HISTORY OF YUBA COUNTY CALIFORNIA
by Thompson & West, 1879, with illustrations
Chapter XLVII - Agriculture
Agriculture in Yuba county has undergone wonderful changes in the last quarter of a century. Before the hydraulic method of mining came into favor, the banks of the rivers and streams were entirely occupied by farms. The lowlands, and bottom lands along the streams and extending back from one-half to a whole mile, and up the stream to the lower hills were composed of a deep alluvial soil. It was of the richest quality, and all kinds of vegetables, grasses and grains grew in abundance and to enormous proportions. On the Yuba bottom in 1852 or 1853, a root of alfalfa was taken out which measured twenty feet in length. But now this vast agricultural field has succumbed to the effects of another industry, mining. Those who were persistent enough to follow farming have changed their locations to the higher lands, where the red soil, if not so rich, still yields bountiful harvests. Some quarter sections are nearly all adobe lands which have within a few years been proven to be valuable wheat land. On the red lands it seems that the most approved method of cultivating is by summer fallowing.
The effects of the mining debris first began to be seriously felt about 1860, and two years latter <sic> agriculture attained its maximum extent. The flood of 1862 left a sediment on Bear river about two feet thick, and created great alarm. The early effort of A.W. Von Schmidt in constructing a levee on Bear river, which at first appeared to be a foolish act, has proved the protection which saved Wheatland and the adjoining land. The early population of the county consisted of people from all parts of the world, all coming with no intention of remaining. Their only object was to secure a fortune and then return to their homes and native lands, hence they chose the seemingly quickest way of securing wealth. The agricultural productions were exceedingly limited in amount and variety. Flour was brought from Chili <sic>, Australia, or from the celebrated Gallego & Haxhall Mills of Virginia; barley and oats also came from Chili, vegetables were brought from the Sandwich Islands. After the first rush of the mines, some found that they could not endure the hardships and exciting vicissitudes of a miner's life, so these naturally dropped into the agricultural class. In this county lands were taken up all along the Yuba, Feather, Bear and Honcut, by pre-emption, squatter's title and under grants. These individual efforts in the field gradually crystallized into an united effort to stop foreign importation of grains. Flouring mills were built in different parts of the country, and soon the lands of the State were able to produce sufficient to supply the needs and demands of the consumers. Having now accomplished this, the farmers and grain dealers could see nothing further ahead and agricultural progress was at a stand still. The idea of exporting did not enter their minds for they thought it to be futile. The wheat would not stand the journey East or to Liverpool, twice through the tropics and around Cape Horn. The extremes of heat and cold would cause "sweating" and destruction. No attempt was made till about 1861, when some astute (not hazardous as most argued) gentleman sent a cargo to Liverpool, taking the chances of losing, but determined to try the experiment. The cargo arrived safely and in excellent condition: a second was sent, and that arrived in the best of order. This established the fact that wheat could be shipped from our State, and an immediate impetus was given to grain exportation and necessarily its production. The astonished people needed some reason for the satisfactory results attained in these first exportations; investigation and thought gave it. In the grain-producing valleys of the State, from April to October, there is hardly any rain and the heat is intense. From April to June the kernel is standing in the ear, ripening and drying. When cut and threshed, it is placed where the sun or hot dry air has free access, and all extra moisture is removed. Nature thus accomplishes what had to be done by artificial means with Eastern grain. There in the celebrated Gallego & Haxhall Mills, the wheat was placed in large drying rooms and the moisture was removed by air heated to an even temperature. Then agriculture became the object of the feverish desires of the population, as mining did in former days; all the State went into farming as fast as land could be located and titles cleared.
