Los Angeles daily herald., 1873-10-23
THE RIGHT PLACE TO SETTLE.
Los Angeles County, California. Its
Resources. Commerce. HarbOr, Rail.
roads. and Sanitary Condition..

For the consideration of those who
contemplate changing their place of
residence to some locality more fa-
vored in climate and business, we of
fer the following information relative
to Los Angeles county, California.
The matter will be arranged under
four heads:
1st-Agriculture.
Manufacturing.
3d-Commerce, considered as to geo.
graphical position, railroad connec-
tion, and harbor facilities.
4th-Santary condition.
AGRICULTURE.
During the winter months the tenn
perature is from 500 at night to 60 du-
ring the day. A very light frost oc-
ours in few nights in the year, say
four to twelve nights. The frost is sell
dom hard enough to hurt corn. During
the day the warm temperature causes
rapid growth of grass and vegetation.
The orange is in bloom from January
to June. The rain usually commences
to fall in December, and continues in
quantities and at intervals best suited
to putting in crops, until in May. The
most rain falls in December, January
and February. From June to Decem-
Der there is practically no rain, but
the dry season is adapted to ripening
the grain and fruits. The result of
such climate is, that almost any
thing will grow and produce well.
Los ANGELES VALLEY
is crescent-shaped, the ocean forming
the concavity, and the mountains
forming the background. The length
of the crescent is some Is miles, and
its greatest width about 35 miles. Va
rious smaller fine valleys lie imme-
diately back of the main valley, and
connect with it. The exposure of this
valley is to the south and west, and to
the ocean. The ocean breeze tempers
the climate winter and summer. The
high ranges of mountains north and
these mountains come three rivers,
and innumerable springs and rivulets.
These flow into the valley, and, sink
ing beneath the surface, fill the Los
Angeles basin with water. This basin
is of blue clay, existing at depth of
20 to so feet below the surface. The
rim next the ocean is low enough to
allow the water to escape before flood
ing the valley. The water in this ba-
sin stands at II depth of three to 80 feet
below the surface. This underground
reservoir supplies the roots of trees and
vines with perpetual moisture; in fact,
so great is the tendency of the water
to soak through the soil to the surface,
that when the land is ploughed and
left free from weeds, it remains moist
to within one or two inches of the sur
face the whole of the dry summer and
fall. When this fact becomes more
generally known, irrigation will be
abandoned on all low lands, except for
very shortrOOted crops.
TWO HUNDRED ARTEsIAN WELLS
are now flowing in the valley. They
vary in depth from 40 feet to $50 feet;
most of them are about 100 feet or 12O
feet deep.
THE SOII.
consists of four grades. First-Low,
rich, black alluvial soil, containing
such proportion of sand as to best
fit the land for easy cultivation; water
being from 2 feet to Is feet from the
surface. OF this there are about $780,
600 acres, of which about 10000 are
under cultivation. The products and
yield per acre are: Corn, 90 to 100
bushels; barley, 40 to go bushels; rye,
same; alfalfa, six crops per year, OF
u to tons each crop. All kinds of
trees except semi-tropical, and prob
ably even these will do well. All kinds
of grain and tiberOus products, flax,
hemp or rame do well; yielding from
10 to l2O per cent. heavier crops than
in the western and eastern States.
Price per acre, Sl2 to $50. Second
Table land. consisting of clay and
gravel mixed with loam, of red or
red and yellow colOr-water II feet to
80 feet from the surface. Product, bar
ley and other small grain, vineyards,
semi-tropical trees, and in fact all
kinds OF vegetation. But this land
requires more or less irrigation during
the summer months; at least this is
the general experience of those who
have not tried deep and thorough cul-
tivation. Price, So to $40 per acre.
With water for irrigation, the price is
from $25 to 500 per acre. This land
is especially valuable for the cultiva-
n n N vNH
when in bearing condition the profit
is from $500 to 81 200 per acre.
BY the use of wind-mills and pumps
this land can be irrigated at cost of
about $40 per acre, and is then worth
$50 to 500 per acre.
The net profit for barley or hay is,
on an average, $40 per acre. In addi-
ton to this, the farmer has on the
same land the profit of his stock, pOul-
try, ETC., therefore we may say that
the judicious farmer, with his least
profitable crop clears, each year, $40
per acre, added to the profit from
stock, poultry, growth of trees, vines,
and increased value of his land. Losses
OF misfortune and bad management
are. OF course, excepted from this
statement.
There are over 100000 acres of firts
class land for sale yet in the county, at
from $l2 to $40 per acre, which will
pay, under cultivation, from 10 to Il
per cent. per year interest Or 500 per,
acre. Any person with $500 or
50, 700, can comfortably start farming.
One gentleman came here some II
years ago, with $4,000. Confining
himself to agriculture and its lepiti-