Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-10-09
California Abroad.

We find in the New York Weekly
Mail a we'll written letter dated "Ho-
tel des Princess Los Angeles, which
gives n fair and truthful account of
our city and its prospects. While the
writer does not go into ecstasies over
our prospects and natural advantages,
yet he is unusually fair and dispas-
sionate. We make the following ex-
tract on the wine, fruit and nut cul-
ture:
Los Angeles is the centre of an eX-
tensive manufacture of wines and
brandy from the vineyards within
thirty miles. The town of Anaheim,
originally German colony, produces
the largest amount of grapes. 1t con-
ssts of a large ranch cut into small
tracts of forty acres, to each of which
belongs q lot for town residence.
Fences are dispensed with, the cattle
being kept in common enclosure.
The water is distributed by zanja or
system of open bitches. A ride through
the Anaheim district and the adjoin-
ing colony of Orange revealed some
of the most successful agriculture in
California. The vines looked thrifty
and We're loaded with fruit. Oranges,
lemons, olives, walnuts, almonds, figs
and pomegranatesa are raised with ease.
I noticed large fields of the castor
bean, which is, believe, very pro-
fitable crop. Excellent corn is also
raised here, equal to that of the Iowa
bottom lands. Around Los Angeles
are numerous orange orchards, the
oldest one about twenty years. growth,
but the bulk of them have been set
out within five years. The profits from
orange culture ale said to be very
great, though this may arise in part
from the fact that the supply is not
now equal to the demand. 1t takes
from seven to ten years to bring the
trees to bearing; and as there have
been great numbers planted within
five years, it Is possible the profits
may hereafter be cut down. On the
other hand 1t is asserted that the de.
mand for the fruit as far east as Chica.
go and st. Louis is growing, and there
is no danger of over production if the
whole of the available land were de.
voted to oranges, and their congeners,
lemons and lines.
l have heard that as much as S2,5O(
per acre has been reaped from the or.
ange trees, in a single season; but
have long ago ceased to question
Though may not always believe) the
many extraordinary stories told of this
country of wonders and contradic.
tions. l can testify, however, that the
| oranges grown here are as delicious
and palatable as the best which reacl
our shores from the Mediterranean
The varieties most grown are the com.
mon sweet aud the Saint Michael
New sorts are being imported contin.
| ually. One great advantage the hor
ticulturists here have over those of The
Gulf and Atlantic coast is that the
crop can he picked at convenience, OF
| as wanted for market, the oranges re
naming on the trees without rotting
as is the case in moister climates.
saw myself the oranges remaining
over from last winter hanging on the
trees side by side with the half grown
crop of this year, and found them al
most as fresh and juicy as if just ri
pened. l am told they will remair
uninjured until the succeeding crop i
ripe.
1t is my impression that all th,
fruits raised in this section may alst
be raised in the Sacramento and Sar
Joaquin valleys further north, unles
dates and bananas be the exceptions
But, on the other hand, | saw wheat
maize, tobacco, alfalfa, apples, pear
and peaches, and the ordinary gardel
vegetables growing in great perfec
ton,
Honey is another production o
Southern California. The bees feed OIL
the white sage blossoms, and the an
nual product is about two hundred
pounds of delicious honey per hive
The amount exported by these thre
counties is estimated to exceed thre
hundred tons per annum.