Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-31
THE RANCHES.
Southern California Products
and Producers.
The Advantages of Bamboo as
Fencing Material.
How aSanta Barbara County Rancher
Makes Money.
The Profits from a Riverside Orange
Orchard-News Notes of General
Interest on Farm Matters.

The Kern County Echo speaks of a
valuable invention of @. A. Maui in util-
izing bamboo for fencing, and says that
some two or three years ago he got few
bamboo roots from w. A. Saunders of
Fresno county. These grew and multi
piled until now Mr.. Maui has about an
acre set to this plant.
In the time that he has had it, oppor-
tunity has been had for studying its
growth here, and it may now be asserted
that on that point there is no need for
fear. 1t does best in damp land, pro-
ducing there the greatest number and
largest growth of canes, but valuable
crop can be secured on land of ordinary
moisture.
Mr.. Maui has just completed the con-
struction of mile of fence, using these
bamboo canes for pickets, and knows
what the cost is. His plan is this ::
Secondhand railroad ties were bought
and split for posts. These were set rod
| apart. With machine that cost about
| $25 the canes were woven into web
using six No. Ia wires for the chain.
The canes were cut 81 feet long, the
fence posts are 4 feet high, and along
the top OF the latter barbed wire is
stretched, SO that when completed one
has chicken or rabbit-proof fence as
we'll as strong stock fence. This fence,
Mr.. Maui says, can be built for 40 cents
a rod where one raises his own bamboo.
He thinks the full annual capacity of an
acre of bamboo, if well set and we'll
watered, would be fully four miles of
fencing.
The advantages of this fence are
many. First and foremost it costs less
than almost any other fence made; it is
neat and attractive; about the only
item of expense is for labor. and that
keeps the money at home; it is very
durable, the bamboo becoming as hard
as bone and never rotting; rabbits can
not gnaw it. and it will not ignite from
burning grass near it, as common pine
fencing or lath will; stock can see it,
and hence will uot run against it.: it can
be made of any height desired, the canes
growing as high as twelve to fifteen feet !;
il may be taken down, piled up and
moved without injury and at slight ex
pense.
HOW ONE RANCHER MAKES MONEY.
The Santa Barbara Press has the fol-
lowing to say about Mr.. Joseph Sexton's
ranch in Goleta. 1t illustrates the va
riety of ways by which the Southern
California farmer can make money:
Whether Mr.. Sexton has an unusually
productive piece of land, or exercises
unusual skill, we will leave for others
to decide, but no one can deny that his
success has been astonishing. He has
only sixty-fve acres in all, and while
only small portion of it ia in pampas
grass, he markets $4,000 or $1,000 worth
of plumes every year. The past season
he shipped 250,000.
He has few acres in loquats that
bring handsome little income of them
selves. Yet Mr.. Sexton 8 principal bus
mess is as scotsman and florist; this sea-
son he shipped 10000 lily bulbs east
from half an acre of ground. When this
field of lilies was in bloom it was esti-
mated that there were one million of
these beautiful white flowers out.
Thousands of dollars worth of seeds,
plants, cut flowers, and nuts besides are
marketed annually. One acre of this
place is more profitable than whole
quarter section in many parts OF the
state that is devoted to wheat raising.
When Mr.. Sexton exhibited his carna
tions two weeks ago, he had AGO varie-
ties and since that time the number has
been increased to 800.
1t would require volume to describe
the many rare, beautiful and profit-mak-
ing products of this outdoor conserva-
tory.
PROFITS IN ORANGES.
"a. J. Twogood, of Riverside, was one
of the first settlers in that place, and he
has been constantly engaged in the cul-
tivation of oranges there to this day.
Some twenty years ago he planted 430
trees twenty-seven feet apart each way,
given the trees at that time. The trees
took up about six acres of ground. They
are now fine trees, all seedlings, of course
as the original navel buds had not
reached Southern California then.
Last fall and winter Mr.. Twogood put
$4,000 worth of fertilizers on his little
bit of ground, using all sorts of good
material, from sheep corals, stables,
bone and phosphates. He has just fin
ished marketing the crop, and finds
$500 to the credit OF those six acres of
twenty-year-old Seeding orange trees.
1t is an average of about $17 tree, or
$1250 per acre. If the cost of fertilizing
is deducted it still leaves net profit of
$500 from the six acres, or nearly $917
per acre. The cost OF taking care of the
orchard Is nominal, and that of market
ing not large. -GCalifornia.
NOTES.
The latest gopher exterminator which
has been brought to the notice of the
people is the weasel, small animal a
little larger than squirrel, which is
the mortal enemy OF mice, rats, gophers,
etc. 1t is claimed that one weasel will,
in very short time, clean a ten-acre
lot of gophers. Elk.
California brandies have taken fret
rank in the world. In France, where
the best brandy is supposed to be made,
at the Paris exposition, the California
product received first prize, gold medal
and diploma. Never drink brandy, but
if you will drink it let it be California
brandy, the best on earth, and the pro-
duct Of our own country. Pasadena
Star.
i I \