine from this cellar ranks among the best in the valley.
'The Giaque Brothers have a cellar two miles south of St. Helena. It is of concrete, 26x100 feet, two stories high. The grapes mostly used are purchased.
Mr. J. Backus, who purchased of Dr. Rule, has a small vineyard, but nearly all of select foreign varieties. In 1872 he completed a concrete cellar 30x80 feet, lined inside and out with wood. The temperature is remarkably uniform.
Gen. R. W. Heath, in 1872, purchased the fine ranch of Gen. E. D. Keyes, near the mouth of Sulphur Spring cañon, one and a half miles southwest of St. Helena, on which is a vineyard of near 40,000 vines, nearly all foreign varieties; also a stone cellar three stories high and most conveniently arranged. The cellar was erected
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NAPA COUNTY AS IT WAS AND IS.
by Gen. Keyes, and is so situated at the base of a hill that wagons can be unloaded into any one of the stories.
About three miles north of St. Helena is the farm of Rev. T. B. Lyman, formerly owned by Mr. Kellogg. There are about 800 acres in the farm. There are near 25,000 vines, mostly Mission. A con- crete cellar 30x100 feet, two stories high, was erected in 1871.
H. W. Crabb, near Oakville, though not a wine maker, is ex- tensively engaged in raising grapes. His farm, consisting of 240 acres, is a model for neatness and business thrift. He has forty orange trees grafted from the grandiflora, all of which grow well and are beginning to bear. He likewise has a number of Italian chest- nuts which are growing well. He also has seventy acres planted in vines, the greater portion bearing.
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