Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-11
THURSDAY, DECEMBER IL, 1890.
HOW THE SECTION STANDS.

Here we are approaching very closely
to the end OF the year, and with it to
the end of the most important decade
that has yet passed over Los Angeles
and all of Southern California. At the
close of 1880 an era was opened that
changed all the section from sparsely
peopled area usually known as the cow
counties into one dotted with cities of
no little pretension, surrounded by
orange groves ard deciduous orchards,
the tout ensemble presenting scene
matchless elsewhere on the face of the
whole earth. The population of the
city of Los Angeles increased not less
than six fold in the period, and that of
the section known as the semi-tropics
pretty well kept pace with this high
ratio. Ii one contemplates the
development of our resources, as evil
denced in the shipment of fruit crops, the
march OF progress has been simply mar
velous. In 1880 the movement of crops to
the markets outside of the section was
of very insignificant proportions. The
movement for the present year is not
yet complete, but it will be colossal in
its magnitude and more so in its value.
The chief item would be some 2600 car
loads of oranges, of 800 boxes each, or
100000, worth over $1,000,000 to the
producers. There will be 100000
pounds of canned goods, 100000
pounds of dried fruit, 100000 pounds
of green fruit, 2OO,0O0,OOO pounds of
honey, 100000 pounds of nuts, 50,000,-
900 pounds of beans, 100000 pounds
of vegetables. These are a few of the
chief items. Raisins are not included,
for the reason that no railroad reports
on this crop have yet been made public.
Let US reflect on the value of these pro-
ducts of our soil. They are not common
commodities, worth centor SO pound.
Nuts are worth ten times that, raisins
still more. dried fruits more than raj
sins, and beans will bring in two to four
cents pound. The aggregate returns
from our crops is something hard to re-
alize. The profits cf these lines of hus-
bandry will range allithe way from 500
an acre up to $1,000 an acre, and even
more.
Now we get down from general re-
suits, which interest the community as
whole, to those which relate directly
to the Individual. AS we remarked
day or two ago, an orchardist at Pasa-
dena, with seventy acres Of deciduous
fruits, half in bearing, banked net
profit of $4,000 from the sale OF his crop.
Many men with ten acres of fruit in
full bearing have received $1,000 from
the products of their trees. The small
communities of few score people,
living within the limits of circle
whose radius is less than three miles,
have received 500, 900 from what grew
on that small area. Riverside, with
5000 people on as many acres, on which
are SOC, 900 trees, half in full bearing, has
banked not much less than $4,000, 900
from the sale of the crop of the past
season. Think of $500 to $4O0 per cap
ita for all the people in the place.
These facts are all becoming we'll estab-
lished in the minds of all the people.
They are having their natural effect.
New settlers are being attracted from
all parts of the world, who are coming
in and possessing themselves of small
patches of this incompatible land. The
buyers for the most part are paying cash
and are proceeding at once to make a
home and plant trees. From all parts
of the section come the same encourag-
ing reports. Those with too much land
are selling part and getting out of debt.
The population is rapidly increasing
with most desirable class of people,
money is becoming easier, interest is
lower, and the area set to orchards is
being rapidly enlarged.
Thus we enter the last decade OF the
century with prospect before us that
is really bewildering in the manifold
charms Of the promises it holds out. By
the middle year Of this period the ship
ments OF oranges will be increased about
ten times, 30 that we shall be shipping
$4,000 carloads of the fruit per year,
worth s10,000,000. There will be per-
haps not so marvellous development in
all other lines of our specialties, but it
will be of proportions more or less sim
liar. By the close of the century there
will be population of close to l,000,0 900
souls in this southern country. No
course OF logical reasoning can lead to
any other conclusion. The knowledge
is being spread broadcast Of the profits
of fruit-growing in this section. At
Chicago 1000 people day visit the per-
manent exhibit. They see what we
produce and learn. the profits. These
visitors go forthirto all the country and
repeat the storyf.o. hundreds OF thous-,
ands. The n5 100000 of people
in the United States will soon learn of
Southern California. Many of those
who see the exhibit so home at once,