The first crop raised in Yuba county was a field of wheat put in by Cordua in 1845, between Marysville and Yuba City. This was only a small crop. The same year Sicard raised wheat on his ranch on the south bank of Bear river. Gutteirez, Johnson, Kyser and Smith were simply herding cattle on the plains, also Roder. This was the state of agriculture in 1846. Sicard had a field of wheat of about fifteen acres, which yielded him an average of sixty bushels to the acre. Johnson and Kyser also had a small field of wheat, as did also Cordua. John Smith and Dutch Charlie had no grain. Grain was raised by Nicolaus, in Sutter county, but none was raised at Hock Farm. The method of cultivation at that time was exceedingly primitive, no agricultural implements having been brought by the foreign emigrants or by American settlers, they were obliged to use the character of tools, and resort to the same practices that obtained among the native Californians. The enterprising farmer who desired to raise a field of wheat, had first to manufacture a plow. He went into the forest and examined the trees carefully, and when one was found that had the proper shaped limbs it was cut down, its branches hewn off, the limbs trimmed to the proper length and size, a triangular piece of iron about eight inches broad at the base was fastened to the lower branch with the apex of the triangle downward. The other branch was used as a pole for the animals, and the main stem served as a handle. To this were hitched two oxen, attached to the plow by a rope fastened around their horns, no yoke being used; an Indian boy walked ahead of the oxen who were trained to follow him, and a man came behind to guide the plow. The furrow cut was eight inches wide and quite shallow; the dirt was not turned over but when the plow passed fell back into its old place, being merely loosened by the operation. After the field had been prepared in this manner, the grain was scattered by hand and a brush was drawn over the field to harrow the seed and cover it. When the grain was ripe, then the services of the Indians were called into requisition to assist in the harvest. They were provided with sickles and butcher-knives with which they cut the yellow stalks. A large force of these assisstants <sic> were employed; Captain Sutter had over two hundred and fifty in his large field near Sacramento, diligently wielding the sickle and butcher knife, in 1847. The grain was then bound and carried to the place where the threshing was done. It was there laid in a ring, and horses and cattle driven over it to shell out the wheat from the head. The straw was then removed and the grain thrown up into the air that the wind might carry away the chaff and leave the grain free. Home-made wooden forks and shovels were used for handling the grain and straw. These methods were gradually superseded by the implements brought by the American Pioneers, who came here to settle, and came prepared. The first innovation was made by some American plows, brought in 1846 by Mr. Chana and others of his party. The last thing to change was the manner of threshing, the first machine for that purpose making its appearance in 1852. The grain, besides the little needed for home consumption, was sold to John A. Sutter, who had a contract to supply the Russian Colony in Alaska. To convey this supply the Russians sent a vessel from Sitka to Sacramento, where it received Sutter's large crop. Launches were sent up the river as far as Nicolaus, to which point the grain was raised in this vicinity was carried for shipping. Sutter had been supplying the Russians with wheat for several years. In 1847, Rouelle, who settled near Sutter's Orchard, opposite Marysville, on the south bank of the Yuba river, raised some vegetables. Among other things there were some huge watermelons. Most of the settlers raised crops of wheat this year. The plowing for the crops of 1847 was done chiefly with American plows that the emigrants of 1846 had brought with them. These emigrants had also brought grain cradles and a large portion of the wheat was cut with these. Sutter had several white men in his large field reaping with cradles at the same time that the two hundred and fifty Indians were at work with sickles and butcher-knives. Johnson and Sicard used sickles. The Russians came for the wheat this year also, but it was the last they could get. Smith had been raising crops for some time past, but Nye put in his first crop in the winter of 1847-8. He raised peas, barley, wheat, water melons, musk melons, corn and lentils. The barley was prepared and used in the place of coffee. The wheat was ground into flour by means of small hand mills. Most of the settlers had put in crops of grain in 1848, but crops, stock, orchards, etc., were all abandoned, and every one went to the mines. Sicard was the only man in this locality near Bear river who harvested his wheat. In 1849, Mr. Covillaud, on his ranch on the Yuba river, was just outside of town on the old road leading to Simpson's Bridge or Crossing, had about one hundred and sixty acres under cultivation. On the Quintay Ranch, on the river, owned by J.M. Ramirez, one hundred acres were under cultivation. On land, opposite to this, Mr. Sampson had about the same amount under cultivation. The principal products were vegetables and hay. In 1850 Chana raised a small crop of Russian barley on his place. In May of this year, I.E. Brown cut about fifteen or twenty tons of grass hay, on the bank of the Yuba river, near Marysville, and stacked it. He went to Sacramento about the first of the month, and there paid seventy-five dollars for scythes. Men were paid from twelve to sixteen dollars per day for cutting the hay. This was used to fee Mr. Brown's ox teams, which heretofore had subsisted mainly on hard tack, which was obtainable in large quantities, and was the only substitute for the ordinary food of animals. It was dangerous to allow oxen to roam without being yoked together, as in the wild region they could easily escape, and even if not stolen, the recovery would be difficult. Mr. Brown and his partner, J. Johnston, had erected in January a blacksmith shop in Marysville, one of the first there, and it was at this shop