Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-26
A Dry season.

A Dry season.
The holidays are here in force, the
end of the year is at the door, and
thus far about two inches OF rain
have fallen in this part of the State.
Our opening sentence is not the pre-
lude to Jeremiad on dry season.
In point of fact, not much more than
one of our five rainy months has
passed. But little rain is looked for
here before about the end OF Novem-
ber. What precipitation occurs at an
earlier date is positive detriment to
all interests; that coming before the
middle of December is of doubtful
benefit to all, and of more or less
damage to many. Should the turn OF
the year come and bring no rain, as
the present indications OF the skies
seem to promise, no interest will
suffer. South California can do
without rain until the end OF Janu-
ary and give us good year, if there
are moderate rains in February and
March. This is emphatically true OF
the present year, when the earth is
well soaked with moisture from the
previous two excessively wet ones.
Thus it will appear that there is a
chance in the ratio of ten to one in
favor of Los Angeles being blessed
with an abundance of moisture, and
all in good time for the cereal crops
of the season.
Farmers who are wise will not fail
to accept these as the strong proba-
bilities in the case. They will go
steadily along with the work of pre-
pairing the ground for seeding. Those
who have sslarge areas to get over
will be obliged, in addition
to whatever risk there may be
of losing the benefit OF their
toll, to brave the further danger OF
losing the seed they put on the fields.
LII SuCu iiotduCCo buCf huoe oON DC
they plow, as they cannot go over SO
m uch land twice. The small farmer
can, and here saves all risk in the
matter of the seed. The plowing can
not be lost, for it is of great benefit
to the ground, whether the seeding
follow or not. Ii that benefit is not
reaped in the crop of the season i'm
medi ately succeeding, it will be
found in that Of the next year. |
Should rains follow the going over
the soil the second time will greatly |
enhance the chances and the results
of the crop. Here is one of the ben
efits of the present delay of rains. 1t |
may su ggest to holders of too large
areas of lands for cereal crops that
they can dispose of half or three
quarters OF it, put that capital to some
other use, and get more grain off the
part left, and that with less labor,
than off the whole OF the partially
cultiv ated ranch.
Shou Id the worst come upon us,
and the season prove dry, the results
will not be. by any means disastrous.
There is not one other county in the
State better fixed to 60 throu gh a
dry year than Los Angeles. In the
first place such an event would be a
boon OF no inconsiderable value to
the crowds of invalids who come
here from the East. Their pleasure
and benefit ould tend to make this
region even better known than it is
now as winter resort for those in
delicate health.
The drought would not in the least
interfere with any of our fruit crops
Of any sort. There would not be
box less OF oranges, nor many tons
less of grapes. All the deciduous
fruits would be more abundant, and j
Of better quality than in years OF great
Our crops of vegetables are all from
irrigated lands, and would not suffer
! jot. The same is true Of nearly all
he dairy interests OF the county, ex- !
septing that the pastures are on nat 5
lrally moist lands. and require no ir- :
'igation. These same bottoms will
provide an abundance of alfalfa hay S
or all purposes. Much barley and I
wheat, and the usual crop of corn,
will be harvested from these stretches c
llong the water courses.
All that is produced will bring bet :
er prices, than in years of very (
,lethoric cereal crops, and while the G
tableman may have to pay trifle
nore for his feed, the advantage to q