The

Of

grape-vines in the county is somewhat less than a few years ago, owing to the fact that there has not been a good market for such produce, and the owners of vineyards allowed them to go to waste. assessor reported 4,000 acres in grapes, which, at a moderate estimate, gives about 350,000 vines. late, however, grape culture is becoming more popular, and probably within the next two years the number of vines will have doubled. Other kinds of fruit have held their own in the past ten years, and some have greatly increased. At present the acres of land enclosed are 371,000, and the number under cultivation, 220,000, showing that agriculture is constantly on the increase.

The raising of stock has, from the first, been an important industry in Butte county. . For many years the rich lands of the Sacramento valley were used only for grazing purposes, and on several of the early grants vast herds of cattle and horses were kept. It is impossible to obtain accurate data as to the number of domestic animals in the county prior to 1855. At that time there were 1,991 horses and mules; 13,326 head of cattle; 3,636 head of sheep, and 7,550 hogs. In two years, 1857, the number of horses had increased to 3,029, the cattle to 19,236, and the sheep to 11,188, while the swinish population had gone down to 6,097. The succeeding ten years saw a large increase in horses, there being 6,466 of them. The cattle business had greatly deteriorated, the lowing herds numbering but 8,794. On the other hand, the raising of sheep and the production of wool had nearly sextupled, there being no less than 64,000 head of sheep in 1867. The number of hogs was 14,500. In 1880, there were 6,269 horses, 11,024 cattle, 50,412 sheep, and 9,120 swine. Last year the value of horses and mules was $433,640, at the assessment rate; of cattle, $187,350; and of sheep, $151,575.

The Butte County Agricultural Association was organized in 1867, and the first fair was given at Chico in October of that year. The officers of the association were as follows: John Bidwell, president; Dr. W. P. Tilden, J. H. Guill and R. M. Cochran, vice-presidents; J. C. Martin and J. C. Noonan, secretaries; George F. Jones, Treasurer; J. C. Mandeville, J. N. Montgomery, Harmen Bay, S. K. Thomas, W. W. Davis, J. Hickok and Charles Ball, board of directors. The ground was the threecornered piece near the railroad, formerly known as the park. The initial attempt of the society proved very successful. The exhibit of stock and agricultural products was very large, being a fair representation of the resources of the county. The Butte County Jockey Club attended to the races, giving one the first day and two on each of the succeeding four days. The best trotting time was made by Walkataw, who covered a mile in 2:44. A very large attendance was there during the entire fair, and it passed off both pleasantly and profitably. In October of the following year, another fair was given by the association, which proved equally successful. In 1869, the Upper Sacramento Agricultural Society held a fair at Chico. Since that time, fairs have occurred at Chico nearly every year. By an Act of the legislature, approved April 15, 1880, the state was divided into eleven agricultural districts. The third district comprises the counties of Sutter, Yuba, Butte, Colusa, Tehama, Yolo and Sacramento. The first two fairs of this district have occurred at Chico. The officers in 1880 were A. B. Collins, president; W. S. Eliot, secretary; Charles Faulkner, treasurer-all of Chico. Dr. C. C. Mason is now president, W. J. Blackwell, secretary, and Charles Faulkner, treasurer. The members of the board from Butte county are A. B. Collins, C. C. Mason, O. L. Clark and J. W. B. Montgomery. The receipts at the fair of 1880 were $3,801, and the expenditures, $3,736.94, of which $934 were paid in premiums. The cost of the fair grounds owned by the district was in the neighborhood of $10,000. At the fair of 1881, the general expenses were $3,362.81; amount paid in purses, $3,485; paid in premiums, $1,308; making a total of $8,155.81.

RANCHO DEL ARROYO CHICO.

This magnificent ranch, the finest in Butte, and one of the most highly developed in the state, we allude to at some length, because of its wide celebrity and the perfect system under which it is conducted. The ranch consists of more than twenty-two thousand acres. The first house erected thereon was by General Bidwell, the present owner, in 1849. This was burned in 1852, at which time the old adobe was built which stood for many years. For a long time the land was used exclusively for stock-raising, where a thousand head of horses and three or four thousand head of cattle was kept both winter and summer. In time the land became too valuable for pasture and then several thousand acres were yearly sown to wheat and barley. An average of forty bushels to the acre was not uncommon in the rich black land. After the ground had been sown to grain six or eight years, the yield began to decrease. From forty it went down to twenty. Alfalfa was then sown, but not profitably. Other crops were tried and they in turn failed to bring satisfactory returns; then Mr. Bidwell determined to diversify his farming and work the huge estate as small farms are worked at the east. As a result he has had for some years the most productive ranch in the state. Early in the spring of 1852, Mr. Bidwell set out the first fruittrees on the ranch. This was the inception of the splendid orchards which now spread over an immense area, yielding enormous quantities of fruit. The elegant mansion was commenced in 1865 and finished in 1868, costing $60,000. More than fifty-five buildings are on the ranch, including ten barns and many houses for residences. The observatory and water-tower is one hundred feet high, containing a large water-tank, from which pipes lead to the mansion and other buildings. On the ranch is one of the finest fruit-drying establishments in the state, built in 1877. The building is two stories high and 40x80 feet in extent. In the basement is a steam engine to furnish the needed motive power and heat for evaporating fruit. The evaporator is a box-shaped apartment sixty feet in length and six feet high. In the second story the dried fruit is boxed and made ready for shipment. During the year 1881 nine thousand acres of land were under cultivation, five thousand of which were in grain. Thirty-five hundred acres were sown to wheat and fifteen hundred to barley. There are twelve hundred acres in the orchard and vineyard, which contain 60,000 grape-vines, 2,000 apple-trees, 6,000 peach-trees, 2,500 plum-trees, and 1,000 pear trees, together with a great number of other varieties of fruit. The almond orchard is very large and produces many kinds of nuts. The product of the vineyard and orchard last year was peaches, 980,000 pounds; plums, 359,000; grapes, 269,000; apples, 154,000; pears, 50,000; cherries, 43,000; black berries, 40,000; apricots, 20,000; almonds, 57,000; California walnuts, 10,000; English walnuts, 500; strawberries, 700; gallons of vinegar, 4,000. Many beautiful avenues and drives are laid out and improved through the grounds. Great attention is paid to the cultivation of flowers, and thousands of rare and beautiful plants may be found growing in abundance. General Bidwell is very hospitable, and throws his grounds open to the public. About a mile from the mansion is the rancheria, where nearly a hundred Indians reside. They are employed in doing work around the estate and receive weekly salaries. Thirty of these are able-bodied men, some of whom have been with General Bidwell since very early days. To do the work of the ranch one hundred and eighty-six head of horses and mules are required. Every department is brought under a most rigid system of surveillance, monthly reports being required from the superintendents of different portions. The result is an admirable and economical management of all its affairs.