Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-09-02
rae Fasure Of enc Colorado Bos-
eOm0.

rae Rasure Of sbe Csssrsds Bos-
ssms.
It has been the fashion to look
upon the Immense stretch OF land
which aligns the Colorado river, in
San Bernardino and San Diego
counties, as so much desert. Well
informed people have long known
that this 10 great mistake. The
fact 10 that no richer soil exists on
earth than the alluvial bottoms of
the Colorado river. They are
rich chocolate loan, of incredible
depth; and, properly irrigated and
cultivated, they are capable of CIV
ing wonderful returns to the hus-
bandmsn. Their fertility, extent
and inviting location are such that
quite . number of projects have
been formed to utilize them. DR.
W.sencraft, of San Bernardino
county, was the pioneer in the pro.
jects which have aimed to apply
the waters Of the Colorado river to
fructifyipg the bottom lands. The
Doctor, however, relied upon gov
ernment aid, which was not forth
coming, and his plans accordingly
fell through. Mr.. Blythe, q capt..
alist of San Francisco, went at the
matter In o far different spirit. He
regarded self-help as the best motor
In enterprises of the kind, and he
accordingly organized q company
in which he is the heaviest stock.
holder, snd whose first work was to
purchase from the United States
government and the State of Cali
fornia some sixty-six thousand
acres of land, located in San Diego
county, and aligning the right
bank of the Colorado river for some
twenty miles. The extreme south.
ern limit of the Blythe colony-it
is called In honor Of its founder-is
some forty-five miles In direct
line from Yuma and about double
that distance by the sinuositiss Of
the stream. Very large sums of
money have been expended upon
this tract. The first work was to
dig q main canal, which is some
thirty feet wide at the bottom and
about forty-five at the top, capable
Of conveying an irrigating stream
ak to eight feet deep. BY the
original canal 1t has been found
possible, in practice, only to sup
ply water for irrigation about five
months and Q half In the year. AS
= consequence, great levee was
undertaken, which is now about
completed, and the canal is to be
extended about three miles further
north, the river ut that point fall.
ing about two feet to the mile,
which will secure nearly three feet
of water during the dryest part of
the year.
During the present Summer Mr..
Blythe has kept employed a force
Of about 1ifty men and twenty-five
teams, in extending the canal and
building the levess. The company
has reserved for it's own use some
two hundred acres OF land, upon
which q pumber OF interesting
farming experiments have been
made. Corn, barley, beans, sor-
ghum and sugar Cane have been
planted, with varying success. The
growth Of corn was rapid and salts
factory, equsling the best results
ebtained in Los Angeles county.
Both the barley and beans were a
failure, because they were planted
too late, neither having been put
into the ground before the first OF
July. Under the quite fervid sun
Of that section the barley shot ny
with Incredible rapidity, but failed
to take root. In the case OF the
beans the cold weather came Oh
before they had matured. The
oompapy are satisfied that both
barley and beans. planted not later
than February, will make splendid
crops. The sorghum grows with
unheard of rapidity, having at
tainsd height of sixteen feet In
elk weeks. The experiments
with cotton were also high
" satisfactory. The com.
pany propose to give them
selves, and encourage the settlers
to give, great attention to the cui-
tivation Of the raisin grape, which
Alourishes specially well on these
Colorado river bottom lands.
These enterprising gentlemen
have wisely determined not to at
tempt to settle their lands until
their contemplated improvements
are oil completed, and the immi-
Grant can thus be assured Of the
oopditions Of fsuccess. At present
fbe expensive transportation is
great draw back, freight to Blythe
from San Frsnclsco, with o few
exceptions, costing three cents
sound. Doubtless the completion
81 the Atlantic and Pacific, and the
inauguration Of the era OF competl'
hon will change all that. Suppos-
snw that their project WAS In