The herald., 1893-10-16
ABOUT IRRIGATION.
A Statement Published Nearly Twenty
Years Ago.

|
A Statement Published Nearly Twenty
Years ago.
Mr.. A. W. Potts handed the HERALD
yesterday the following which, under
the signature of sold Resident" he
published in the HERALD in 1874:
Will you please permit me to make q
| few statements through the columns oi
your paper in reference to the question
| of water, which is attracting so much
attention at present, and which is OF
vital Importance to the growth and
prosperity of this city and country.
When came here 25 years ago there
were but very few acres OF land irrigated
below Seventh street east of Main street,
and notan acre anywhere west of Main
street: yet many of our old citizens
| thought we had as much land under
cultivation as could be wateved from the
Los Angeles river. But we have grsdu-
ally extended our bitches till we have
10 acres under irrigation to every one we
had then, and yet there are volumes Of
water running to waste, through the
neglect or miHmanagemeut of our city
fathers. From my own personal expe-
rience in irrigating, wish to show to
the voters OF this city and country, as
we'll as strangers who are perfectly en-
raptured with our country, that we have
an abundance of water, if properly
utilized, to irrigate all the land from the
foothills to the ocean.
We have at present nine bitches, af-
iording what is called two heads OF
water each. How one of these heads
of water viii irrigate or food 25 acres in
II hours, if the land is in proper condi-
q sAx, ,,.l t,n x-ol -.
this water day and night we could irri-
gate 90 acres with each head, and hav-
ing Is heads We could be able during
the "a hours to irrigate 900 acres, or
27 900 acres in one month. This guam
tity of water can be doubled by fuming
a few miles and proper management, 80
that in the came time zone month) we
can irrigate 80, 400 acres.
And this is not the extent of our re-
sources, for at a comparatively small
cost we can build reservoirs or dams that
can be filled from the river in the winter
season when the water is running to
waste. Thus we could double the guam
tity of water again, and be able to irri-
gate lou, 500 acres of land, or an area
nine miles wide to the sea. But it is
claimed that this would run the city in
debt, and it is thought best not to incur
expense for the city by our wise guar
dians lost, forsooth, they should incur
| the displeasure of the people, and thus
| loee their positions. Let us examine
! this matter and see whether it would
pay or not.
Under the present water system
there are nine bitches, affording Is
heads of water, that are sold at an aver
! age OF So per day and night for each
head of water, which makes S54 per day,
or 1920 per month, or 1925 for elk
months. Reasoning from analogy, it
would pay interest ON $4,000 at l y per
cent per month to double the quantity
of water and to quadruple it would pay
to make an investment OF $3.50 600 by
the sale of water alone. Besides this,
it would increase or raise the value of
100 600 acres of land from $25 to 5000,
and give homes to 1000 families, in
crease the value of the land already
irrigated, and give rise to system of
reservoirs that could be filled from the
San Gabriel and Santa Ana rivers.
This, in few years, we could furnish
homes in the finest climate OF the world
for 1000, 900 people, as every acre, il
props rly cultivated, is capable of sup
porting family of five per-
sons, am we'll aware that these state.
ments will be considered absurd by the
most Of the people everywhere, but ]
know what l am asserting, as l have
been tiller of the soil from my boy
hood in Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas and
California. And when [ look back to
the time when worked for 121s cents
per day and plowed the ground FIVE
times for Is bushels of corn to the acre,
l am fully prepared to make the above
statements, and arrive at my conclut .
ions in this wise: In the eastern states
there are thousands OF acres of land
where one man cannot cultivate more
ia n % acres and get more @ Is
Uu-Deis 60 the acre, which would w. 375
buahels, and yet he must make living
for his family; while here one can raise
a crop OF corn, 100 bushels to the acre,
and on the same land, at the same time,
five tons of pumpkins, then $50 or 800
bushels OF potatoes, and get them off in
time to raise crop OF cabbages-and
all this can be done in IL months on
and that can be irrigated.
But this ia not the best use that can
be made Of our lands. They should be
planted in tropical and eemi-tropical
fruits, to be ehipped to the other parts
of the world and exchanged for other
products. Let US turn then for a mo-
ment to the eemi-tropical fruits, to see
il g man can support a family on one
acre Of land. In the first place we will
nant an acre in English walnuts, say
8 trees. hose trees, when ley arry Q
ut maturity, viii produce from 200 to
300 pounds to the tree. paid Is cents
per pound Tor 600 pounds, the crop from
two trees one year, but suppose each
tree yields 200 pounds, 80 trees would
yield 800 pounds. Reckon them at five
cents per pounds and We have $500
per acre.
But we will plant an acre in orange
trees and see how they Will pan out.
Let US put so trees to an acre. These
trees will produce at 20 years OF age from
5000 } 5000 oranges to the tree. but we
will place the number at 1000, and for
the sake of accommodating those who
think the market will be overdone, we
will value them at one and one hall
cents apiece (but think they will not
be this low in the next hundred yeare).
Thus, one tree will yield $40, and 81
trees, or an acre, $500.
When Nature
J. s.k- "A L. L. l.