Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-29
A CHAT ABOUT CROPS AND THR RAIN
FALL.

The HERALD's appeal to the weather
clerk to give US two or three inches ol
rain at once-an invocation which we
addressed to him on Sunday, at the
hour of present writing-has been re-
sponded to at once. Any one who will
get on any of our numerous lines of rail
way and ride in any direction will see
gratifying evidences of the fact that
Jupiter Pluvius can listen to prayer as
graciously as in the old classic days.
His worship may have been intermitted,
| but, as in the present case, he knows
how to forget and forgive, and do a
polite thing occasionally. Between Los
Angeles and the sea in every direction
there are thousand little lakes, and
towards both Santa Monica and Will
mington one would think that it had
been raining sans intermission for the
last six weeks. The rainfall has been
generous within the city limits, but it
has been much more liberal on the coast
and in the mountains. At Santa Mon
lea the rainfall has been third greater
than in the city, and in the mountains
and the foothills the precipitation has
been even greater than on the coast.
We have thus the guarantee of the
starting of an ideal season. Already
enough rain has fallen to start the grass
finely, and to admit of ploughing both
valley and mesa lands. No farmer can
make mistake in planting and
sowing early. Those who took
the HERALD's advice in this re-
gard last year have had every
reason to congratulate themselves on
having done so. The old rule in Los
Angeles has been to wait after the first
rains to see if others would follow. This
primitive style OF acting and farming
must be stopped, and the era Of COM
mon sense inaugurated. AS matter of
fact, even the grower OF the cereals has
twice the advantage in Los Angeles
county that his brother in Ohio and
New York possesses. Luxuriant corn
crops have been grown in this county
that were planted after the last rain I,
and which never received drop OF irri-
cation. But such chances ought not to
be taken by man of sense. When rain
enough has fallen to admit Of ploughing
and sowing the gang-plough and the
seed ought to be on hand.
1t is very fortunate thing that the
rainfall this year promises to be abund-
ant. Last year the precipitation was
not up to the normal standard; and, as
consequence, our waterrourses and
natural reservoirs have been to some ex-
tent depleted. The mesa farmers were
obliged to suffer somewhat. A season of
plenteous downpour will remedy all this,
and give US reserve Of moisture for
succeeding years. The presumptions
are great that, during the coming sea-
son, the rainfall will be somewhere
between 20 and 30 inches. Very erro-
neous ideas have prevailed as to the
average precipitation in Los Angeles
county. This is in no California sense
region OF scant rainfall. During the
past fifteen years the average rainfall
here has slightly excee led that of the
Sacramento valley. A contrary i'm
preston has existed because we attach
great Importance to irrigation here
abouts. We do go not because it is nee
essary, except in the case of the citrus
fruits, but because, through its aid, two
and three crops a year can be raised.
We know Of several ranches between
Los Angeles and the sea, cropped by
Cinnamon, on which four crops of peas,
beans and potatoes have been grown on
the same land in a twelvemonth.
The fact is that there has not been an
absolute failure of crops in Los Angeles
county since the phenomenal dry season
of1S76-77. During that time such states as
New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio have
had grievous drouths at least three
times; even the Croton lake, from which
New York city receives its water supply,
having nearly gone dry. The actual
amount of the rainfall in Los Angeles
county does not tell the story of it's
utility in the line of production. In
this climate we can raise the cereals on
one-half OF the precipitation required to
mature crop of the same sta
pie in New York, Ohio or
Pennsylvania. Ten inches OF rain
coming opportunely are ample for
crop here. There is period when the
corn is in the taasle, when, even in such
comparatively virgin soils as those OF
Illinois and Missouri, If the rain is de-
layed FOR period OF two weeks the crop
is irrecoverably gone. No such draw
back attends the farmer in this favored
land.
Meanwhile, we may we'll felicitate our
selves on the auspicious beginning of
the season. The crops of the citrus
fruits were in most promising con-
dition before the rain. Our orange and
lemon groves will be in fine feather
from this time forward. Lord Byron is
authority for the idea that an orange
tree in full bloom is the finest thing in
nature. The tourist may, in Los Angeles
and San Bernardino counties, swing
through countless miles of the best
tended orange and lemon groves in the