Los Angeles daily herald., 1873-11-23

miles Of land; but as the coast of Santa
Barbara trends due east and west, the
sea breeze blows along, and not on the
shore. Santa Barbara enjoys delight
full climate, and has become place of
resort for invalids, being admirably
adapted to those cases that require
sedative, rather than stimulating
climate.
The valley is principally composed
Ofmesa lands of medium fertility, being
generally better adapted to the culti-
Vation OF vines and trees than to grain
raising. However, on the La Patera
rancho, ten miles west of Santa Bar
bara, there is valley containing sew
eral thousand acres of naturally moist
fertile valley land adapted to farming
purposes, and about ten miles east, at
the Carpenteria, is also found SIM
iliar valley of small extent. Vines,
olives and almonds flourish admirably
at Santa Barbara, not requiring irri-
CATION, for which there are no facil-
tiles.
Ventura County.
San Buenaventura, the county seat
of the new county of Ventura, is To-
Gated thirty miles southeast Of Santa
Barbara. The coast here having re-
sumed its ordinary southeast trend,
the sea breeze bio ws on shore, and the
same cool and bracing climate is
found that prevails north Of Point
Conception. There are two valleys
of fine land in this county, that of San
Buenaventura river, which is of mod
crate extent, and also the noted Santa
Clara valley, which contains large
body of land naturally moist, and
soil similar to that of the great valley
of Los Angeles county. Owing to the
fact that the climate is too cold, this
valley is unsuited for semi-trOpical
productions, but is admirably adapted
to general farming. The Santa Clara
river furnishes water for irrigation,
which is also obtained from overflow
ing artesian wells, some of which
yield abundantly. At the head of the
Santa Clara valley the sea breeze hav-
ing become tempered, the culture of
semi-tropical plants is successful.
Dos Angeles County.
Between this valley and the valleys
of Los Angeles county, a broad and
lofty range of mountains intervene,
extending to the coast, and the stage
road, to avoid these mountains, con-
tinues up the Santa Clara valley,
and thence into the Simi valley,
which is of large extent, but not pos
sessing sufficient water for irrigation,
is used for pasturage. Crossing
steep and rocky ridge you enter San
Fernando valley, ten by eighteen
miles in extent. Shut in by hills it is
protected from the sea fOgs, and is one
of the few places in the southern part
of the State where wheat can be sue
cessfully cultivated. The soil Of most
of this valley is very fertile and, in
parts of it, springs furnish an album
dance of water for irrigation. AS the
Los Angeles river rises and derives all
of its water from this valley, it is
natural presumption that a large por-
tion Of it can be irrigated by artesian
wells; matter of great Importance, as
an abundant supply of water for irri-
CATION is an essential in the culture of
semi-trOpical fruits. All those parts
of San Fernando valley in which
water can be obtained for irrigation,
will be found as well adapted for that
purpose, as any lands in Los Angeles
county. Following down the Los An
geles river, by the route of the S. p. r.
II. from San Fernando Pass (all rail-
roads must pass through San Fernan-
do Valley, we come to the city of Los
Angeles, famous for its orange groves.
Proceeding east we pass through San
Gabriel Mission, equally famous for its
orange groves and vines. and beyond
is the well known valley of Ell Monte,
soh fn1 In, hn hn1 ~
the San Gabriel river, the water of
which, after leaving the mountains,
sinks in the sand, and after running
under the fertile valley of FL Monte,
bursts fourth again in large and nu-
merOus springs, which, uniting, form
two streams-the New and Old San
Gabriel, each pursuing its separate
course to the sea.
East of Ell Monte is the fertile valley
of San Jose creek, an atfiuent of the
San Gabriel, valley with charming
climate, abundance of water, and not
only we'll adapted to semi-tropicals,
but also the only valley of this county
where wheat growing is certain. A
range of low hills separates San Jose
valley from the great valley of South
ern California, which extends along
the sea coast southeast by northwest,
fifty miles in in length l by twenty TIVE MY, miles ,
ley Of this semi-trOpical county. More
than half of this valley is moist bot
tom land, requiring nothing but good
farming to produce good crops, with
out irrigation. BY means OF the
water of the rivers and the water from
artesian wells which are unfailing,
and can be made to flow in those parts
of the valley beyond the reach Of the
water of the rivers, almost the entire
valley can be irrigated; thus making
the fortunate inhabitants entirely in
dependent of rain.
The sea-breeze here has lost the
rough harshness of the northern coast,
and its soft and tempered freshness is
equally grateful to the robust lungs of
the healthy as to the more delicate
organs of the invalid. The different
portions Of this broad valley enjoy an
Infinite variety of climate. On the
sea coast is found the cool and even
temperature of San Diego; OH the mesa
land, near the hills, the air is dry and
warm, and in the interval between the
hills and the sea any desired shade of
climate can be found.
In this valley are located the towns
of Wilmington and Compton on the
L. A and S. P. r. r., west of the San
Gabriel river and in the western part
of the valley. In Los Nietos-the in
tervale of the New and Old San Gabriel
rivers, is the town of Gallatin, nestled
in perpetual verdure. while on the east
side of the Santa Ana, the largest river
of the south, are found the towns
Of Santa Ana. Tustin and Richland,