New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
LOWER CALIFORNIA.

PEN1NSULAR CALIFORNIA. By CHARLES NoRD-
nofF. svo PIP $50. Illustrated Harper &
In this volume Mr. NordhoH has undertaken a
oricf description of Lower California, and especially
OF that considerable northern moiey of the peninsu
la which has been opened TO settlement under tho
grant of the International Company. The popular
conception Of Lower California has long been that
OF an arid waste, parched by torrd sun. As In
the cases Of Texas and Southern, and indeed, of
all Alta California, this idea based upon tie
imperfect observation of few travellers In re-
gard TO large part of Alta California, moreover,
II must be admitted that the primitive condition
OF the country was forbIdding. Both faith and
knowledge required to inspire belief In the
fertility of the Fresno plains, for example, whilo
the barren rocks Of Southern California discouraged
cultivation and seemed to promise only dsaproin~
mont 10 tho hold cxpcrmentcr Mr. Nordh0h mas
undoubtedly powerful argument on his side in the
simple facts Of Californian land reclamation, ana
after the illustrations of Riverside. Pasadena, Ans
helm, Fresno and other places. tho poentiaiies OF
the most barTcn-loohng regions, when touchd
with the magic wand of irrigation, are too clearly
demonstrated for the old desert" superstition 10
be maintained longer.
But the northern half of Lower California is not
externally the thirsty land" which the primarily
unpromising California regions cited Were The sur
vcy made by the International Company has revealed
the existence of highly varlegated country, embracing
all elevations from the level up to some thirteen
thousand feet, and afording the climatic conditions
requisite for all the tropical and most of the temperate
fruits anu cereals in the t0rrid interior valleys the
Arabian palm nourishcs and bears thlftiiy, while
on the cooler mountain slopes the apple prospers
Corn such as would delight the eye of an Illinois
farmer grows in the northern peninsula ana the ohVo
IS so hardy that groves planted by tic MISSION
Fathers more than century ago, and since negiectcu
continue TO yield abundantly. There Is water Ill
plenty and Its continuance is assured by the mountain
wiki cb tbc lacEb nj
always provided that the fine body OF pine forest
which clothes the mountain chain does not oHer 100
strong temptation TO contemporary greco OF gain
Mr. Nordhof gives statistics revealing the abundance
OF this timber, and he shows with what ease the noun
tain streams be made to transport IT TO the coast
But he overloohs vital fact. and It Is ciIcum-
stance the pc1versc ignoring Of which threatens this
whole country with ser'Aus trouble. There Is Ill
American civilization to-day scarcely anything so HUE
creditable the popular intelligence as the reckless
destruction Of the forests In Europe all the great
powers have long since made provision for the re-
placement of their forest growth Reboisement, as ii
is called he's there been systematzcd and made the
subject Of code of laws. We. however continue
hlindly to destroy timber, leaving it to our sue
10 reap the consequences OF our selfish and IN
lghtercd policy. Now 1t is quite certain that II
Lower California is to be prspcrous settled. one Of
the first steps taken should be to preserve the forests
upon the existence Of which the whole water supply of
the peninsula largely depends 1t is idle to talk sim
ultancously Of permanent and extensive system Of
irrigation for the dry sections and Of the development
of great lumber trade 1t should be recognized at
once that II the timber be cut down the irrigation
Of the low lands must IN long time become impos-
sible There is element Of conjecture about this
prediction. The experiment has been made too often
in Europe for any doubt 10 remain the issue.
Denuda,ion Of watershed involves the LIBERALIZATION
Of the plains dependent upon that watershed in all
in northern Lower California the land Is in The
hands of a company, and there IS consequently
means of preventing the mischief which reckless tim
bercuttng is certain TO entail. This question. too,
IS vital the whole colonization scheme for who
buys land the peninsula Will Cut any guarantee
against the dcnudation Of The mountain viii be
placed eventually In prccarious position though
he had settled The flank OF not dead but sleeping
volcano No doubt the American farmer may find
the fact that Lower California is Mex,c9n territory
drawback to settlement. Mr. NnIylhoT also
ddy states that the Mexican tariff is in poets
hindrancc though not without compensations. His
book willie pretending TO give full details. makes
an encouraging showing for the region treated Of and
claims for parts of II and natural fertility
exceeding those Of all the most favored sections
of southern California The volume Is furnished with
outline maps Of the peninsula, and number of pho
tographic representations intended TO illustrate the
facunditv of nafurc I'm Tho region dpscribed