Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-11-23
CALIFORNIA.
Description OF the Country...MOuntain
Ranges and VRIleys-.-PrOduets OF che
soil..-StocIs and Cattle IInising, DC.

eucc Knoxville Chroniclc.l

After some unavoidable delay, permit me
to resume the subject of my former letter.
The county of Los Angeles is as diversi-
fed i'm scenery, soil and climate as any
county in California. Fragmcntary p0r-
tons ofthe"Coast Range" ofmountains in
tersect it in a uorthwestcrly and southcas-
terly direction leaving room for broad
valleys to extend back fifty or sixty miles
from the coast. The "Sierra Madra noun
tains' extend from near the coast, north
Of Los Angeles, in an eastorly direction
seventy or eighty miles, terminating in
" Mount san Bernardino,' the highest
point of the range, which is said To be
eleven thousand feet high, and is made the
initial point Of the Public Land Surveys in
the Southern part of the State. The other
portions of the county consist of broad
plains and slopes, rolling lands, withirreg-
ular ranges OF low hills Near the coast
and in the valleys of rivers the water is so
D. ar the surface that large tracts Of land
Iuirc uo irrigation. Thousands of acres
O.. grass lands are green through the year,
allurdiHg pasturage for large herds Of
horses, cattle and sheep. other large
tracts, too dry for grass in the dry season,
are admirably adapted 10 grain and fruit,
and 10y ice" pioughing and thorough Cul-
ture, NIthuu. irrigation, are made wonder
fully uIoductiN.. The dryoSt lands. when
irrigated, will produce abundantly either
grain, fruit or vegetables. The soil is -cn-
orally rich, but varied, az in other parts of
the state. Alluyial bottom lands, loan,
adobe and sandy soils, are found in most
parts of the country. The settled portions
u san Bernardino county is similar in all
respects to Los Angeles. But soil is not
the only thing to be taken into account.
Location and climate control the product,
in many cases, even more than the soil.
Near the coast, where fogs and stro4g
.l,il vvvf, a., al.
and grapes and oranges are blighted Yet
IL some locations on the coast where they
ar sheltered from the winds, fruits sue
ceod well, though the quality is not so good
~ though raised farther back The low
moist lands are best for corn, vegetables
and grass. This is the best county i'm the
state for corn which yields from eighty to
one hundred and twenty bushels to the
acre. 1t L. quite common to raise a crop
Of barley and % crop Of corn from the same
land in one year. The barley r. Sown i'm
December or January, and harvested in
May or June, when the corn is planted,
and harvested in October or November.
The winter is ~ mild that some yegeta-
Dles and plants which are annuos mt the
East, grow on year after year in this eli
mate, un il they reach an enormous size.
A beet Of several years growth, was ex-
hibited in Los Angeles last summer that
w a. ottiN W NNiEil bHt lluuuItl DOliitl-
and have seen the castor oil bean grown
INTO tree whose trunk was six inches in
diameter. But in the soil comparatively lit
lie has yet been done. Stock-raisinE has
been the chief business of the county since |
Is first settlement, and is 80 still. Larre
.anches are still covered with immense
herds of horses, 0attle and sheep, which |
are looked after by Mexican herdsmen. |
ct n few have of late turned their atten-
In N
enough 10 demonstrate the Immense caDac-
10y of these lands for such productions
Grapes have received more attention
han otherfruits, and yet but little care or |
skill has been exhibited in their culture.
The common wine grape, known as the |
Mission Grape" (because first introduced |
ny the Missionaries, has been cultivated |
almost exclusively. Quite recently, how !
ever, some attention is given to other Vari- |
1tie~, and soon there will be an abundant
1upPly Of each. The production of raiains !
i found Ia be much more profitable than |
hat OF wine, and this branch of industry |
promises la be IN important one in this |
part of the state. One acre will ordinarily !
yield 1900 pounds of grapes and these |
viii yield 5000 pounds of raisins At 70 |
5ents per pound, these will amount 10 six |
hundred dollars. After deducting one |
.hird for cost of labor (Which would pro-
Dably be four times the real cost we haze |
a net profit of 800 per acre. silk culture |
Il said To yield about the same per acre as /
'aisins, while oranges, lemons, LINES, figs, |
almonds, olives, English walnuts and Ital- |
ian chcstnuts are said to yield an annual |
income Of from six hundred To one thou |
'and dollars per acre. And il should be !
borne i'll mind that each of these branches |
IF industry requires but about trO months !
II labor in the year. Here we have most |
delightful climate, one of the healthiest in |
he world, and one where very little la |
Dor brings a rich reward. The culture of |
'OttOn in the South is thought to be profit |
able, though il requires constant labor |
through the entire year yet il is safe 70 |
;ay that twice a. much can toe accomplish |
sd on one acre in silk culture, with two |
months labor, as can be accomplished in !
,otton culture with twelve months labor. !
The length Of time required 10 make |
-hese various industries productive, nc near
~ can ascertain, j. about as follows
six culture two years from the planting |
II the cuttings OF mulberry grapes, three; |
lines, three Year, from the planting of |
year old trees lemons, seven oranges, |
seVen walnuts, seven almOnas seven; !
olives, seven; tigs four years from the cut |
.ings or two years from planting Of trees. |
All kinds of agricultural products can be |
-sised while these fruits are maturing, |
stock-raising or woOl-growing can be |
;heaply carried on, az stock require no |
shelter on fodder in winter.
I'm selecting location for our cOlOEy we
We must have good soil and good climate.
d lF.f. lion