Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-02-16
California Strawberries.

It ANcNdud kOdl.J LTUNoCI tpt vi q
recent date says: "Felix Cillet has
presented us with box of ripe straw
berries, of the Princess Dagmar' vari-
ETY., which had just been picked from
the vines in his gardens. Ripe straw
berries, some of which measure three
and quarter inches in circumference,
OH the 18th of December, and grown
in the open air at an altitude of 2, 800
feet above the ocean, with huge banks
of snowIthree or four feet in hight, and
not thirty miles distant, shows what
kind of a climate we have in Califor-
mia, and particularly in the foothills
of the Sierra Nevada mountains
We know the people of Los Angeles
look upon such items as stale and un-
interesting. The idea that people will
blow about few strawberries in sight
of bank of snow, looks ridiculous to
the.people of this valley where we have
Strawberries the year round; with
green peas, tomatoes and almost ev-
cry other vegetable that grows, and
all under the shadow of the most beau
tiui suoW CoNclcu lhouAtoiuo LII tuc
world. Yes here where the melting
snow furnishes our people with pure
ice water the year round, which they
mix with cream and strawberries, and
sitting under the shade of the orange,
olive, and fig trees in the midst of
roses, heliotropes, and cape jessa-
mines, sip. and feast to their hearts
content. The talk about little box
of strawberries to this people makes
us smile. But the citizens ofour SUM-
ny cline must bear with these things,
and remember that our papers are read
by people who are shivering around a
roaring fire in their tight houses
with every door and window closed
and the only sound they hear is the
piercing wind and cracking ice out
side. These items to such people are
like tales from fairy land. They
think and talk and dream about the
Winter strawberries and snow noun
tains in Summer with more interest
than Californian would about strik-
ing bonanza. 1t is strange how
soon the familiarity with these scenes
erases from our minds the impression
they made upon us at first sight.
Having left country bound upin the
cold embrace of ice and snow, where
cattle could only live in tight barns,
and travel was on sleighs, crossing the
continent without seeing speck of
green vegetation, except the dreary
pine forests in the mountains, then af-
ter two days lashing of the sea waves
from San Francisco, We land at Will
mington and run across the valley to
this city. After such voyage the ap-
proach to this city presents q scene
more inspiring than any we have wit
messed on earth. AS soon as we enter
upon the valley the bleating herds are
seen in every direction feeding upon
clover and other rich grasses, one to
two feet high. Soon the farms
and farm houses are seen dotting
the valley as far as the eye can reach,
surrounded with green hedges and or
namental evergreens. Then We ap-
proach the orange, lime, lemon and
olive groves, loaded with their green
and golden fruits. We shall never
forget the sensation these scenes pro-
duce on us at first sight. We felt like
throwing up our hat and shouting for
joy. And when we arrived in the city
and stood upon the platform and view
ed the surrounding scene, the inspira-
tion was increased. The little, quiet
city snugly ensconced just at the foot
of the mountains with the running,
little streams of water as clear as
chrystal, all through the streets, with
the evergreen trees and beautiful
shrubbery bordering the sidewalks
and towering mountains few miles
distant covered with snow; and to en-
nance 1t all, the atmosphere.around us
was balmy as the most lovely Spring
morning. The whole scene to us, at
that time, was lovely beyond the pow
er of language. But like everybody