Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-05-21
The Need of the Hour.

Capital, backed by energy and brains
has a fine opportunity in this section at
this particular time. Whatever of in
f1ation the speculative boom impaired to
values of realty has been more than dis
counted by the natural reaction. The
slow market came upon many foolish
people who had bought ten times as
much property as they could pay for.
The result has been to force these people
to get out the best they can, and such
of the class as saved themselves, "by
the skin of their teeth" if this highly
poetic expression will be pardoned, have
done we'll. While these "plupgers"
have been adjusting their chaotic affairs,
wise men, who had made judicious in
yes tments, are forced to rest on their
oars until the procession of the unwise is
passed. Thus it has come about that
realty has settled everywhere to quite a
number of points below its actual value.
Now is the time to buy.
The future of the country is definitely
assured. The county of Los Angeles is
capable of supporting half million OF
people and not find her resources ex-
hausted. There is about one-quarter of
that number here. All around here are
great ranches of from 5000 to 100, 900
acres in body. There may be one
house on such ranch. They are await
ing new influx of settlers to enrich
themselves by easy work in perfect
climate. This is the class OF
people needed here now. They need
to be good farmers with a
little capital. They want to understand
the methods of husbandry pursued in
intelligent, progressive, energetic com,
munities. Los Angeles county does not
need any more farmers who wish to con.
fine their attention to single line OF in
dustry. She has plenty of the class who
know how to raise barley, but who are
as obtuse as the bulldog, who learns only
one lesson-how to get hold, but cannot
learn how to let go. This class of farmers
is Cutting the country with barley SO that
the price is now down to half cent q
pound, and with hay, which cannot be
sold, baled, at IS per ton. These pro-
ducts cost more to put them in the
market. Nor is there much call here fol
men who buy land at $3.50 an acre, plant
| it with trees at an expense of 500 an
acre, cultivate it fer three or four years
when it will stand them in $500, and
then when the orchard is in bearing, can
find no way of getting their crop converted
into cash.
The section is importing eggs, poultry,
butter, cheese, and all kinds OF meat.
Here are plains where cattle and sheep
fatten aim ost without care all the year
around. Here are hills covered with
oaks, wild walnuts, and weeds on which
hogs will fatten until they are fit for the
knife. What is now needed is class OF
| farmers who will not sell hay at
IS per ton when butter is worth
25 cents a pound, and who will
not sell barley at half cent pound,
while eggs bring 20 cents a dozen, and
imported hams IS cents pound. There
will be surplus of 100000 centals OF
barley in this county this year. How
many hogs would that fatten? AS it
stands, it will be difficult for the pro-
ducers to get $25O,OO0 for it. 1t would
be worth at least twice that sum in the
shape of good hogs next December.
In our fruit products, too, there
is a splendid opening for the
use of capital. The producers should
form a general association, which would
take steps to secure a market for Their
splendid crops. In all the districts
where orchards abound there should be
provided facilities for drying and curing
the product. The upper counties ship
to the East yearly hundreds, yes, thous-
ands OF carloads OF fruit in natural
state. This is made possible because
of the existence of an associa-
ton which sees to shipping and
marketing the peaches, apricots,
pears, ETC.. There is an opportunity
to do the same thing here. Some of our
people are like the pioneer who laid bare
his strong arm to blaze a way through
the forest, and yelled to his followers to
come along, yet when the goal was
reached, neither the leader nor the men
knew what they were there for. The Sec
ton needs more concert of action; more
| fertility of ideas and of methods. Ma
ture, in the soil aud climate, has done q
liberal share but all such natural en-
dowments presuppose the supplementary
cooperation of human energy, guided by
human intelligence. If not so supple
mented, these natural gifts do not count
for much.
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