Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-09-23
IRRIGATION.
Bad Management HeretOfore-How we
May Improve in the Future-Plenty
of Water for Irrigation.


of Water for Irrigation.
EDITOR HERALD: Will you please
permit me to make q few statements
through the columns of your paper in
reference to the question of water,
which is attracting SO much attention
at present, and which is of vital inn
portance to the growth and prosperity
of this city and county. When came
here, twenty-five years ago, there were
but very few acres of land irrigated
below Seventh street east of Main
street, and not an acre anywhere west
of Main street; yet many of our old
citizens thought we had as much land
under cultivation as could be watered
from the Los Angeles river. But we
have gradually extended our bitches
till we have ten acres under irrigation
for every one we had then, and yet
there are volumes of water running to
waste, through the neglect or misman-
agement of our City Fathers. From
my own personal experience in irri-
eating, wish to show to the voters of
this city and county, as we'll as stran-
gers who are perfectly enraptured with
our country, that We have an abund
ance of water, if properly utilized, to
irrigate all the land from
THE FOOTHILLS TO THE OCEAN.
We have at present nine bitches, af-
fording what is called two heads of
water each. Now one of these heads
of water will irrigate or flood twenty
five acres in twelve hours, if the land
is in proper condition and the water
well managed. Using this water day
and night we could irrigate fifty acres
with each head, and having eighteen
heads we would he able during the
twenty-four hours to irrigate nine
hundred acres, or two thousand seven
hundred acres in one month. This
quantity of water can be doubled by
tluming a few miles and proper man.
agement, so that in the same time Zone
month) we can irrigate five thousand
four hundred acres.
And this is not the extent of our re-
sources, for at a comparatively small
cost we can build reservoirs or dams
that can be filled from the river in the
Winter season when the water is rum
ming to waste. Thus we could double
the quantity of water again, and be
able to irrigate one hundred thousand
eight hundred acres of land, or an area
nine miles wide to the sea. But it is
claimed that this would run the city
in debt, and it is thought best not to
incur expense for the city by our wise
guardians, lest, forsooth, they should
incur the displeasure of the people and
thus lose their positions. Let us eX-
examine this matter, and sec
WHETHER 1T WOULD PAY OR NOT.
Under the present water system there
are nine bitches, affording eighteen
heads of water, that are sold at an av-
erage of three dollars per day and
night for each head of water, which
makes S54 per-day, or $l,620 per
month, or S9,725 for six months.
Reasoning from analogy, it would pay
interest on $50, 900 at one and one-half
per cent. per month to double the
quantity of water; and to quadruple
it would pay to make an investment
of one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars by the sale of water alone.
Besides this, it would increase or raise
the value of 100000 acres Of land from
S25 per acre to $500, and give homes
to $4,000 families, increase the value
of the land already irrigated, and give
rise to a system of reservoirs that
could be filled from the San Gabriel
and Santa Ana rivers. Thus, in few
years, we could furnish homes in the
finest climate IT. the world for
ALMOST TWO MILLION PEOPLE,
AS every acre, if properly cultivated,
is capable of supporting family of
five persons. l am we'll aware that
these statements will be considered
absurd by the most of the people eve
rywhere, but I know what am as
serting, as have been tiller of the
soil from my boyhood in Tennessee,
Arkansas, Texas and California. And
when look back to the time 1 worked
for twelve and one half cents per day
and plowed the ground five times for
fifteen bushels of corn to the acre,
am fully prepared to make the above
statements, and arrive at my conclus-
ions in this wise. In the Eastern
States there are thousands of acres of
land where one man cannot cultivate
more than 25 acres and get more than
Is bushels to the acre, which would be
375 bushels, and yet he must make a
living for his family; while here one
can raise a crop of corn, 100 bushels to
the acre, and on the same land at the
same time five tons of pumpkins, then
250 to 300 bushels of potatoes and get
them Off in time to raise a crop of
cabbages, at least ten to twelve tons
and all this can be done in twelve
months on land that can be irrigated.
BUT THIS IS NOT THE BEST USE
That can be made of our lands. They
should be planted in tropical and
semi-tropical fruits, to be shipped to
the other parts of the world and ex-
changed for other products. Let us
turn, then, for moment to the semi
tropical fruits, to see if a man can sup
port family on one acre of land. In
the first place we will plant an acre in
English walnuts, say thirty trees;
those trees, when they arrive at ma
turity, will produce from 200 to 800
pounds to the tree. paid fifteen cents
per pound for 600 pounds, the crop
from two trees, one year; but suppose
each tree yields 200 pounds, 80 trees
would yield 5000 pounds = reckon
them at five cents per pound and we
have $500 per acre. f8 ga
But we will plant an acre in orange
trees, and see how they will pan out.
LET uS MT eighty trees to an acre.