Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-04-16
small Farms to Make
Money,


We are and always have been in
favor Of small farms for the Californian.
We think a farmer had better buy n
small farm and pay for it, than run in
debt for q large one. We know that
the tendency Is all the other way. SO
many men have bought large tracts Of
land ON credit, and In fow years have
paid for the same out Of the crops grown
on it, that others feel tempted to go and
do likewise. One meets on the streets
OF Los Angeles farmers who own oil the
way from 800 to $4,000 ncres; but tho
owners Of 40 acre farms are scarce.
Still, there Is no doubt but that 40 acres
well titled will yield larger income
than 800 acres but poorly cultivated.
Our soil Is SO fertile that il properly
cultivated II will yield a crop even in
tho dryest years. This has been repeat
odly proved on tho lands lying between
Los Angeles and Santa Monica, and on
the Sausal Redondo Rancho. The
owner OF the Sausal Redondo has as
surcd the writer that during the eight
years In which grain has been grown on
that Rancho every piece Of ground that
has been thoroughly cultivated has
yielded good crops. II must not bc for
gotten that these eight years include the
dry season Of 1877, and one or two
others in which the rainfall was scant.
DR.. Cougar, Of Pasadena, and many
others, have shown that even the orange
tree can be made to grow without sum
mer irrigation provided that the ground
around II Is well and frequently cultivat.
I'd. And this brings us to another
matter of Importance TO the farmer Of
few Acres, and that is, the irrigation OF
small orchards and vineyards by means
Of water raised by wiadmills. This
question is now receiving great deal OF
attention in different parts of the State.
We have taken somo pains to ascertain
the cost OF an outfit such as farmer
would need for the purpose. Of course
he has well and q pump on his land.
All that he lacks is the meanso of lifting the
water and place TO store it. A four.
teen.feet self-regulating windmill will
cost him $l25, 5000 gallon redwood
tank will cost SllO. There is scarcely n
day in the year without breeze from
the sea strong enough to run the wind
mill. In the warm summer days, when
water is most needed, the breeze is gen.
orally strong enough to keep the wind
mill going steadily for eight or ten hours
daily, during which time a good pump
will give yield of from 5000 to 5000
gallons. This supply is ample for the
irrigation Of from fifteen to twenty acres
of vines or trees. The farmer owning
II is at no expense for water rights,
zanjas or fumes. He has not to wait
his turn with others, as where many own
water jointly, but can irrigate when he
chooses.
Now let us take tho case of farmer
owning eighty acres of land, which he
has heretofore devoted to barley. He
has, of course, y good well and pump.
AT the additional outlay of 1926 for
mill and tank he is prepared to "make
the desert blossom as the rose" Let
him plant during the first winter ten
acres of grape vines. This will require
irrigation during the first summer, and
never afterwards, il well cultivated. The
following winter he can plant five acres
to orange trees, and three acres to
apples, pears, peaches, plums, etc.
He has ample water for all these, and
for garden, and few acres Of corn.
The twenty acres thus set apart will
give him employment at times when he
would be idle If his entire farm was
sown to grain, as after seeding, and be-
tween heading and threshing. In a
few years the income from the twenty
acres of trees and vines would be double
that from the sixty acres of grain,
There are thousands of acres of land on
the Brea, the San Vincente, the Sausal
Redondo, and other ranchos, where an
inexhaustible supply of water is found
at from twenty to sixty feet from the
surface. This land can be bought, we
should think, at from S25 to $50 per
acre; and all it needs to make it worth
$3.50 per acre is to raise the water flow.
ing beneath it to the surface. This can
be easily and cheaply done, and it has
often been source of worder tous that
IL has pof haap mora pytansiyaly friaJ