Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-03
Los N!ETOS VALLEY,
A Description of Rivera and It's
Groves.
Something About Walnuts Worth
Knowing.
Crops That viii Open the Eyes of Those
who Go Far Away From Home
to See Wonderful
Sights.

main lines OF the Santa Fe anG Southern
Pacific railways, and takes in the Ran
chos La Habra, Santa Gertrudes anc
Paso de Bartolo, in all about 10000
acres of level land. For many years
this section was noted for its immense
crops of corn and potatoes and for great
numbers of fine hogs. Now, where
twenty to forty years ago were thou
sands of acres of corn, the English wal
nut has entirely taken the place, the
soil being especially adapted to the pro-
duction of the walnut.
The first English walnuts were plant
ed on the old Barton homestead, one
quarter OF mile east of the present cite
of Rivera, and now the property OF
Joseph Burke. They were set out about
fifty years ago, and were the beginning
of walnut raising in Southern Califor-
MIA. They are still vigorous, thrifty
and heavy bearers. From this modest
beginning of four or five acres, Los Nj
etos has become famous as the place
where the English walnut grows to per-
lection, is most productive and yields
the greatest profit of any portion of the
United States.
Rivera-Is the central and most i'm
portant point in the valley-a town
wears old, of 500 inhabitants, laid out in
and surrounded by walnut groves. The
first train passed through the town just
five years ago. Previously Los Nietos
was the postoffice and principal town,
but then Rivera came into existence al
most in day and now has fine depot
and more houses, with facilities for
handling the immense crops of walnuts,
oranges, grain, fruits and vegetables
that would be credit to a large city.
Rivera possesses two churches, Baptist
and Presbyterian. Services are also
held in the town hall by the Christian
and Holiness denominations. There is
good graded school, hotel and stores
of all kinds.
For many years only hardshell wal
nuts were planted. but IL years ago Mr..
William Sexton developed the nut now
known as the improved softshell nut,
the first of this variety being planted on
his ranch at Ventura, now owned by
by j. @. Daley. The next year Mr.. I'll.
L. Montgomery of Rivera secured a lot
of the young trees from Ventura and
put out 36 acres, planting them 40 feet
each way, making 81 trees to the acre.
Many orchards planted later have been
set out 80 feet each way, because of the
wide spread of the branches when the
trees reached maturity, old trees spread
lug 60 feet across. Montgomery's SO
acres produced, when 9 year old, crop
which sold for $6480. He has all told 70
acres, the rest of the land being set to
young walnts and oranges.
G. w. Pallett and his two sons, t. A.
and w. A. Pallett, own 400 acres-the
boss ranch in that fine locality--of
which $50 acres in soft-shell wslnuts are
just beginning to bear. The other 150
acres are in corn and other farm pro-
ducts. This tract has been in corn for
twenty five years past and has averaged
from 75 to 100 bushels to the acre.
When the 250 acres now in walnuts are
15 years old, at conservative estimate,
the income will be from $50, 900 to $751;
900 per annum. In five years it will be
the finest walnut grove in the world.
L. L. Bequette has 40 acres adjoining
Rivera on the west, 80 acres in soft-shell
walnuts, just coming into bearing (his
last years crop brought $2844) 10 acres
in oranges; acres being taken up by
his beautiful house and grounds. Mr..
Bequette is one of the pioneer nursery
men of this part'of the state, and the
income from his ranch enables him to
live in elegant style at Redondo Beach.
Mrs. III. A. Flora has eighty acres op-
p6sits Mr.. Bequette, of which seventy
acres are in walnuts and ten acres in
oranges and lemons.
G. w. Tweedy has 40 acres set solid to
walnuts. His trees are from s to 10
years old, prolific bearers, and they
bring an income that would send the
average mau to the seashore for half the
year and to the mountains for the other
b If. For many years be was noted
corn and hog raiser, but he has grown
above that now. He has one tree, the
crop of which he kept and weighed sep
arately two years ago. At the price he
got for his crop, the nuts from this tree
brought $33, and 81 such trees to the
acre would bring $89l. Brother Twee
dy's a good Baptist, as well as Demo-
crat, and is to be believed when he says
that he will make affidavit to the above
statement.
A. Dorman has SO acres across from
Mr. Tweedy's; 20 acres in 22-year-old
lwalnuts 40 acres in young trees and the
remainder in corn and alfalfa. Mr.. Dor
man bought his place at the bargain
counter of some real estate firm several
years ago; has been offered over $40, 900
for it, but like the good Presbyterian
that he il, he said no as positively as if
he had been asked to dance.
James Patrick Fleming, from the "tar-
heel' section, but unlike its celebrated
governor, never admits that it is ''long
time between drinks" especially since
the nomination of sold Tennessee's''
chief Of America, better and now widely
known as Grover Cleveland. He has
fifty acres two miles southwest OF Ri.
vera. of which fifteen acres are in 12-
year-old walnuts, twenty-five acres in g.
year-old soft shells, one acre in navel
oranges, and nine acres in corn and
alfalfa.
Adjoining Fleming on the south VIM
Carrnthers has eighty acres. OF this
fifty acres is in walnuts just coming into
bearing, and they give promise of max
ing him independent in short time.
south of him is the eixty acres of j. ]
edy, forty acres being in soft shel
luts, twelve acres in budded or
:ss, eight acres in vines and fruits
Tweedy has fine residence ele
,atly fitted up, and he enjoys all the
comforts of life.
Next on the south is the property ol
the popular Spring street merchant, W.
+. Ball. who has 1O3 acres. Foreseeinl
the certain future of this wonderfully
productive section, he bought his place
and at once put out lightweight acre.
=. eff shol1 mo 1nt1fa Sinca then III