New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-13
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

OUR ITALY BY Charles Dudley Warner. Illustrated.
evo. PIP. viii, 220. Harper a. Brothers,
In this handsome and beautifully illustrated volume
Mr. Warner gives account Of Southern California us
productiveness climate and general advantages which
has the merit Of moderation. He does not as 700
many writers the subject have done. keep out
Of sight all the drawbacks and difficulties but states
them frankly, and with the effect Of making the gen.
eral picture moro impressive. The title of the book
Is fully borne by the text, and more than TINS for
perhaps II needs to be said that Southern California is
not particularly fattered by the common comparison
with Italy, which nowhere offers equable, agreeable
and trustworthy climate does the American state
Those who have visited the Italian santarirms are
well that in those places there are often sharp
and sudden climatic changes, cold winds, transforms
and other atmospheric phenomena which are dangerous
TO invalds and which bring discomfort to everybody
Bat no such vicissitudes are to be unprecedented In
Southern California There the socalled rainy season
lasts only about two months and during Its con-
tinuance there is scarcely day during some part OF
which the most delicate invalid may not safely take
the air For the rest OF the year 1t is possible almost
to live entirely out of doors, and many permanent
residents actually do this, by having bedrooms made
of the ground floor, so that they sleep pre-
cisely much :" al fresco" though they were In
tents.
The fertility of the Southern California soil under in
rlgaton moreover, far exceeds that OF any part OF
Italy and we doubt whether it is anywhere equalled
The productive capacity Of the tracts, like Riverside
Pasadena which have been scientifically irrigated,
is really almost miraculous. There is, however, one
point Of possible difficulty in connection with rrga-
ton which Mr.. Warner has not discussed. Malarious
diseases have hitherto been practically unknown In TINS
favored region but il remains to be whether this
will continue to be the when irrigation has been
applied to great area as to produce appreciate
effects upon the condition Of the atmosphere 1t Is
we'll known That N many other parts of the world
where this method of culture is practisedand even in
-to a1apfo
irrigation on a large scale. There may be something
in the climate of Southern California to prevent THIS
consequence Of the application of water to the SOIL Dut
II is yet to look for conclusion upon TINS
point and much too to assert with commence that
no danger of the kind need be apprehended Several
years must IN ell probability pass before the truth VIII
be known however, and meantime the benefits aceru-
ing from irrigation are so manifold and papable That
the system Is certain to extend indefinitely Another
drawback, mentioned by Mr. Warner, is the ara ana
dusty condition of the country outside the newer se
Elements during the rainless season. At that time
travelling Is attended with very decided discomfort
and IL must be admitted that the general appearance OF
the country is rather depressing dried and wtheed as
its surface appears, away from the irrigated tracts
When this Is said however, nearly all Is said that
can be against Southern California as place OF resi-
dence; and unless man THINKS OF going tfero W
build ND a holding from the native mesa, he need
not suffer from the discomforts Of dust, for WITHIN
the settlements there are ample and extenueo uIes
and walks well watered, well shaded conducive III
every way to health and pleasure. In buying and
working land prepared by any OF the great lano anu
water corporations Also most OF the dimcutles re-
ferred 30 are obvated The settler may neutraEe
his own work by putting on too much water put ne
need never be troubled by dust. With water ludicl
ously applied, everything is possible and while the
price of irrigated land is extremely HIGH the returns
are such as 10 present satisfactory interest upon
even the highest figures per acre, as Mr. warner ere
shows by repeated specific examples. He is oareful
to point out that some capital is required by inc
settler This is the everywhere, OF course, and
where the settlers opportunities seem the best as In
Kansas, for instance. actual experiment has shown
that these opportunities are more than ofset by the
necessity Of borrowing money TO begin operations WITH
State plastered with mortgages is hardly brilliant
demonstration OF the advantages of cheap land; but
In Southern California the settler has virtual GER
tajnty of swift and large returns upon his investment
and he knows that he can always raise an abundance
of vegetables and fruit for the subsistence of himself
and his family while awaiting the maturity of his
slower crops, such as vines, oranges and olives.
Southern California does not, perhaps offer so many
openings to mechanics as TO agriculturists IL is
true as Mr. Warner observes, that in the absence
of @booms" there must be great deal of building 60
ing on for many years TO Gomez but this involves v-
ing In the small towns for the most part, and these
are subject to all the drawbacks of growing and I'M
finished places 1t is in the producveness of its soil
that this generous region Will, for the hfetlme OF
generation at least present the strongest attractions
There can be no doubt that great future is already
prepared for the wine and raisn and orange and olive
and fig and smal-fruit industries century viii
probably not suce develop the full capacity Of the
region for the extent Of country remaining to be
settled is enormous. The fact, too, that certain
amount of capital is required to take up this mode of
life will cause the general development TO be measured
IL cannot be like that of other Western territories
where emigrants have nocked by thousands and each
wandorer has set up his roof tree where he listed with
out further provision than winters provisions,
little seed corn and yoke of cattle or team Of horses
Here more provision is demanded and more delbera~
ton but when the new life is set dn motion there
is much less danger of compulsory halts or checks OF
any kind. The great prosperity OF southern Cahiora
is already fully assured. OF that there can be no
oneston with those who acquainted with inc iacts
and such as do not know them can gather from MI
warmers careful statements enough solid material TO
base judgment upon.
The author has given some space 70 consideration
of question which has been often broached out never
settled 1t is to the effect OF the southern Gall
fornia climate upon the temperament of the human,
and especially the American, Some have thought
tba, this soft mild equable climate must deterorate
all who live In IT. that they would In time become
INDECENT dreamy, a sort OF lotoeaers that hey woud
lose all energy, and sink into the sioth ana apaty
which characterize the native Californans. What may
bappen In the course of centuries Of course 1t is I'M
possible to forete but this much quite certain that
Americans have lived in Southern California for twenty
thirty forty fifty years, and that no change Of the
kind referred to has been observed In them So far
as can be perceived they do not lose their energy OF
become dreamy indoent, and we do not think that
there is any ground for fear as to the future
in this respect. Moreover, 1t must be borne In mind
that the California climate is not relaxing but bracng
its effects quite unlike those OF summer weather
in the Eastern States II not ut all tropical country
for one wears woolen clothing all the year round
Altogether therefore, there is probably no reason 10
anticipate any other change than change for the
Setter in the descendants OF the settlers who
orenino nm this MAGNIFICENT regOn.