Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-01-20


and yields from one to two tons of
hay to the acre at each cutting. On
this hay, horses at ordinary farm
work keep in good condition with lit
tie or no grain of any kind. Hogs
even live and grow when fed dry
alfalfa hay alone, and then can be
fatted on cur corn, of which l have
already made mention. AS TO mark
cts, the home demand exceeds the sup
ply, and from the nature of things,
will, as the area adapted to stock
rising is small. Horses raised here
possess endurance unknown in the
east. Sheep are sheared twice a year,
but sheep-raising is on the decline as
land is becoming too valuable for
sheep walks. AS examples, Riverside
and Pasadena occupy what twelve
years ago were sheep ranges, and land
sells in these colonies at from $500 to
$4,000 per acre.
Ostriches too, are success, over
Sc 600 worth of feathers having been
sold, as the product of twenty-one
birds in seven months. These are the
Ostriches of which wrote in for
mcr letter. The proprietor of this
farm sees no reason why any farmer
who wished could not keep few such
birds.
Fifth-The production of honey.
of which | have also written, is an inn
portant industry. Every mountain
canyon offers home for the apiarist,
and the adjoining mountain sides fur
nish abundant bee forage of the finest
quality. Our assessor reports about
10000 stands of bees in the county.
Sixth-Petroleum is produced in
considerable quantities in the north
ern part Of our county, over 81 ,000.-
600 worth being obtaiaed annually.
Asphaltum, natural product of pc
troleum, abounds in great quantities
in various parts of the county, and is
used for laying side walks, for roofing
and for fuel. Coal is taken out of the
Santa Anna mountains and sold in
Santa Anna at Sc per ton. Several
gas wells have been opened in The
county. One of these, two miles from
me, was bored for an artesian well.
An abundance of water for irrigation
was obtained and also a flow of gas
which the owner uses, by piping it up
into his house, for heating, cooking
and lighting purposes.
Mines Of gold, silver and tin have
been opened in various parts of the
country, but, as yet, more money has
been put in there than has been
taken out. Mineral paints of many
hues have been found and company
has been formed for manufacturing it
Six lines of railroad focus at Los
Angeles city, and there are over two
hundred miles of railroad in the
county. and more now in construc.
ton. Four steamers ply regularly ur
and down the coast, touching ct our
ports as they pass.
And now Twill close with para.
graph applying TO our own Santa
ADnaValley bounded on the north aud
east by the foothills of the Sierra
Madre range and Oh the south and
west by the Pacific ocean. This valley,
which occupies the southern portion
of our country, is the field of as diver
sified line of industries as can be
found in any country in the known
world. The sandy, gravelly loan near
the foothills, being rich soil washed
from the mountain sides, is admirably
adapted to the culture of citrus fruits
and vines. Further down and towards
the middle of the valley, nearly every
conceivable species of vegetable pro.
duction found on the continent,as well
as in the tropics. will grow and -four
ish side by side, in wonderful pro-
fusion.
Corn, oranges, lemons and beets,
figs and barley, peaches and onions,
grapes and peas, lines and pumpkins,
apricots and potatoes, cabbage and
pomegranates, chestnuts and persim-
mons, almonds and peanuts, English
walnuts and squashes, plums and tur'
nips, and every kind of garden truck
and field crops that add to the pros
perity and happiness of the human
race, grow within these narrow limits
10 perfection that is tie wonder OF
the world, while the yield is often III
| credible. AS an instance of the yield
of grapes: Messrs. Mcpherson Bros,
our leading raisin producers and ship
pers, bought and paid for twenty
eighttons of Muscat grapes that grew
Oh one acre and three-quarters OF
ground, or at the rate of sixteen tons
of grapes per acre. These would
make at least seven tons of raisins,
worth at wholesale $3.50 per ton.
Nearer the cost lies the artesian belt,
naturally sub-irrigated, and the home
Of corn, alfalfa, stock-raising and
dairying.
The increase last year in the yield
of citrus fruits was fifty per cent, and
many new orchards are coming into
bearing, and the increase in grapes
was still greater. Last year the entire
valley shipped $4,000 boxes GO pounds
each) of raisins, of which Mcpherson
Bros. shipped 10000 boxes. This sea-
son 130. 900 will be shipped, of which
Mcpherson Bros. will ship $4,000
boxes.
No more at present, as l do not
wish to depopulate Kansas.
Respectfully,
JUSTIN NJ. COPELAND.