ngenial society, and I firmly believe will,
before many years have passed, become an important centre, because my
clients have brought water from the Merced River more than twenty miles
off, by a system of canals, and have formed a reservoir of 640 acres in
extent, with an average depth of 30 feet, and thus have given facilities
for irrigating the country round the town. It is certain to become a
great Fruit-growing district, as its soil is so fully adapted for the
purpose. It is much nearer to San Francisco than Los Angeles, and is
nearer also than Fresno and other districts which have already made
themselves a name for Fruit culture.

The country around Merced has a natural fall, and is drained by many
creeks, which are dry in summer, but contain more or less water in
winter.

THE LANDS FOR SALE.

Merced is situated in the celebrated San Joaquin Valley (pronounced San
Wharkeen), which is an immense level of fertile land, the soil generally
being of a rich sandy loam, but in some districts, such as that I am now
offering for sale, of a deep rich black loam of a highly productive
nature, in fact, it is the decomposed vegetation and alluvial deposits
of past ages, than which nothing could be more fertile. We have good
evidence that the land is especially suited for the production of
prunes, apricots, pears, peaches, olives, plums, small Fruit, such as
strawberries, blackberries, sweet and common potatoes, garden stuff, and
alfalfa. Alfalfa (or lucerne) is a great crop in America in places where
there are no old meadow lands for the cows. The land is, of course,
suited for all cereal crops, too. All the Fruits named can be dried in
the sun without artificial heat.

The lands are about 160 to 165 feet above the level of the sea, and, in
common with all the country round, they command a view on the one side
of the grand snow-capped Sierra Nevada Mountains, and on the other of
the mountains known as the Coast Range. Immense flocks of wild geese and
ducks (principally geese), are often on the land. There are also
"rabbits" on the land (so called), but they more resemble hares in their
size and habits and run.

There are some excellent Fruit orchards and gardens at Merced. In the
grounds around the Court House are some very fine orange trees, full of
fruit, and also in the gardens of private residents. One gentleman
kindly sent a bough of oranges, and other gentlemen sent other Fruits,
which may be seen at our offices.