The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-11-22
GOODBYE CALIFORNIA.
LAST VIEWS OF mn. CAMPBELL.
A Visit to the Santa Asa vLl.y-A Specimen Of
Practical and Pnatabis Parnlas-Nut
Virginia PeopIe-Hhselisg Cigars.
The Cain.se Qssstioa..


SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA, November
10, 1851 came down here two days ago
with Mr.. James McFadden, formerly Of
New York Stale, who owns rancho Of
$500 acres adjoining theiruit.raising yicin-
ity, and who has the reputation Of being
enc Of the mcst energetic, progressive and
prosperous farmers in Southern California.
After being at his house and seeing the
way he lives, and riding with him over
the country behind his sleek and well.fed
team, on the good hard roads which they
they have everywhere in this country at
this season Of the year, am prepared to
endorse taereports, concerning him which
| have quoted. tsAl $50
Mr.. McFadden Is one OF the compare.
lively few farmers, in California who con.
ducts his operations, as near as may be, on
Eastern methods. That Is to say, he is q
miscellaneous farmer. He grows wheat,
corn and barley in the way OF grains, Alfal.
IA in the way OF grass, and leeds all the
cattle, hogs and horses his range will sup-
port. He has about 1000 head Of hogs,
700 head OF cattle and number Of horses
and mules. His principal crop is corn, Of
which he grows in what ia called Swamp
land" about 70 bushels to the acre. He
sells very little corn and no barley. He
turns his hogs and cattle into his barley as
soon as 1t is ripe, hogs first and cattle alter
wards, and ein this way fattens
them for market during the dry sea-
son. His corn he utilizes for the same
purpose later on in the year. Occasionally
he hires corn fodder range and grass pas
ture outside cf his own rancho. He also
has mountain rancho to which he sends
his cattlefor winter and spring grazing. He
sold las. year $l7. 900 worth OF hogs off his
rancho, which was clear profit, bis other
stock and grains paying all expenses. He
says he makes over 10 per cent on an esti.
mated valuation OF $l75,000 for his land
and farming plant Of all kinds He makes
at least 20 per cent on the original cost 10
him Of bis land. At very reasonable
valuation his rancho, good and bad would
sell for $50 per acre. He would not take
that for 1t. It cost him, in piece meal,
from $40 to $50 per acre. He got most OF
it by buying an interest in a litigated
Spanish grant. II Is one Of the few ranches
in California that Is especially adapted to
raising corn. The whole corn crop OF the
State in 1880 was only 100000 bushels,
OF which more than one-half was raised In
this Los Angeles) county. At75 bushels
to the acre, ne can raise on 500 acres Of
swamp land crop Of $500 bushels,
worth at so cents per bushel SlS,s50. He
says that he can make satisfactory profits
out Of hogs at cents per pound, and this
year he sold large number at cents.
Barley produces from 20 to so bushels &C.
cording to the season; and wheat the same.
HOW FLOWING IS DONE.
While 1 was on his place he was break.
lag large field with an eight.gang plow
that Ia, o plow that turns eight burrows
to which was hitched twelve mules, two
abreast. Wheat and barley are sown any
tied rainfall, especially II 1t falls early in
the winter, 1t Is better to get these crops in
before December, but II the rain fall is de.
layed, and then quite copious, these grain
sown at the last OF the winter or In the
spring does better. Mr.. McFadden's ex.
perience, taking the average Of seasons, is
that 1t was better to plant and SOW In the
fall.
On good land, slightly damp, or on irri-
rigated land, alfalfa grass will cut four or
five crops during the season. Altogether
it will average FIVE tons to the acre, worth
anywhere from So to $40 per ton on the
farm, according 10 the season.
Potatoes are paying crop In the swamp
lands. During one Of our drives we talked
with small farmer who had sold $3.50
worth OF potatoes and corn off q single acre.
He had but 20 acres altogether, on which
he was supporting small family OF eight
persons, besides having made part Of the
purchase price Of the place off the land.
We saw some Of the most extraordinary
pumpkins at this place ever saw any.
where. Mr.. McFadden estimated one OF
them at 1870 pounds, and he Is very care
ful and moderate estimator In everything,
He told me OF two pumpkins, materially
larger, which he had shipped East as spec
linens CT what the country could produce.
We met another man digging potatoes who
said that his land (which was peat land)
was turning out 100 sacks (ll0 pounds to
the sack) to the acre, worth at the railroad
elk miles distant, Sl.25 per sack.
He VASE. rentee, not an owner, and said he
would be glad to get the land next year at
Sl2 per acre. The soil when you put
spade in 1t is not only damp but very
rooty and you could dry the sod and burn
| IL for fuel, the same Oh peat in Ireland. It
was near the sea coast that We came upon
this land. OF course II Is very valuable.
| What would land be worth In West Vir-
pinia that would rent for Sl2 per acre.
During drive OF twenty-five miles we saw
various kinds OF land, worth all the way
from nothing up to 500 per acre. The
worthless land was alkali soil. I am told
that Ia some localities in California where
they have been able to get stream of
water that will wash this land 1t can be re-
claimed, have also heard that tomatoes
will grow abundantly on It and finally re-
deem it. Sometimes the alkali Is 90 ap-
parent that the land looks as II salt had
been thickly strewn upon i.
Rnt Notwithstanding alkali land, and
waste land OF every description, Alexander
tician, Of the United States Treasury at
Washington, said to me recently that Call
iornia would sustain larger population
than France. France has 37,OOO000 Of
people and California has about ,000, 900.
A traveller is almost ready to adopt this In
credible statement alter seeing what have
seen In this end Of the Santa Ana Valley,
y where in the districts Of Orange, Tustin
and Santa Ana the vineyard and orchard
population must indeed be close on TO the
average OF Massachusetts, which Is over
100 10 the square mile. The average Of
France, counting Paris and all her cities, is
- ALWAYS SURE OF A cRor.
In parting with Mr.. McFadden I ex-
, pressed to him my belief that after all II
was his sort oil land and his sort Of farming
that would, take one year with another,
make Inc most money In Caliiornia, for
: he reason that he Is always sure Of q crop
: and sure ola market. Hogs and hominy
, are always saleable, and the denser the