The Republican journal., 1885-10-22

THE GROWTH OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
FRUIT GROWING. THE CLIMATE. ROOM
FOR san DIEGO. RIVERSIDE AND OTHER
TOWNS.
Correspondence OF The journal.
Los ANGELES, oct 6, ISS5. A few items
about this country may interest some Of the
readers Of the journal. just now Los Angeles
is excited over an increase in saloon licenses
from $40 to $50 per month. The saloons are
kept open every day in the week. This section
Of the country is growing very rapidly. New
settlements are springing up every day, ana in
places here there was not a house five years
ago there are now 1lourlshing towns Of $50 to
800 and some o ,000 to 1000 Inhabitants. This
city had only population of 5000 or 10 900
five years ago and now contains from y, 900 TO
10000 people 1t Is still growing, bnt not so
rapidly as formerly. | meet III my travels
many people from Maine but very few from
Belfast.
This Is great fruit raising country. Every
kind Of fruit is raised here; and to give you
some idea of the quantity, 10000 car loads of
oranges were shipped this season from this
city alone. Grapes, of the best kind (white)
retail for lbs. for 10 cents and bring by the
ton from $1,000 to $3.50. Land, on the other
hand, Is very high, ranging from $40 to S15O
per acre for unimproyed while improved land
is 5000 to 5000 per acre, and in some places
higher. OF course that Is where they have
water rights. 1t has not raineu for SIX months
but will probably begin during December.
Two weeks ago it was 10 degrees in the shade,
but such weather only lasts in this city few
days, while in places 40 miles back from the
ocean 1--WE are only 13) the temperature atmost
every day is from 80 to 100 deg. in the shade.
San Diego is having boom Just now and
may become a city of considerable magnitude
although the supply Of water Is limited San
Bernardino is 1ourishing city of 1000 inhabi-
tants and is growing. ! must not forget River
side. This is the garden of the State. For
miles all you can see is orange orchards and
vineyards with here and there orchards OF april
cots and apples, all laid out in squares with the
trees 20 it. apart SO to make about 100 to the
acre. If they had the rains of Maine here all
California would be i'll trees and worth i'm
mense prices. | am surprised that the farmers
of my native State DO not raise more apples,
especially when they ship apples from Califor-
MIA and Oregon to Liverpool. One acre of
ground will support 100 trees and each tree
bear at least three bushels of apples, which
would be worth at a low estimate SOC per
bushel, so that 100 trees would pay Si50 to the
acre. Is not that better than potatoes? And
1t would cost less to take care of an orchard
than to plant potatoes. People make a good
living out here on 10 acres of land. Good keep
ing apples for expectation pay well. One hum
dred car loads in three special freight trains
were sent east over the Northern Pacific, at S300
per car, to be shipped to Liverpool.
Another favorable thing in this country is
that the farmers do not have to wait for their
crops to mature. The most of them sell to the
spectators before the crop is fairly ripe. They
begin to plant as soon as the rain comes on,
which will probably be next month, and by
April or May everything Is over. Pasadena,
ten miles from here is most beautiful town.
It is settled entirely by well to do eastern peo-
pie The town Is nearly prohlhition-only one
saloon exists. and if they can secure enough
votes to incorporate it will be temperance
town. | must not forget to say here that Riv-
side charges $3.50 per month for saloon license.
Everyone drinks wine out bere-ministers,
doctors, lawyers and children. The Spaniards
use wine almost altogether. They say that
water is good enough to wash In. They call a
brook here river and what you know as the
mill stream would be worth So 000, 900 in Calf
fornia. l visited San Francisco recently and
have been at Balwin's ranch, and will try to
tell you something of what | saw in my next
letter. Yours, etc,
LOUIS A. HARRIS.