Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-11-21
4 sHAmErul AND DAHcrRous WASTE
Throwing Away Wealth for Moth
ing, and Worse than Nothing
Fertilizers Changed TO Fevers-
Our Highways made Pestiiential-

Il F
Let any enlightened citizen drive about
tho oity aud suburb. sa5,s s .s: ss::d lie cannot fail
to observe tho exceedingly absurd man
ner in which the fertilixing materials Of
the city are being disposed Of They may
be found scattered where they should
not be, and omitted where they ought
to be placed. The city Of Los Angeles
has within its limits thousands Of domts.
tic animals, horses. males and cows, and
these supply the stables and corrals with
thousands Of tons of manure and soiled
litter and hay, that are Invaluable for
use in the sandy land below the city,
where these fertillzing materials are all
that is lacking to make the soil the most
productive in the world. Every acre OF
sandy land, especially along the sides of
the river in the lower part OF the city,
and below the city. that now produces
only little fugitive brush and few
hardy weeds can be easily reclaimed.
On this sandy waste the stable manure
Of the city should be spread and plowed
into the soil as rapidly as possible. By
doing so. thousand acres Of land that
now produces nothing Of any CONNER
cial value. can be brought into valuable
and abundant production, and made to
assist in paying taxes and furnishing
valuable food for the people.
Instead Of this use Of such valuable
materials, what do seer To the shame
Of our people. be IL said, that il ia used
in the grading of streets and in being
dumped by the waysids around First
street, Chapparal street. Seventh street,
and along the river between First and
Chapparal street, where II rots and fes-
yers and exhales its nauseous gases, an
offense to the senses and an injury to the
health Of the people. Suoh things ought
not 40 to be. There are thousands Of
acres Of smooth, sandy land near the
city that need this valuable compost to
complete what Is lacking to mako II
highly productive. The stable manure
that Is wasted in Los Angeles every year
would reclaim 100 acres annually of the
sandy bottom land, that has been formed
by deposit from the Los Angeles river
aud the Arroyo Seoo. Such land now
produces nothing Of any value. With
the wasted manure Of the city. mixed
} with this sandy surface, soil could be
produced of wonderful richness and
value. Here Ia wealth thrown away
and made nuisance when II should be
transmitted into fruits and flowers,
golden grain and fragrant meadows
Contrast beautiful field Of ripenine
grain, or an evergreen meadow OF alfalfa,
with the andy bottoms, which signify only
desolation, and see il the contrast Is moi
) instructive and inspirinas The city has
: many acres Of this unpfoductive land,
and might lease 1t or sell it. to persons
who would reclaim IL, and by forbidding
,, the deposit Of manure in the streets and
,, vacantIots, make it obligatory on those
, who haul this fertilizer to spread it on
this barren sand, where It could bs
: piowed into the sand and made useful
and harmless. Such o work should be
: begun at once. There are more than q
score Of corrals, and hundreds Of stables,
; that should have some place to deposit
their litter where it can be put beneath
,, the surface, and no longer offend the
! sight and imperil the health of the peo'
pie. There is no hardship in this plan,
and nothing but justice to all. 1t harms
, no one, but benefits everybody. 1t turns
barrenness to beauty, and hides un.
seemly objects. 1t promotes the wealth
of the city without cost, and should be
carried out without delay. Will some
person make proposition to the city tc
take tract Of this land and commences
the good work of mansring and reclaim.
ing Z : A movement should be inaugu.
rated at once to carry out some such
plan as the one proposed. Ii better
one can be proposed, the HERALD will
take pleasure in announcing it. But lei
something be done, and the sooner it ID
done the better. 1ltl s.