that he afterwards disposed of a large portion of his hay, selling it by "feeds" to persons who tied their horses near, receiving a high price. In the last of October or first of November, when about to depart for the East, Mr. Brown sold the remainder of the hay in bulk to O.H. Pierson. When he returned in March, 1851, it was being retailed at fifteen cents per pound. Hay was cut by Trimble, Prescott & Toby and Baxter & States, in 1850. In July, 1851, there were at Hock Farm about two hundred acres being cultivated under the direction of Captain Sutter. There was a large crop of hay this year. It was hauled to the mountains, the wagons returning with timber to build up and improve the ranches. The hay was mostly wild timothy and red clover. It grew naturally and in great abundance. One to two and on-half tons of an excellent quality were cut on each acre. This was cut in May and June. Whitcomb & Peake, brokers in San Francisco, estimated the consumption of barley and oats in the State for the year 1851 at four hundred and forty thousand sacks of one hundred pounds each, or equal to forty-four million pounds. This grain cost the consumer on an average fully seven cents per pound, amounting to three million and eighty thousand dollars. The produce of barley per acre varied from forty to one hundred bushels of fifty pounds weight. In 1852, a field of barley was raised by J.L. Burtis on Mr. Chana's place, and the same year Covillaud had a small field of corn on his place, next to the Quintay Ranch. The same year another crop, about two hundred or three hundred acres of barley was raised on "the big field" by Colonel Lewis. A large portion was sold to the California Stage Company for three and one-half cents per pound. In 1853 wheat and barley were raised by most of the settlers. John J. Lynn raised six hundred or seven hundred acres of barley on "the big field." In 1854 squatters cut the volunteer crop of grain on the field, no seed having been sown. In 1854, while cutting Chili <sic> barley on his place in Sutter county, J.S. Anderson discovered a head of wheat which he plucked. He planted the seed in his garden successively for three years. But no care was taken and little was raised. When Mr. Proper bought the place he obtained this wheat and cultivated it for three years before he put it on the market, having at one time about two thousand bushels. This is the origin of the celebrated Proper wheat. In 1857 Mr. Chana ran a ditch from Bear river and built a mill on it. He also had a threshing machine which was run by the mill wheel. In the overflow of 1861-2, the ditch and wheel were filled and choked up with sediment and were never again used. Hop raising on a small scale was carried on in Yuba county in 1859. In 1862 one man raised twenty-four thousand pounds.
The first threshing machine on Bear river was used to cut the crop raised by J.L. Burtis on Claude Chana's place in 1852. It was a one horse power, endless chain machine, and belonged to John Hereford who lived a few miles below Sheridan. Machines for cutting grain were not used until 1854, in which year several of the farmers procured them. The first header was used in 1856 on Charles Justis' farm below Claude Chana's, and on Riley's place on Dry creek. It belonged to Donnigan who lived in Colusa county. In the spring of 1853, John J. Lynn bought fifty-three pounds of wheat in Marysville, and after his little daughter had fed five or six pounds to her chickens, he planted the balance in an old cattle corral and reaped one hundred and eight bushels. Of late years, owing to the deposit of the mining debris and decline of agriculture in this county, Sutter county has been the main reliance for the supply of grain. Mr. Chana who remained with Theodore Sicard for a short time after his arrival relates the following story of the planting of the first orchard in this vicinity. Before he left St. Joseph his friends gave him a farewell dinner, and on the table were some almond nuts. He took a quantity of these and stowed them away in his trunk, thinking he would eat them on his journey. After his arrival at Sicard's he discovered them in the bottom of his chest, and took them out, inviting Sicard to help him eat them. When they had eaten a quantity a bright thought struck Sicard, and he exclaimed, "Let us plant some of these." So they planted the balance of them, about a dozen nuts. The trees that sprang from these began to bear in 1854, and took the premium at the first State fair in 1858. The same year, 1846, a family of emigrants from Iowa stopped for a short time at Sicard's. They had with them some peach stones which they gave to the children to play with. These were scattered by them about the yard, and Sicard and Chana gathered them up and planted them also. The trees from these stones began to bear in 1855, and Chana sold the fruit in Grass Valley at the rate of three for one dollar for the best ones and seventy-five cents per pound for the balance. In the spring of 1848, plums, pears, grapes, etc., were brought from San Jose, and a fine orchard started which was nearly ruined in 1849 and 50 by the cattle, while the owners were away gold hunting. But after that with great care they were saved, and an exceeedingly fine orchard was the result. The first orchard in Yuba county was one set out by men in the employ of John A. Sutter. These men were some who had come with Chana, and Sutter employed them to plant an orchard just south of Yuba river, where the C.P.R.R. crosses, near the cabin which he had constructed the year before. The trees for this orchard were obtained at San Jose. This orchard was also abandoned in 1848, during the gold fever, and was ruined. It is now entirely covered with sediment from the mines, and willows are growing on the site. In the winter of 1849-50, George Briggs settled on Parks Bar and Foster Bar road, about four miles from Marysville, and commenced planting water-melons, from which the place derived the name of "Water-melon Ranch." With the money made he set out fruit trees, and this finally became the most noted orchard in the State. After the inception of this orchard, Messrs. Covillaud, Buchanan and others planted orchards and commenced the culture of fruit.
