Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-08-08
THE casar anralop1 VALLEY.
It's soil and Climate-water suppl,
Flora = Agricultural Outlook
Interesting Report OF Prof. J. c
Oliver

survey the scenery around you, and look
in vain for one feature to remind you Of
Pueblo de Los Angeles you involuntar-
lily exclaim. d" Wonderful, glorious, Co.'S
mopolitan Californian
Antelope Valley is great mountain
trimmed basin, from twenty y-five to thirty
miles across, aud containing 400, 900
acres or more of mostly level and tillable
land. There are not lacking evidences
that this was once great inland lake
which is at present like the most of our
California streams are said to be in Sum-
mer, "bottom side up However this
may be. this fact remains beyond dis
pute that
AN ABUNDANCE OF WATER,
And that Of the most delicious quality,
is found at depth of ten to thirty feet.
1t is hard to conceive Of anything more
grateful and refreshing than goblet Of
this crystal fluid as you take it fresh
from the well at Lancaster. From the
artesian well at this place q copious and
perpetual fountain gnshcs forib, spread.
ing out, as it leaves the pipe, into a
beautiful sheet of limpid, sparkling
water. 1t contains mineral properties, and
improves by standing over night in the
cool air.
With facilities for bathing, this might
be made popular health resort. The
tonic and restorative properties of the
iron contained in the water. together
with the
sALUBRI0Us AND INvIG0RATING ATMos.
PHERE.
Form two great requisites OF health, and
would, no doubt, be found efiicacious in
many cases of lung and throat trouble.
This air comes direct from the ocean,
reaching that place about 8 or 10 o'clock
in the morning, having been deprived by
contact with the mountains, of all mois-
ture and asperity. As with the
water so it is with the air,
you can not get enough of it. You snuff
it az you would smelling bottle and
find yourself unconsciously expanding
your chest to take in more of it. 1t
laves and caresses but does not chill you.
Here you can discard the climatic re-
straints of the sea-coast and with i'm
punity lay aside your neck-tie, collarand
coat and more if you choose. This place
has an outside reputation OF being hot.
This / believe to be a misstatement.
This vigorous sea-breeze, SO brisk and
balmy, goes far towards neutralizing the
heat of the sun. 1t is claimed by those
who have kept the record, that it is
about l0' colder there, both in Summer
and in Winter. than in Los Angeles. l
had been so repeatedly warned before
starting that l prepared myself for a
regular swelter, but was most agreeably
surprised to find more genial tempera-
ture than l left at home. In fact, had
started with two portfolios, one for col.
lecting botanical specimens, and the
other pretty well filled with prejudices
already pressed and dried.
The former I filled many times to the
bursting point. The condition Of the
latter at the end of week very forcbly
reminded me of Bro. Jones's collection.
Bro. Jones after earnestly presenting
his cause to his colored brethren, start
ed the contribution by throwing dime
into the hat and passing it around after
the usual custom. This completed, he
proceeded, with African dignity to "can.
vass the returns" Having carefully
scrut nized the bottom and lining of his
hat and failing to find anything metallic,
he raised his eyes and exclaimed with
righteous in Indignation, "Fo' de Lo'd done
loss de ten cents started in wiih," And
like Bro. Jones I thought "There am a
great moral lesson about here some
where"
The sources of this abundant supply
Of water is best understood by visiting
the mountains forming the rim of this
basin. 1ere nearly every gulch and
canon is giving forth its poetic melody
in the perpetual ripple and tinkle Of the
streamlets, or in the more vigorous bub-
BILE and splash Of the brook as it
'chatters over stony ways.
In little sharps and trebles"
These all hurry to Join, not the "brim-
ming river" but the great subterranean
reservoir, which is SO conveniently
found under the surface Of this wonder.
full valley.
Tho settlers are Just now busily en-.
gagged in outstanding their first crop ol
wheat, which is yielding from eight to
seventeen centals per acre, and is Of the
FINEST QUALITY.
The result has been SO encouraging
that at least is, 900 acres will be sown te
wheat this fall. The soil is of such q
mellow, sandy nature and there is SO lit.
tie incumbrance on the ground that the
wheat is sown right on the surface Of this
virgin soil, and turned under with gang
plows. The most Of the crops in the val
ley have been put in since April, the
rains having beenso continuous and heavy
as seriously to impede the work. Mr.
Ed. Spencer in Section s. very cautiously
put in about thirty acres. The result
was one Of the finest crops in the valley
He expects to put in at least three hun
dred acres this fall. 1t was the goot
fortune and privilege of the writer 10 b.
q guest of Mr.. Spencer and his young
bride, for several days. just how much
science will be indebted to them for then
right royal entertainment of this botan
ical tramp remains to be seen. But il
the next edition Of the California Fiora
contains the name of new flower called
the Spenceria Antelopsis you will al
know how it came about.
Mr.. Sickles. adjoining him is expert
menting probably in greater variety o
products than any one in the valley
His little orchard of apricots, peaches
apples and pears is looking well. Al
though set out so late as April. many o
them produced fruit, some Of which wa,
still on the trees when the writer saw
them. In his potato patch. which is oil
the hillside, Re showed me the moistur'
to be within two inches Of the surface
HIS corn, peanuts, potatoes, tomatoe
and beans all looked we'll.
The work Of developing and reclaim
ing this new section is to be pushed for
ward with vigor this coming year. Th
cheapness of the land and the small
amount of labor necessary to put in
uew crop, together with the fiatterinI
prospect of it, becoming great whea
producing section is attracting a stead,
stream Of sturdy yeomanry. who ar
carefully noting the soil, climate an,
other salient features Of this new agri
cultural opening. A few make the mis-
take Of leaving without driving over tn
best part of the valley. Undoubtedl,
the best wheat land lies along the gentl
slopes adjoining the mountains or o.
what is called Wild Horse Prairie,
beautiful tract Of level country contain
ing about 5000 acres, and lying abou
six miles southeast of Lancaster. Thi
Is now covered with a ricI
coating of alfilarilla and lie
favorable for irrigation from Littl
Rock Creek, survey having Just bee
made with a view to diverting the waite
of this dashiug stream from its origins
channel and conducting it over to thi
plairie. A grand. sweep of landscape i
obtained from the cupola of the hotel
but it gives no accurate idea of tn
beauty and fertility of these wheat pro
ducing lands.
Many new wells are to be sunk thi
fall, and arrangements are now bein
made for vigorous industrial campaign
/ .o... ~ kh.. .~.ss. q. ~