Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-06-03

The farm and orchard OF the South
ern California Semi-Tropical Fruit
Company is located about four miles
northeast of Anaheim, on the mesa
lands adjoining the ranch of w. M.
McFadden, ex-Superintendent of Pub
lie Instruction. Through this section
of the county is belt of land which
is pronounced by orchardists to be the
| finest land to be found in Southern
California, for the raising of semi
tropical fruits. Surface water is
reached at a depth of from fifty to one
hundred feet, according to location,
| and irrigation is essential to the rails
ing of fruit of any kind or any other
varieties of farm products; but while
irrigation is essential, the character
of the soil is such that with a rainfall
such as was received last winter, no
irrigation is needed, as is evidenced
by the heaviest crops of barley and
rye to be found in this section that
one will meet anywhere on the Pacific
Coast.
The Fruit Company above referred
!
Sonoma county, in July, 1872. The
getters up of this company have since
removed to this county, but major
| ity of the stock is still held in Son0ma
county, and the company's office is at
Healdsburg. In December, 1872, r.
A. Gilman was elected Superintend-
ent, and sent to this county to pur-
chase land. After examining all por-
tons of Los Angeles and San Bernar-
dino counties he purchased the tract
near Anaheim, where the company is
now at work. One year ago the COM
pany bought some eight thousand two
| and three year old
| ORANGE, LEMON, LIME AND ENGLISH
WALNUT TREES
OF Thos. A. Carey, and Immediately
proceeded to plant them out. But few
were set out last year, as the ground
must first be prepared. Nearly forty
acres are now set out to trees, and in
another year the entire tract of one
| hundred acres will be put out to or
chard. The stock of the company has
already advanced in price to an extent
| that has made the Investment good
one, and with a good irrigation ditch
| completed on this side of the river, one
year more will make the stock worth
| nearly or quite its par value, while its
| actual cost will be less than one-fourth
that amount. Mr.. Gilman makes an
| efficient Superintendent, and will
doubtless be kept there until large
| dividends from the sale Of fruit will
enable him to take life a little easier.
THE WESTMINSTER COLONY
Is one of the finest settlements in the
county. The character of the agricul-
tural productions here is very different
from those of the section just described.
The moist lands and artesian wells in
dictate here an entirely different state
of affairs. In the dry seasons the
people here reap their harvest. There
is less of small grain raised here, but
| more cOrn beans, etc, and now the
people are agitating the erection of
beet sugar works. The society of this
| colony is excellent, and the people be-
| lieve in schools, churches, Bolsa Chica
wharf, new Postoffice nearer home,
and everything else that is good. Mr..
Strong is one of their strongest men,
and w. B. Craig, q fine old Virginia
gentleman, would be very much
missed if he did not put in his appear
ance at sociable and Grange. w. f.
ment, and he is well of. He won't be
so poor when he gets married. J. f.
Marquis of Los Nietos has just re-
turned to this colony. Los Nietos has
lost a good man, and Westminster
has gained one.
THE SANTA ANA IS NOT BRIDGED YET,
And the abundance of water this
season makes fording little unpleas-
ant. Last Winter the Legislature
passed a bill authorizing the Board of
Supervisors to build a bridge across
this river but the people have not yet
decided where the bridge should be
built, and hence nothing is done.
Five years ago scarcely an American
family was to be found on the south
side of the Santa Ana river. Now,
within a radius of few miles may be
found three small towns and -four
ishing people.
Orange is but two years old and yet
it is composed of two stone buildings,
one of which is occupied, one school
house, one blacksmith shop, a post
office, Grange of seventy-five mem
bers, and an Odd Fellows Lodge re-
Gently organized. The people are
thrifty and are rapidly accommodating
the necessaries and luxuries of life.
One mile east of this place we find DIR.
A. B. Hayward, formerly of Los An
geles, a reader of the Daily HERALD,
the Master of Vineland Grange, and
the owner Of a fine farm where frost
never comes to hurt, his banana tree
having withstood the first winter I'M
hurt.
SANTA ANA
Is the largest town south of the river;
it contains two stores, post-otfice,
hotel, blacksmith shop, school house,
Grange and Masonic Lodge, lively
population, and two artesian wells.
| The Chapman ditch is being extended
to this place and vicinity this season.
N. o. Stafford is Master Of the Grange
| and one of our most successful and en-
| terprising farmers. His farm is new,
but neat and shows thrift and enter
prise; it is located in the edge of town.
Less than five years ago it cost him
about four dollars per acre and is now
worth fifty. Better land than this
belt on which Santa Ana and Tustin
City are located may be found some
where, but in the opinion of your cor
respondent we will have to cross the
river to a brighter world before we
find it.
GOSPEL SWAMP,
Where corn grows so tall that the
Changers carry a step ladder when they
60 out husking, is located three miles