In the summer of 1851, a melon patch of five acres at Long Bar belonging to John Squires and Kewn Carroll, which had realized ten thousand dollars, was sold for one thousand five hundred dollars. October, 1851, Ireland & Company's ranch, two miles from town, on the Feather river road, was producing some nice specimens of vegetable products, among which were a fine "Yankee" pumpkin, a squash measuring four and one-quarter feet in circumference, and fine potatoes. J.L. Burtis planted an orchard of peaches, apples, pears, plums, figs, grapes, etc., near Johnson's crossing in 1852. The trees cost two thousand, five hundred dollars, but the orchard never amounted to much and has been completely destroyed. The flood of 1861-2 nearly ruined Mr. Chana's beautiful orchard and vineyard, and it has been destroyed since, so that he has abandoned the place altogether and now lives in Wheatland. The flood also destroyed the orchard at Johnson's crossing and a few trunks of old trees can still be seen there. A.W. Von Schmidt planted an orchard and vineyard near Wheatland in 1855 which is still there.
Messrs. Ramirez & Covillaud made wine in small quantities as early as 1855. Mr. Chana made wine at his place in 1856 and has since made a large quantity of that article. He came to Wheatland in 1875, where he built a winery. He has made there annually about three thousand gallons. Eli Hocker made wine from about 1871 to 1874, also Dr. Tifft who now lives in Smartsville. Grass Bros., Marysville, L.B. Clark, Virginia Ranch, and a number of others are making large quantities of wine.
Stock-raising has been and is now one of the principal industries of the county. The lands in the eastern portion of the county are too rough and rugged for agricultural pursuits. Vast bands of sheep are fed on these hills, and herds of horses and cattle live and multiply in the ranches of the little valleys. There is a limit to the height of the land upon which animals can be successfully raised. The cold winter necessities a removal of the bands and herds to the warmer regions of the valley. The cattle which were raised in such abundance before the year 1849, were used for plowing and were killed for beef. It was only in parts south and nearer Yerba Buena, or San Francisco, that the hides and tallow were utilized. Mr. Mooney tells a bear story that illustrates the dangers that sometimes attended the vaqueros when herding cattle. George Kinloch and a brother of John Rose started out one morning fully equipped as vaqueros. Kinloch was experienced in the business and could handle a lassoo <sic> well, but Rose had just come, was fresh from the sea, and was entirely ignorant of the methods of the vaqueros or of the experiences they sometimes had. While on the plains near Honcut they came suddenly upon a grizzly bear, and Kinloch immediately threw his lasso over his head and choked him. The bear caught the rope in his paws and pulled on it until he got the strain loosened from his neck, and began to pull himself up towards Kinloch. After he had pulled himself up a ways, Kinloch suddenly slackened the line and Mr. bear fell back to the ground. Then Kinloch tightened the noose about his neck again. This game was repeated several times, until he walked the bear up to the bank of a slough and then gave him a tumble over the edge in the same way. Meanwhile Rose sat on his horse, unable to do anything. This was his first experience with a bear. The animal began to pull himself up the bank by the rope and Kinloch told Rose to go down the bank and cut his throat, while he held the rope tight so that the bear could do nothing. Rose entered his demurrer to this, as he did not want to trust himself within bruin's reach. Kinloch, who saw that this was the only way of escape, drew his revolver and told Rose that if he did not do it he would shoot him. Rose, who thought that the possibility of a bear's claws was better than the certainty of a bullet, crawled tremblingly down the bank, and succeeded in cutting the bear's throat.
This adventure disgusted Rose with the life of a vaquero, and he soon left to resume his life on the sea, where a man could be safe.
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