Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-01-01
Los Angeles County and Los Ange-
les Valley.

les Valley.
Los Angeles county is bounded OH the
North by Kern county, the line running due
East and West, and about 70 miles in length
On the East IL is bounded by San Bernardino
county, the line running nearly North and
South and little over 100 miles in length.
On the Southwest it is bounded by the Pacific
Ocean, with a coast line of nearly 100 miles.
On the West it is bounded by Ventura county,
the line running Northeasterly for about Is
miles, then Northwesterly about 40 miles,
Thus II will be seen the larger portion of the
county is a parallelogram, being about 70
miles from East to West and 60 miles from
North to South, leaving a triangle in the
Southeast portion, the Northern line of which
equals 70 miles and the Eastern 40 miles. The
county therefore contains about 5000 square
miles, or about 100000 acres
That portion of the county lying North of
the Sierra Madre mountains is known as the
Mojave valley or desert. These mountains
traverse the county in an Easterly and West
erly direction and nearly centrally, consider
ing the length of the East and West lines.
The Northern slopes, valleys and foothills of
these mountains afford a large and very fine
range for stock. Both sides of the mountains
afford q bee pasture unsurpassed, probably,
in any part of the State, or the United States
There is vast amount of wood and consider
able ofit of the best quality for timber in these
mountains. The small valleys of these
mountains are very productive In all kinds of
grain and vegetables, the potato being of the
very best quality, apples and plums also being
cI,p tn bnS n,, ha 10 g
the foothills"
RIVERS.
The Santa Ana river rises in the San Bernar-
dino mountains, San Bernardino county, and
runs Southwesterly through the San Bernar-
dino valley, cutting through the foot-hillsn
near the county line and entering the county
about 35 miles from the ocean; thence it con-
tinues in a Southwestery direction through
the Southeasterly portion of Los Angeles val
ley, between the towns of Anaheim and
Richland, and enters the ocean between Ana
helm Landing and Newport.
The San Gabriel river rises in the Sierra
Madre Mountains, and running Southerly
enters the Ell Monte valley, where it sinks
during the Summer season and rises again in
two branches as it passes the rim of the basin.
From this point (where the rivers cut through
the foot-hills) to the ocean, the streams are
known as the New and Old San Gabriel rivers,
being, on an average, after they are fairly into
the valley, about three miles apart.
The Los Angeles river rises in the san Fer
nando valley and runs Southeasterly, supply
ing the city of Los Angeles and vicinity with
water for domestic purposes and for irrigation,
and during ordinarily wet seasons extends
three, four or lve miles below the city in a
Southerly direction. During very wet seasons
it extends through the valley about fifteen
miles and unites with Old San Gabriel.
The Santa Clara river rises in the cations of
the mountains between the Sierra Madre on
the South and the Sierra Nevada on the North
and runs Southwesterly through the Santa
Clara valley, the Northeast portion of the
valley being in Los Angeles county and the
Southwest in Venture county.
Besides the streams already named, there
are several others af1ording no inconsiderabe
quantity of water. Among them are the Ar
royo Seco, Santa Anita San Jose, San Anto-
nio, Los Coyotes, de la Brea, Santa Argus,
Centinela and others. There is a sufficient
supply of water in the rivers and streams
referred to, if timely and properly appropri-
land in the entire valley that needs it,
THE LOS ANGELES VALLEY
Is bounded on the Northeast by the foothills
dividing this valley from San Fernando and
Ell Monte valleys (being part of the entire
Valley, on the Southwest by the Ocean, on
the Southeast by range of hills about u
miles Southeast of the Santa Ana river run
ming southwesterly to the Ocean, ON the
Northwest by the Ocean and the foothills in
a trend Southwesterly to the Ocean. The val
ley in Northwesterly and Southeasterly di-
rection is about 50 miles in length, and,at
right angles with its length is about 20 miles
wide. 1t contains, ther. fore, 1000 square
miles or 640,000 acres. This may very proper
ly be divided into three parts, viz: 100000
acres suitable for grazing purposes, 10000
acres suitable for grapes and semi-tropical
fruits, 320 900 acres as superior land for corn,
barley, rye, oats, millet, ETC., and considera-
BILE portion Of it Is also suitable for apples,
pears, peaches, apricots, walnuts, etc. This
is Los Angeles valley on the ocean side OF the
foothills.
IRRIGADLE LAND
Five hundred thousand acres of this land
can be irrigated. 1t lies most favorable for
per mile in Southerly direction. The
water can be DETECTED both Southeasterly
and Southwesterly from the Santa Ana, Old
and New San Gabriel and Los Angeles rivers.
Very large zanjas or bitches are already con-
structed leading the water from all these riv-
ers for the purpose of irrigation as well as for
manufacturing purposes.
CHARACTER OF THE SOIL.
The soil, as general rule, in the valley land
is a rich, sandy loan, very easily worked and
is very productive. On the higher portions of
the valley and the hilI-sides the soil is less
sandy, not SO dark, slightly harder, but
equally productive with tho application of
water. In q few small portions OF the valley
the soil contains an excess of alkali. Where
the alkali is very abundant the land is rem
dered non-productive for few years. This
land may be made the best in the valley by
planting beets for one or two years, then corn,
then barley, then anything.
Los ANGELES VALLEY BACK OF THE FOOT
HILLS.
This district of country includes what is
known as San Fernando Ell Monte and San
Jose valleys and also part of the Chino valley,
and is about 45 miles in length East and West,
including break of 3 or miles between the
Ell Monte and San Fernando valleys, and is
on an average about "A miles wide, lying be-
tween the foothills and the Sierra Madre. 1t
contains about 2O3 square miles, or about 1885,
900 acres This may be subdivided as follows,
viz: $4,000 acres for grazing purposes, $4,000
acres for vineyards and semi-tropical fruits,
and $1,000 acres for grain and common fruits.