Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-02-08

A friend has handed US the following
letter written by a gentleman lately
arrived in this city, to an Eastern
journal: =
los ANGELES, Jan. "a, 1874.
EDITOR BANNER-Itisn now the mid
die of winter, and yet there has been
no day or night, excepting probably q
few hours when it was raining, that it
was not a continual delight to be out
J of doors. 7 have no use for an over
coat, and have not for single mo-
ment had fire in the room where l
write till midnight. After the first
rains, vegetation sprung up in all di-
rections, and sandy plains that looked
as barren as q desert, are clothed in
verdure, aff0rding rich pasture for ex-
tensive herds of stock. - t
The climate is simply delicious. 1t
will not, as some people think it ought,
bring to life those already dead with
consumption, but if there is enough of
vitality left in a person, it will rein
vigorate their failing energies, and
breath fresh life into their veins. l
know of numerous cases ofsincipient
consumption that have been COM
pletely cured, and my wife, whose
health was seriously undermined by
the malarious diseases of the Missis-
sippi Valley, is fast regaining her
strength, and is already fifteen pounds
heavier than she was when we came
here, or has been in the last two years.
There is not day in the year that
one cannot enjoy himself in the
open air. On New Years day We took
a horseback ride into the country,
staying out all afternoon without
wrap or overcoat, and our Christmas
dinner comprised all the ordinary arti-
cles that Illinois furnishes in summer,
including green peas, fresh tomatoes,
strawberries, green corn, ETC., besides
oranges and other fruits that you only
get from other countries.
The view from one of the hills over
looking the city is grand. Within
q few rods of the principal business
street rises the bold bluff, on which,
Gen. Pico threw up his earthworks to
stay the advance of Fremont and his
adventurous troops. Stretched at
length, this soft January day, upon
the young grass now springing up
over the old fertilization, my eyes rest
upon the rugged mountain-tOps few
miles to the left, their crests covered
with snow, and glittering like dia-
monds in the brilliant sunlight. Roll
ny away in waves of verdure, the
beautiful valley of Los Angeles, dot
ted with farms and orchards, spreads
out before the vision, while just at my
feet, the city, EMPOWERED in orange
groves and tropical flowers, its streets
gay with pleasure-seekers, and its cot
tages half hidden in masses of verdure,
nestles amid its circling hills and re-
wells in the fragrance of perennial
flowers. Even here distance lends en-
chantment to the scene. The orange
groves, the olive and the oleander hide
from view adobe huts, and the mellow
sunshine, softly tinting the salient
points of the landscape, is not strong
enough to bring into prominence the
want of sidewalks and crossings, that
is so painfully manifest to the eastern
visitor, when he sets out to inspect the
town from nearer point of view.
But the city is improving in all res
poets, and with few more years of
growth, and a little greater influx of
eastern capital and enterprise, it will
rank as the most attractive city on the
Pacific Coast. Already it is the resort
of thousands who come here to enjoy
the Incompatible climate, and large
per centage ofthem are staying. Their
presence is shown by the increased
taste displayed in private buildings,
and in the adornment of the yards and
gardens. There is room for thousands
more like them. Not more than one
fifth of the land around the city that
can be watered by q proper system, is
under irrigation, and but a beginning
has been made in the cultivation of the
semi-tropical fruits.
The attractions of mild climate,
where tender house-plants grow in the
open air, where one can surround him.
self the whole year with wilderness
OF fruits and flowers, and where these
very pleasures can be made source of
continual profit, can not help but
bring us population that will make
this valley as near a paradise as earth
ly homes are allowed to be.
/ would not, however, advise any
capital to begin on. To begin the cul-
ture of Fruit, one must have the mon
eyto buy his land, and improve it, and
enough to live on for a few years,
while his trees are growing; and even
topursue ordinary farming, something
to make start on, and keep going in
case of a failure of crops, is necessary
Grape culture for the past year has
not proven profitable, but this is
caused more by the way it has been
managed, than by any other cause.
Until lately little care has been exer-
cised in selecting the varieties for
planting. Those going into the bu-
siness knew little of wine-making,
and many depended wholly on selling
their grapes to those who Keep presses.
1t Is my opinion that wine-making
will settle down into regular busin-
ess, and that with more knowledge OF
the treatment of the vine, its culture
will be uniformly profitable. Bee eul-
ture Is one of the most profitable bu-
sinesses followed here. The honey
produced Is of a superior quality;
there is ready market for it, and the
price is good. Bees work the whole
year, increase rapidly, and have but
few enemies. 1t takes less capital too,
than many other occupations, and one
can at the same time improve his place
and surround himself with home COM
forts. Tobacco is easily raised and is
q very profitable crop. The castor bean
fiourishes, and finds ready sale, the
Pacific Oil Company contracting for
the crop in advance, at $75 per ton.
The plant becomes tree here, and 1
have seen them fifteen feet high, and
six inches in diameter, the trunk be-
Ing as hard and solid as an ash sap
ling. Sheep raising is also very pro-
ritable, and large quantities of wool
are shipped. The mild climate rem
ders shelter and extra care unnecessa-