Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-02-11

able to see.
SUCCESS OF PAST EXPERIMEN rs.
Laying aside the discussion of the
question of the comparative CONNER
cial value of the wheat and cotton
growths of the country, let us inquire
Does the conditions exist for success.
full and cheap cotton-growing here in
California ~ So far, the culture Of
cotton, as crop and for the market
has been confined to few interior To-
calities far away from market, and
with not the best condition of cutiva-
ton existing in our State. Few per-
sons having knowledge of California
AID the requirements of the case, will
claim for the section Of country chosen
by those pioneers of cotton-growing-
the Strongs-any especial advantages
over any other portion of the State.
There are extensive regions of country
having every and all necessary adj
juncts for cotton-growing, where irri-
CATION will not be needed. Such there
is in what is now called the COLORADO
DESERT in the county of San Bernar-
dino. There is a region of country of
some fifty miles long by about twenty
broad, will be found probably
THE BEST COTTON FIELD IN AMERICA.
A region of country where man is al
most unknown, tropical temperature,
having sandy soil and abundant un-
foreground moisture that rises to near
the surface, this so-called "desert" re-
gion has unlimited capacity as a cotton
field. That this is a proved fact, the
writer of this article will say that here
he saw almost the best "bush" grown
by the Indians and growing uncared
for and without cultivation that he
has ever seen in travelled eX-
perience in the several continents
of the world, and, indeed, many of
the islands of the seas, during which
he has studied the cotton plant assid-
uously. Personally familiar with the
cultivation of the " Sea Island" or
long staple'' cotton as grown upon
the islands off the coast of our south
eastern Atlantic seaboard and upon
the South Sea islands, he was sur
prised to find it in this "desert,n
having many of the strange peculiar
tiles of that grown in the Fiji islands,
where unquestionably the Sea Island
cotton comes to its greatest perfection
and cheapest and largest production
per acre. Here, as there, the bush
was perennial--making wood and not
the usual hollow stalk-and had been
bearing continuously for seven years
And by way Of depression and as
bearing upon this question of cheap
and possibly profitable production
boro l., CoI;for,,;o ~ 49,, ln CO ~ Ill
the very best cotton fields that are
seen in Fiji (which doubtless has the
best in the world were upon the lee
ward side of the islands-that upon
which there was least rain--and grow
ing in almost pure sea sand and de-
composed shells. The climatic condi-
tons are
SIMILAR TO THOSE OF CALIFORNIA,
In having rainy season of some two
or three months duration and an en-
tire absence of rain the most of the
year.
To the advantage claimed for the
'tdesert" region may be repeated that
of its perennial growth. Any cotton
grower can well understand the advan-
tage of production of a crop that needs
no replanting and bears year after
year with little cultivation and trouble
from weeds. TO this may be added
limited first cost in the preparation of
ground. Little is needed, for it is
clear and almost devoid of timber.
The "Colorado bottom'' proper for
several hundred miles from the mouth
of the river, produces, with the crudest
cultivation, splendid cotton and sugar,
and will produce, upon trial, most OF
the tropical products. This is region
that will especially attract the South
ern planter. A rich alluvial soil, sub
ject in part to overflow, in many of its
features it resembles the lower Missis-
sippi country, having the advantage
for tropical production of a warmer
climate, and a greater range OF produc-
ton. The real extent and resource OF
this section of the Pacific coast is but
little understood or appreciated even
here in California. Cheap labor is to
be had here-as we'll as in their desert
amongst the Indians and MeXicans,
who work well. The coast country OF
Santa Barbara and Ventura counties
are, doubtless, splendidly adapted to
the successful cultivation of
THE SEA ISLAND COTTON
And without irrigation. That splen-
did section of country extending from
Point Conception on the west to Sar
Buenaventura on the east, about eigh'
ty miles long by from three to sever
broad, raises fine crops Of cereals and
semi-tropical productions without the
aid of irrigation. Justly called the
"Italy of America" because of Dit'
fine climate, it has the additional ad
vantage of soil that has no limit tc
it's fertility. Deep blowing seems t.
answer all the purposes of irrigation
Cotton here has been tried with mark
ed success. We have specified it!
probable success in the culture Of "Ses
Islandu cotton, because it has, too, the
essential of sea air. This product
which, with us, is almost hOt-hOus
plant in delicacy and sensibility, pro
duces q fibre worth in the markets Of
the world four times the price of the
ordinary or "kidney" variety. Sea
Island cotton has been raised in FIJI
that brought in the Liverpool marke,
81 12c. per pound, and that recently
when high prices were not ruling
There has been there a production o
800 pounds of lint cotton to the acre
At half this rate of production ant
price, the returns, acre for acre, woult
lead ten-fold that of any cereal.
HARDNESS OF THE COTTON PLANT
That our two great valleys, the Sac
ramento and San Joaquin, are wei
adapted to cotton of the short staple o
ordinary cotton of commerce is wei
proven. Here irrigation will act
part in its production. But it will b.
less necessary to cotton than to wheat