Daily Los Angeles herald., 1880-12-24

~ abundant supply Of water for tn,
purposes OF agriculture. Owe
much OF the land q double crop Il
raised-small grain without. irrjpa
ton In winter, corn by irrigation
In summer. Besides the tire,
principal rivers rising from the
Slerra-the Los Angeles, the San
GABRIEL and the Santa Ana-each
canon for q hundred miles gives its
small brook, and the underground
now Is 90 great that the number OF
moving artesian wells is estimated
In the State Engineers report at
nearly one thousand. The cIenegaa
are also a peculiar feature of these
valleys. The underground flow from
the Sierra here and there comes to
the surface, making stretches for
miles OF moist land, green with
grass In the driest part of the Sum
mer.
The broken, billy Coast Range,
lying at the verge of an upland
plain between the Sierra and the
sea, affords innumerable natural
sites FOR extensive reservoirs for
the storage of the Winter floods,
thus saving the Winter water for
Summer irrigation. Many small
reservoirs have been built upon
this upland plain aud in the hills.
The city of Los Angeles has com.
menced q series of such works, the
largest finished covering some six.
~ acres. These southern valleys
are by far the best watered portion
OF California, while the extensive
use OF water for irrigation Is react.
f1Dg upon the climate, making IL
still more humid.
The popularity of the physical
character of the country which has
been described, the practical oblit-
GRAFTON OF the Coast Range, and the
facing OF the high Sierra directly
outward to the ocean, gives rise to
one type of climate not elsewhere
found in the State. Itisnot the
climate OF the Coast Range; neither
Is 1t the climate of the Sierra. 1t
IS climate produced by giving the
daily sea-breeze of the Coast Range
10 the Sierra. 1t is q climate which
can hardly be described. The Pc
culiar charm of 1t must be felt to
be understood.
Along the base Of the Sierra back
OF Pasadena, on eastward back of
san Gabriel. past Cucamonga with
Its noted vineyards, above Pomona
and on beyond San Bernardino,
warmer as it recedes east.
ward from the sea, is q belt of foot
hills above the fog line, facing out
toward the MONDAY sun, looking
down across the plains, and the
hills OF the Coast Range, upon the
warm southern sea, and yet famed
daiIy ny an ocean breeze that has
no harshness. I do not say that
there is no more perfect climate
Ihan this belt affords, but | have
never seen one. The Southern Pa.
,itic Railroad upon it's way to Ari.
iona skirts the foot of this belt for
! hundred miles.
lumber Of climates developed. |
There are local peculiarlties which
me would not suspect until after
'etual residence. Along certain
Ines lie what might be termed
These are caused by
he breaks IN the Coast Range of
ILLS. The night fogs also are more
IPt to follow certain well defined
curses; and Ia the Winter frost
las Its sections of preference, while
'ther portions Of the country es-
ape entirely. There is = varied
hOice of climates within q COM
'aratively limited area. Within
hree hours ty rail one may have
he fresh air of the seaside at Santa
donica or San Pedro, with surf
and u temperature always
DOL, even Ia tho warmest days Of
summer; or, passing inland, the
.rass lands and diaries of Com ptOn
nd Westminster, or the corn lands
+ Los Nletos aud the region about
Ansheim; the milder but still es-
entially coast climate of Los AM
.eles city; then, passing within the
inc of the Coast Range, the still
more sheltered San Gabrial plains,
where the orange best fiourishes;
he inland wheat fields of San Fer
Iando Valley, resembling some-
What the climate of the great In.
erior valley of the San Joaquin;
hen the warmer raisin lands OF
POMONA and Riverside; the long
ogless belt Of the Sierra foothills;
Iud beyond, the alfalfa lands of
3au Hsrnardino. -
Aud still beyond,a hundred miles
inland over the open valley from
LOS Angeles, IL the San GorgOnio
Pass, laud-marked from the Colo.
ado to the sea by the twin peaks,
San Jacinto and San Bernardino,
With snowy crests rising ten thous.
md and eleven thousand five hum
lred feet above tho plain. Here
he Sierra breaks down, forming
he oply natural pass in allits long
,hain, the grassy pIaiu, without
wen u dividing crest, swelling and
'olling through at an elevation of
,nly two thousand nine hundred
eet, Il natural gateway for the
southern traneconttnental roads
lpon their way to the East. Be-
y0nd. IL the great mystery of the