Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-03
FAIR CAHUENGA.
Winter Vegetables in the Frost
less Belt.
Hammel & Denker's Ranch in
the F0Othill.
A Graphic Description of the Resources
of a Section Where the Finest
Vegetables on the Coast
are Raised

nestled at the foot of Cahuenga pass,
shows fresh improvements every time it
is visited This, in common with the
rest of the frostless belt, is evidently
destined to become great lemon-grow-
ing section. E. @. Hurd has ten acres
in oranges and lemons, the latter only
two years old and loaded with fruit. Mr..
Hurd cures them by simply packing
them in sand in his cellar.
Colegrove is the Oldest improved place
of Importance in this part of the valley.
The tasteful residence of ex-senator Cole,
embowered in thick foliage, looks cool
and inviting.
Between Colegrove and the Soldiers
home. distance OF about ten miles,
there are dozen ideal Southern Cali
fornia homes of ten, twenty or forty
acres nestled on the hillside, or at the
mouths of the several romantic cai1ons
which open into the mountaing. The
city visitor views with longing these
charming places, 80 near the concen-
trated city civilization and yet 30 en-
tirely free from the turmoil and rush Of
city life. Among the noteworthy places
are those of Messrs. Benedict, Miller
and Durfee. The vegetation along here
is quite tropical. At the Durfee place,
says writer who visited this section in
company with Mr.. Denker, we picked
ripe bananas, growing half wild, with
out any care; also large lines, as clean
and bright as new dollar. Immense
lemon trees, loaded with fruit, stand in
hollow, where they receive no irriga-
ton beyond the natural subterranean
drainage from the hills.
The specially OF the frostless belt,
however, is winter vegetables. The
season is just drawing to a close, with
shipments of the last tomatoes, of which
there are several hundred acres along
the valley. The chief vegetables
planted are tomatoes, string beans.
peas, chile peppers and cabbage. 1t is
only during the past few years that the
possibilities of this industry have begun
to be realized, although for long time
San Francisco has drawn its winter
supply of vegetables from this section,
after the frost has stopped shipments
from other quarters. A couple Of years
ago winter vegetable association was
organized and regular shipments were
commenced to eastern points. Since
then, peas, beans, tomatoes and early
potatoes have been shipped in winter
as far east as Boston. The express
rates were very high and with the COM
mission charges, etc, consumed large
portion of the high prices obtained.
Since then the railroads have made
special rate of 81 .05a hundred, in orange
cars, by fast freight to Chicago, Kansas
City and other points. Under this rate
it will be possible to get winter vegeta-
hIoo from AM 10 - Is Al
United States at cost of about cents
per pound. Unfortunately. last winter
the rains came late, preventing the
planting of vegetables in time to realize
the highest winter prices, except in
cases where water was obtainable. The
two great needs of this fertile valley are
transportation and irrigation facilities.
Although everything except citrus fruits
is raised without irrigation, water is
needed to insure the starting of vegeta-
bles at the right time, in case the rains
are delayed There are several projects
for irrigation on foot. Mr.. Denker ia en-
deavoring to solve the problem, as far as
his ranch is concerned, by boring tun-
mel in the hills. 1t is now in over 800
feet, and has developed about four
inches. He expects to. get several hund-
red inches before long, in which case it
will be possible to irrigate large sec
tion of most fertile land.
Since the statistics given by Mr.. Den
ker as to the winter vegetable ship
ments last season show the remarkable
possibilities of this industry. From ten
acres of land he sold 885 sacks of green
peas, weighing 81 1888 pounds. The ave-
rage price received in San Francisco was
g cents a pound. Freight to San Fran
cisco by express is $1.75 a hundred
pounds; commission about 10 per cent !;
expense OF picking, sacking and hauling
to Los Angeles, cent pound. The
gross returns from these ten acres were
over $4,000, of which about $250O was
net profit, less the cost of plowing.
planting and cultivating, which is about
the same as for q crop of corn.
"A few months ago Cbinaman shipped
to San Francisco through Mr.. Denker's
agency spring wagon load of mixed
vegetables, for which check for 1866
was returned. Mr.. Denker thought
there must be some mistake, but it was
found to be all right. Shortly after
ward he was again agreeably surprised,
on sending 100 pounds of green peppers
to San Francisco, to receive remit
tance of $65, the sale having been made
az bbO AdbO Vi w CSAtb u pO6uu. 1QeSo
figures may possibly excite incred-
ulity, but they can be verified, if neces-
Hary.
Tomatoes yield from s 10 10 tons to
the acre and average cents pound
for three months December 18th to
March 18th. String beans yield from
IL to 2 tons. Last winter for three
months they were worth 80 to 40 cents
in San Francisco. Cabbage will yield
about Is tons to the acre and will aver
age through the winter $50 ton. Caul-
iflower IL tons to the acre. Chill pep
pers are worth today 25 cents a pound.
As there are over 900 acres Of this
drostless land it is easy to see that the
annual value on those ten square miles
alone will run into the millions as soon
as water supply is assured. The ex-
press company was paid over 500 an
acre for freight on these ten acres of Mr..
Denker's. The Santa Fe officials are at
present investigating the resources of
the valley.
On the Hammel & Denker ranch sew
eral headers were harvesting heavy
barley crop on 1000 acres of valley land.
There are also 600 acres of fine corn on
the ranch which has never been irri-
gated.
Twenty acres are planted with sugar
beets Of several varieties, which will be
tested for their sugar and then fed TO
the COWS, of which 125 are MIXED
dailv For this nurnoee aucpr heata are