Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-12-04
4 vnaa Local Question.

{4 4 make her debut as wheat
jur. We use this phrase not be-
se we have not heretofore pro-
,sd wheat; but because, this sea-
1 1 : !. s, ne e shall sow it on an unprece-
tied scale, for this section. The
{ should never be overlooked
ii, ten years ago, Los Angeles
1nty was still one of the famous
NV Counties A few orange
3ves and vineyards then gave
Smise Of new interests. Wheat
ID. many years ago, been success
IS ily cultivated by the Mission
5thers of the San Fernando val
Is II, but those pious but enterpris.
- pioneers had been succeeded by
E On who knew nothing of farming.
aesp and cattle were their sole re-
& urce. They knew absolutely
aught Of the special Providence
4 hIch heaps up stores of feed and
4 ain against a season of drouth;
ID, few in number, they were
ther rich or poor, as the weather
ark chose to determine. Such q
I hing as downright cultivation OF
Is soil, and provision for the fu-
ire, were unknown to them. The
al development of Los Angeles
ounty, from an agricultural, as
distinguished from genealogical
* pastoral standpoint, began about
* or seven years ago.
S Yesterday we enjoyed the pleas
ire of o conversation with one of
he most successful wheat growers
and flour-makers of the State of
california, Mr.. Isaac Lankershim.
This gentleman is one of the recog-
nized pioneers Of this profitable in
dustry on this coast. He has been
successful both from the standpoint
Of production and manipulation, in
the cereals. His brands of flour are
standard everywhere, and of unus-
nal excellence at that. Instead OF
sending heavy sums abroad during
the past year, for flour, our own
local millers, the Messrs. Lanker.
SHIN and the Messrs. Deming, have
filled void which formerly in
volvsd an expectation of at leas'
half . million dollars annually.
Mr.. Lankershim, with all the au
thority of his long experience, ha'
no hesitation in saying that Loi
Angeles is destined to grade high
~ . wheat producer. His memory
goes back to the time when, in thi'
State, it was thought impossible tc
raise tree unless piece of bot
tom land was selected, at the con
duence of some stream. 1t has
since been demonstrated that trees
can be grown on the misty noun
tain tops of this State, if a little
human Ingenuity and in.
dustry be thrown in. In the
early days of wheat culture
In California the Napa valley
was supposed to be the only place
where success was possible. In 0
moment of enterprise and specula
tlon, Mr.. Lankershim adventured
wheat raising in the Sosqual,
amidst apparently valueless lands
and be succeeded in growing the
finest wheat in California. In
structed by this remunerative ex'
pertinent, Mr.. Lankershim next
made his appearance on the Salin-
as plains, where, it was supposed, 1t
was utterly impossible to grow
wheat. He purchased these lands
1T two and three dollars an acre.
After his successful farming expe-
risnce, which opened the eyes ol
the public to their value, he sold
them for from forty to sixty dollars
an acre. To-day, in the lands sue
csssively experimental upon by
Mr.. Lankershim for wheat growth,
tracts which were purchased by
him, in fee simple fee, for from
two to three dollars an acre, are
rented to wheat growing farmers at
ten dollars year per acre.
Los Angeles county will, this
year, test the wheat proposition to
the extent of at least one hundred
thousand acres. A season unusual
ly propitious smiles upon the ex-
pertinent. Those who have started
In to grow wheat intelligently have
thus far been unusually fortunate.
They have made money where
those who raised barley have lost.
One thing should not be over
looked:
1t is quite possible, especially il
We shall have an unusually moist
year, that some of our farmers may
have to fight trust" They will
be interested In knowing two
things. The first is that in the sec
tions of California which are to-day
most famous for heavy and reliable
crops of wheat, crust " was u mat
ter of course, for years. 1t is Incl
dent to q new and rank soil. The
tendency to rust" is worked out
by few crops in succession. Not
only that, but the very luxuriance
which, in the first years, begets
rust, will, in time, guarantee very
heavy crops of wheat.
We unbaeifafipoly advanoa th q