Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-01-01

has, oven profitable in other locali-
ties. The principal difficulty seems
to be the cost of gathering and pre-
pairing for market. The trees are
planted 100 to $50 to the acre, begin to
bear the second year, and steadily in
crease the yield with each season. We
have no data upon which to base an
estimate OF the value of the product.
THE POMEGRANATE
grows in great abundance, but does
not seem to have been adopted as
staple fruit, though production and
value would seem to warrant it.
GRAPE CULTURE
is leading industry, and one that has
bright future before it. California is
destined to become one of the largest
wine producers in the world. The
soil and climate are peculiarly adapt
ed to the grape, and there is a hand
some margin of profit, which will
augment instead of diminishing. Our
wines are gradually coming into fa-
vor, and as each year more care and
skill is exercised in the manufacture, it
will not be long before the supply will
be below the demand. The Mission
grape was introduced by the Padres
more than century ago, and at least
seventy-five per cent. of the vines in
the State are of this class. 1t was the
Bine Carlo variety of Spain, making
there the poorest wine, but being
sure bearer and hardy vine the Faith
ers gave it the preference. The for
eign varieties obtained from cuttings
imported from Europe are being grad
ualIy substituted, and the quality OF
the wine product therefore steadily
improved. The White Muscat is at
tracing much attention, being an ear
ly and prolific bearer, and excellently
adapted for raisins. The Flaming To-
kay, Rose of Peru and Black Morocco
are also favorites.
Los Angeles is the banner crane
county of the State. The total num-
ber of vines in California is set down
at 80, LOG, ,429, of which Los Angeles
has 4,250,000, Sonoma 1908, 900, Napa
3,10S,O00, Sacramento 2,l32,0 900, San
Bernardino 600, 900, Santa Barbara 2l3,-
900. Her wine and brandy product
averages 100000 gallons, or about 81
per cent. of that of the entire State.
The brands of many of her vineyards
have national reputation. The vine
is deep rooted plant, and requires but
little moisture, and is not irrigated,
except, perhaps, during the first sea-
son after planting. There is therefore
vast area of land adapted to vine
culture in these Southern counties
We have room for many square miles
of vineyards in Los Angeles alone,
and the day is not distant when this
county will press more wine than is
now manufactured in all California.
While requiring some means to COM
mence operations, the vine-grOwer
need not be a capitalist. Good grape
lands are abundant and cheap, the
cuttings cost but little, and the vines
are in bearing the third year. The
cuttings are generally set in rows sew
ell feet apart, standing 1000 to the
acre. The fifth yeara good yield, say
100 to 5000 pounds per acre, will re-
ward the grower, and thence on the
yield will increaseltill the maximum
6f 10000 to $4,000 pounds is reached.
THE White Muscat of Alexandria has
been known to yield paying crop the
second year from the cutting. This
variety is being converted into raisins
with remarkable success. An acre Of
these producing 1900 pounds of
grapes, will furnish 1000 pounds Of
raisins, worth 1Oc per ib. This branch
of vine culture promises to be even
more lucrative than wine making.
STOCK RAISING
continues to be leading and profita-
ble industry in Southern California,
though with the influx of settlers, it is
undergoing the change from the prim-
tive and loose system of former days
to the more permanent and economi-
Cal one demanded. 1t no longer pays
to keep large open tracts of rich land
for cattle pastures. The farmer comes
along with his plow and harrow and
cuts up the ancient stock ranch into
beautiful farms. The revolution, how
ever, will improve the stock business.
The stock raiser who pays good price
for land, puts it under fence and sows
it in alfalfa, will find it Improbable
to support common breeds of cattle,
horses or sheep. The scrubby long
haired beef will give place to shape
ly we'll bred animal, the com .aon
sheep will be bred up to good stand
ard, and the raising of runty, raw
boned small horses and mules will be
abandoned as sheer waste of time.
With climate such as Southern
California possesses and her alfalfa.
which grows the year round, it is GER
tain that stock raising must increase
rapidly. The San Francisco market
will soon be opened to us where the-e
is ready sale for any surplus. The
substitution of alfalfa beds for natural
grass pasturage will also arrest the
disasters which usually befall the
stock raiser during a very dry season.
When drought sets in pasturage be-
comes so scarce that vast herds of
sheep have to be driven away hun
dreds of miles into Arizona or to the
upper counties, and thousands of cat
tie perish. The losses attendant upon
such journey are immese, and are
accompanied by a great diminution
in the wool clip. At the beginning OF
1875 it was estimated that Los Ange-
les had one million sheep, but q large
proportion of these were driven away