Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-11-03

Droush Here ~sd Elsewhere.
The extent to which drouth has
mIde itself felt in the East of late
years is something remarkable,
During the past summer and au-
tumn there was q great outcry in
the city of New York as to the
danger Of a water famine. This
was Indeed imminent; and, the
water Of Croton Lake being ex-
hausted, the people of that city
were obliged to fall back upon
their storage reservoirs, the latter,
In their turn, being menaced by
exhaustion. But this by no means
told the extent of the distress. A
great city may lack a. proper sup
ply Of water through the negli-
gence OF those whose duty it Is to
provide 1t. Aqueducts and reser-
voirs may be inadequate, and the
proper energy may not have been
shown In prospecting for abundant
lakes, springs and streams. In the
present case, however, all of what
are known as the Eastern States
that is, those East of the Mississip-I
pi river-suffered from drouth. In
New York, New Jersey, Connecti-
cut, Rhode Island and Massachu-
sets, manufactures which depend
on water power were shut down in
great numbers. The supply of
fruits and vegetables was unusual
ly scant during the past summe r
and fall, and of an inferior quality,
prices being exceptionally high ut
the same time. Such prolific fruit
regions as New Jersy and Della.
ware were scarcely more than able
to supply their own people. This
drouth cannot be called merely
temporary affair; for, for years
past, the same thing has been re-
ported from extensive sections of
the East and northwest. Year be.
fore last there was also severe
drouth in New York, and Croton
and the adjoining lakes very near
~ dried up. Pennsylvania and
Ohio have frequently had the same
experience, while some OF the fair
est portions of Missouri-reglons
which, to look at them in May,
from the window of a railway car,
seem to be fertile almost beyond
example-have been known to fail
to yield full crop for three years
in succession. In the region East
Of the Rocky Mountains there is q
period of the year when the failure
OF rain for two consecutive weeks
simply means the sacrifice of the
crop. When the corn is in "tas.
SELF 1t must have rain and musl
have it at once,or presto, the years
labor counts for nothing. This il
in marked contrast to the state O
things which Los Angeles farmer.
can report to their Eastern breth-
rem. We have known specially
luxuriant crop OF corn to be grown
near Agricultural Park which was
planted after the last rain. AS the
city water does not 60 that far, and
as not drop of rain fell after the
planting. here is case which
would make the eyes of the Mis-
souri, and Illinois fGmer en-.
large to the size of saucer.
A portion of the ground to
which we aliude was not even
ploughed until after the last rain.
Probably farmers in the Monte,
the Nietos valley and Gospel
Swamp can add many examples to
that cited by US. These lands be.
long to the ciass called "moist,"
which are far more numerous in
Los Angeles county than il gener.
ally believed, and which, taken in
connection with the large area of
irrigated lands, make drouth
practically impossible as far as
our people are concerned. It is
owing to the existence of these
moist and irrigable lands that the
macs of Los Angeles farmers have
frequently realized more for their
crops, in what is known as year
of "drouthn in California than in
wet seasons. OF course, it ia de-
sirable that the mesa farm OF
should share In the general pros.
perity; and, therefore, although
Los Angeles county is better pre-
pared to encounter q scant rainfall
than any region of the coast, copi-
GUS rains are always acceptable.
The distinction which undoubtedly
exists between the conditions of a
drouth here and elsewhere, how.
ever, ought to be pointed out. The
HERALD discharged this duty very
conspicuously during the last dry
year, its editor making tour OF
the moist and irrigable lands Of
this county. and showing in detail
the singular abundance which
characterized extensive tracts dur.
ing season in which the total
rainfall was scarcely third of our
usual average.
THERE was an article in Mon