Los Angeles herald., 1890-11-28

to appear on a naWkef'S barrow In Fleet
street, would speedily cause an obstruc-
tion by collecting a crowd. 1t will be
borne in mind, however, that results
like these are derived only from labor
and energy. The orange-grower is by
no means without his cares, anxieties,
and natural enemies; and his life con-
sists of something more than sitting in
q corner of his orchard smoking the pipe
of peace and watching the growth.
''The canning fruits OF Southern Cal
ifornia share the honors with the Or
ange. The enormous productiveness of
the peach, apricot and pear is such as to
sound almost incredible to English ears
if put into figures. Within the last few
years vast strides have been made in the
direction of introducing new and select
kinds, and studying the conditions of
soil and cultivation which afford the best
produce. The cannery is another sight
not easily forgotten, and the same may
be said of the homesteads, where all the
gagged in the duty of picking and sorting,
by the bushel, peaches and apricots such
as would change hands in London
shop at from sixpence to half crown
apiece. The strawberry season COM
Der and there is no reason why, when
the variety of kinds is extended, this
magnificent fruit should not be peren-
nial in Southern California. On the up
lands and among the foothills of the
main mountain ranges, where lower
summer temperature prevails, it may be
said that there is scope for an entirely
fresh series of products and it is in this
respect that the country affords so re-
markable field OF choice to those
whose previous experience may have
been gained in European cultivation.
The potatoes OF the higher and cooler
lands have returned as much as from
500 to $500 per acre, and, unlike warm
climate potatoes in general, possess all
the priced qualities OF the English tubeY.
The cherry, unsuited to share the home
of the orange, yields an almost fabulous
production, both in size and quantity,
and the almond, reckoned somewhat
risky grower on the lower lands, has
been known to bear in the third year.
The gooseberry, currant, raspberry, and
blackberry of these (comparative) high
lands are described as of immense size,
fresh, plump and beautiful Within
reach by railway of a capital like Los
Angeles-nOw city of nearly 10000 in
habltants-all these products find an
unfailing and increasing market. Last,
but by no means least, word must be
given to the attractive subject of grape
growing. The extraordinary success at
tending the culture of this fruit--a pro-
duction at once poetical and practical
is evidenced by the export of raisins
from Los Angeles county, which, from
2O00 boxes ten years ago, has
risen to l25, 900 at the present date. The
total production of California has now
reached no less than thirty three mil
lion pounds of raisins, being double the
quantity produced so recently as the
year 1887. This vast return, of course,
excludes the amount sold as fresh or
table grapes, locally and throughout the
United States, and also constituting
rapidly increasing trade. The hand
someogrape clusters shown in our illus
tration are the production of the infant
colony OF Beaumont, on the San Cor
gonlo pass, in the southern county OF
san Bernardino-an upland valley pos
sessing all the qualifications insuring an
immediate future of the highest pros
perity. 1t is in such situations, at an ele-
walton OF some two Or three thousand
feet above the ocean level, that the
greatest variety of fruit growth is at
talned with the utmost security of GER
tain success; not to mention conditions
of bodily health, before which even the
scourges of consumption and exhausted
nerves are put to flight.
The vlne-grower may also include in
his occupation the manufacture of wine,
if possessed of sufficient capital to con-
duct it. There are hundreds of thou
sands of acres of cheap land eminently
suited to the culture; and although the
California wines are. fer trade purposes,
occasionally branded with European
names, the consumer must admit that
the best kinds afford no reason why
they should not stand boldly upon their
native designations, as in fact many of
them do. In this case, even irrigation is
not necessity, for on many lands an
excellent yield and quality are obtained
without it. Already careful study has
been given to the selection of suitable
cuttings, and the profit of vineyard in
full bearing and well cared for may be
estimated at $50 or $40 per acre for the
choicer kinds.
so far as the prospects of the in
tending fruit grower are concerned, the
main point to be borne in mind is that
no amount of glowing description-and
in land like California, many truthful
descriptions must necessarily be of that
nature-should lead him to expect an
earthly paradise, without the earthly
qualifications OF industry, common sense
and experience. With these kept stead
lily in view and in practice, success may
be reckoned as sure as any branch of
human labor can achieve. Gold mines
may fiuctuate, and other enterprise may
partake more or less of speculative
character; but fruit production is
matter Of well attested facts and figures,
regularly and protitably increasing year
by year"