Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-16
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1888.

otreeJ, between spring ana fOrt, LOS AnSeies
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16. 1883.
The Value of Los Angeles Lands.
The HERALD this morning devotes
very large portion of its space to de-
tailed and exhaustive review of the farm
ing lands Of this county and section,
and to facts connected with their value
and the actual prices at which they are
held in many cases. 1t will be seen that
our researches have effectually exploded
the idea that we have no cheap lands.
Farming lands can be had as low as $40
an acre, but in large bodies. OF course
it only requires that there should be an
earnest inquiry for these lands to secure
their subdivision, at perhaps slight ad-
vance. But a very desirable class of
farming lands can be had at the rate
of $50 an acre in lots to suit. Now,
these lands ought to meet the
views of intending settlers. When
they are considered with reference to
their advantages. they are much cheaper
lands than can be had in Northern Cali
fornia; for it must be remembered that
good lands, we'll located, in that part OF
the State cannot be had cheap.
The impression seems to prevail that
the only cheap lands are to be had in the
upper counties, when the fact that
eligibly situated lands in that part of the
State are not to be had as cheap as lands
with much better possibilities to the
settler can be had in this section. We
know that there are strips of land on
the rice of the foothills east of the Sacra-
mento that can be had at from $50 to
$40 an acre. From personal observation
we also know that these lands, cheap as
they appear 10 be, are not worth as
much as our cheapest lands. They are
generally covered with shrubbery, deeply
rooted in the soil, that has to
be cleared at an expense of from
$40 to $40 an acre, bringing
their cost up to from $50 to
$50. But that is not the worst of it.
Men who have gone on those lands have
found out to their sorrow that they are
anything but profitable. The land is
cold, and the growths are slow and un-
reliable. Wherever the lands are
otherwise in that section, as in
the vicinity of Newcastle, they
range at from 500 to $3.50 an
acre. The fact is. the same rule obtains
in the northern part of the State that
obtains everywhere-lands are rated at
their productive value, and will be high
or low in accordance with the character,
auality and quantity of their productions,
and the facilities for getting these to
profitable market.
t, Now, if we take this axiom as the
guide to the value of lands in this county,
it will be seen that our lands are the
cheapest in the State, because they are the
best in productive results. Why should
forty acres of land that can be made to
produce six or eight crops of alfalfa
year be held at the prices
that are asked for lands in the
northern counties which can barely
produce one crop of anything? 1t would
be absurd to sell man fine gold watch
as cheap as common time-keeper
with silver cases. Those people, how
ever, who come here with the Western
idea of extensive farms, must dis
abuse themselves Of it. They must
consider that farmer with
forty acres in this county can
double discount in results the farms of
one hundred and sixty acres elsewhere.
If he can purchase forty acres of we'll
watered lard here for the same aggre-
gate price, he would have to pay for one
hundred and sixty in the north, he
should certainly, if be is wise, elect
to buy the forty acres here; for
With less labor he would produce in.
fnitely greater results. and conee-
quently profit, from his forty acres
here than he could with his hundred
and sixty in the north. In the north
with his cheap land he would hardly
have a single production to mar
ket the first, or even the second
or third year; whilst here he
could produce his alfalfa crop
from the start. He could put out vines
and trees that would be growing whilst
he was making money right along from
his cows, and from the potatoes and
other vegetables he could raise, and
which are always marketable here at
profit. His vines would come into bear
ing the third year, and his trees would be
yielding fruit to sell the fourth.
Thus he would have almost instant re-
turns from his forty acres here, with
constantly increasing results till the
fourth year, when he would be in state
Of Independence. Just about that time,
the man on his hundred and sixty acres
north would begin to have something to
ship to market, II he was in good luck.
Intending settlers should devote seri-
GUS consideration to this aspect Of the
question before they rsshly leave this
section to locate in the north.