Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-10
THE TABLES TURNING.

The TABLES TURNING.
A decade and half ago the northern
part of the state held the southern part
in contempt, and that our section mer-
tied the term applied to us, of cow
counties, was shown by the fact that out
side OF few valleys devoted here and
there to orange and vine culture. our
immense ranches were mere cattle and
sheep ranges.
But since that time great ch ange
has come over the face of nature in this
latitude. The great ranches, especially
those in the fine valleys and on the
table lands, have been cut up and subdi-
vided into small farms and vineyards
and orchards and are now supporting
families instead of sheep and cattle.
There are very few of the great ranches
that it would pay to subdivide left in
their old condition. We can just now
recall but two, and these are the San
Joaquin ranch in Orange county and
the Laguna in this county. The TETON
is still an immense cattle range, and we
doubt whether it is fitted for anything
else. The San Joaquin will be subdi-
vided as soon as the heirs can agree
upon plan of partition or upon terms
of sale for the whole piece. The Laguna
cannot long stand in the way
of the progressive march of settlement
and prosperity that has invariably fol-
lowed in the wake of ranch subdivision.
These two ranches would give homes to
over thousand families, and increase
in value hundredfold, if they were cut
up into small holdings.
Nothing has contributed so much to
the marvellous growth of population in
Southern California as the subdivision
of its extensive ranches, and however
some people may berate the new consti-
tuition, it is fact that this instrument
gave the first impulse to the movement
| that resulted in making our section in
viting to homeseekers and in changing
cattle and sheep ranges into orchards
and vineyards.
| It is curious to note the fact that
whilst this process of benefcent change
has been steadily going on in Southern
California, the very opposite process
has been operating in some portions
of Northern California to turn small
ranches and farms into either extensive
cattle ranges or immense grain fields
owned by few men of great wealth.
The Sacramento Record Union has
looked into this matter thoroughly, and
finds that since 1880 there has been
rapid concentration OF land in few
hands. In 1880 there were twenty-five
landowners in Colusa county, whose
aggregate holdings were 336,5S1 acres.
The largest owner held $500 acres, the
smallest 5000. In 1856 twenty-five own
ers held 347 1892 acres, the largest own
ing 44,951, the smallest 5l19. In 1890
there were thirty-seven persons who
owned more than 5000 acres each, and
the number of acres embraced reached
466, 533. Thus we see that the aggregate
of land owned in that county in 5000
acre holdings and over had increased in
ten years by 11S. 543 acres.
An impetus has been given to this
concentration of land into few owner
ships by the marvellous improvement
made in agricultural, machinery, and
the profits from wheat-growing on
large scale. Whilst the small farms
have been absorbed by the great land
owners, the population instead OF in
creasing has decreased, some of these
counties presenting the pltiable sight of
miles of open country of excellent land
where not home is to be seen.
Ii this tendency to land monopoly
should continue in the north, there will
soon be reversal of the center OF popu
lation in California. The counties
in this part Of the state will hold
the balance Of political power in less
than five years from this time. There
can be no check given to our growth by
possible return to great individual
land-holdings, because irrigation has
become SO firmly established a system
in Southern California that progress in
subdivision is inevitable. The transfer
of the political power of this state to
Southern California means more for our
section than appears on the surface. 1t
means that we shall be able to compel
division when we choose to demand it,
and that we shall be in position to exact
from the federal government and con-
gress consideration which we have
looked for in vain under the domination
of the political power OF the northern
part of the state.