Los Angeles daily herald., 1876-01-01
Grain Growing.

ing article on Grain Growing. The
substance of the article appeared in
the last HERALD Pamphlet, but were
produce it revised and rewritten by
the author.
The growing of grain in this county
promises at no distant day to be of
very great Importance, although the
idea seems to prevail that there is
something either in our or climate
unfavorable to the growth and matur-
ing of wheat. But, in my opinion,
the idea is erroneous, for the reason
that in former years wheat was sue
cessfully and quite extensively culti-
waited in this county, ami some eigh-
teen or nineteen Year, ago, /, with
Others, grew splendid crni'> of beauti-
fui wheat in the San Fernando valley,
and at that day no complaints We're
made of rust, smut or any such draw
back to wheat raising. We used to
consider forty bushels to the acre about
a fair crop.
Barley here grows to its greatest
perfection, and yields the most boun-
tiful return TO the farmer. As crop,
barley never fails in this county, If
properly put in. Within my knowl-
edge Il was not here during the
drought of 1922 no year has been so
dry that good crop would fail to ma
ture, if the ground had been plough
ed, say ten inches deep, and the seed
ing done as early as December. The
fact is, that grain can be made GER
tain and positive crop, and of the q
900, 900 acres comprising this county,
it would be safe to say that at least
one million acres are susceptible of
growing splendid and sure crops of bar
ley and there is no grain so valuable
! to the farmer. 1t is made to subserve
the same uses as oats and Indian corn
in the Atlantic States, being fed to
cattle, horses and swine. After SOW
ing crop of barley, the farmer has a
positive guarantee OF a good volunteer
crop for the second, and, sometimes,
the third year Under an intelligent
system of cultivation it would be safe
to place the average yield Of barley,
year in and year out, at forty bushels
per acre. With market for barley
there is no limit to the prosperity of
When this county was first occupied
| by the Americans, and as late as '55-6,
the entire ranges of hills, from one
extreme OF the county to the other,
was covered with the most luXuriant
growth of wild oats, that was equal in
every respect to cultivated crops, ex-
cept that the grain was much lighter
1t seems to have entirely disappeared,
owing probably to sheep grazing.
Very little oats, comparatively, have
beeneultivated in this county; barley
seems to be preferred, though of late
years it seems to be growing in favor,
and is every year attracting more at
tention from the farmer. Twenty or
thirty bushels to the acre would be
| about fair average for an Oat crop.
The great glory of the Los Angeles
farmers is Indian corn. We have a
vast acreage susceptible of raising inn
mense crops of corn without irriga-
ton, and the labor on such lands is
much less than in the States in the
Mississippi valley, on account of the
absence of weeds, there being no rain
very few weeds grow. The cultiva-
tion of corn on the low, moist lands,
referred to, is cheap, certain and easy,
but the farmer who irrigates corn gen.
orally earns all he gets, although the
yield is about the same. There is no
doubt but what with half the labor
given to the raising of corn in this
county, that is given in Illinois, Mis-
souri, and other Western States, that
the average might be placed ut say
eighty bushels per acre-rather more
than less. l have had field average
l25 bushels to the acre. There are ad-
vantages, however, in raising corn
by irrigation that must not he over
looked. One is that you can always
get two crops on the same land, seed
ing the ground to barley in Winter
and harvesting in May; then irriga-
ting your ground and planting it in
corn, you can depend on good crop,
planting as late as the second week in
July.
Rice has been experimental on in
this county with the most gratifying
success, especially an African variety
that grows in drills and yields quite
satisfactorily. I'm my opinion there
is no reason why rice should not be-
come staple in this county.
Buck wheat has been tried through.
out the county and has generally Civ
en- satisfaction.
Rye is beginning to be quite popular
with the farmers, and promises to be
extensively cultivated. 1t will yielt
we'll.
The fact is that all kinds of grair
that were ever grown in any country
seem to do well in this county. Last
though not least, are canary seed an(
broom corn. know one farmer wht
makes speciality of raising canar,
seed. and, although it may seem /;
small business, to him, believe, i
will prove to be very large one in tn
end. Another small farmer Of my ac
quaintance experimented.with an acr
of broom corn, with $500 cold coin q
the result of his experiment for til
J first year.
Now | wish to let the farmers of tn
Western States know that barley ca
be made the same basis of wealth il
this country as corn in Illinois. Tha
it can be raised with half the labor
and can be converted into pork an
7 bacon and form the same basis c
wealth that built up the great Yves
tern empire of America, and in cor
| clusion I will state that within TIL