The herald., 1893-05-17
The STATE OF TIE CROPS.

reAuefs Win dethlie, Dut general sum-
mary will be instructive, especially as it
is reliable.
To begin with, 1t is generally conceded
that il we shall have no heavy rains
during the next ten days, we shall have
the largest crop Of the cereals ever
known in Los Angeles county. The
writer believes and knogs that we shall
have this even II it should rain cats and
dogs. But we prefer to take the most
conservative estimates in preference to
our own, which are certainly liable to be
sanguine, in tonch With the condition OF
the county, which isfone OF unexam-
pied prosperity, and promise OF greater.
There are two notable circumstances
respecting the crops. The first is the
unusual yield OF both wheat and barley.
The second 10 its exceptionally fine
quality. In ordinary years fifteen sacks
to the acre is accepted as very satisfsc-
tory. A year in which we should make
such an average would be called golden
one. But this year we shall go away be-
yond that figure, at least as to extensive
sections. There are tens and tens OF
thousands of acres in Los Angeles coun-
ty this year which will go beyond TWEEN
ty sacks to the acre both in barley and
wheat. A rough estimate OF the total
yield OF the county might be put down
as million and half sacks Of barley
and between seven and eight hundred
thousand sacks of wheat--the latter fig
ure probably an underestimate.
To get down to details, the San Fer
nando valley bids fair to snrpass itself
this year. In that splendid wheat re-
gion Mr.. Van Nuys alone has upwards
OF twenty thousand acres in wheat. No
crop ever looked better. 1t promises an
average yield of twenty sacks to the acre:
This would give for this single ranch
yield Of upwards of four hundred thou
sand sacks of wheat. The Van Nuys
ranch is only one of the ranchos OF the
San Fernando valley. Those in the
northern portion of the valley never fail
to return crop. They are sowed in
Odessa and other wheats that never rust.
AS to rust, old Mr.. Lankershim--the
father Of j. B. Lankershim, and the pio.
neer wheat grower OF California-fir rst
let.us into the secret of this pest. 1t is
an incident of a newly cultivated soil.
1t disappears with several years of con-
tinuous cultivation. 1t was once as
deadly in the Souoma. Naps, Pajaro and
Santa Clara valleys as ii ever was in any
portion of Los Angeles county. The
San Fernando valley, in addition to pro-
ducing from halt to three-quarters OF
million sacks Of wheat will this year
yield about seventy thousand sacks OF
barley.
Pretty much all evos loo Angeles
county extensive tracts have been put
In grain, Between the city and the sea
T, in all directions there are great fields of
waving grain. The San Vicente ranch
alone, on which Santa Monica stands,
will produce at least seventy thousand
sacks of barley. The Buenos Ayres.
ranch OF ex-senator John Woliskill, ad-
joining the San Vicente, ia mass of
waving grain. Towards Wilmington
and Long Beach the cereal farmer has
got in his work in good shape. The La
gune ranch, Immediately adjoining the
city, viii this year produce hundred
and twenty Thousand eacks OF barley.
Immense regions near Downey, on the
San Felipe Lugo, the San Francisqpito,
the Merced, the Puente, the San Jose
valley and beyond, are in the cereals,
and the promise Of luxuriant CROPS has
never been approached in the past his
tory of those regions.
Crossing into what was at one time
Los Angeles county, and which is now
known as Orange county, the prospects
were never better. Almost the whole
San Joaquin rancho is in grain, and the
yield promises to be most prolific.
Swinging into San Bernsrdino county
the same pleasant state of affairs 10
found to exist. Clear up to Beaumont,
on the very crest of the San Gorg onio
Pass, the sweep OF grain would rejoice
the most critical eye. Those portions Of
San Diego county-now Riverside counA
ty-which are directly tributary to Lot
Angelee--are full of great crop promise.
The country around Perris and the San
Jacinto region never looked so well as il
does today.
All this means great business for the
new Santa Monica wharf and for Re
dondo. Most of this grain will be shipped
from Los Angeles county ports-most of
it from Port Los Angeles. A harbor cer-
tsinly never started under more encour-
aging auspices than this.
Meanwhile, we may we'll felicitatt
ourselves on the special bounties vouch
saied us in such abounding crops. This
county will raise enough of the cereals
this year to feed her own people and
leave an enormous surplus for export
And this takes no account of the wealth
insuring citrus and decidueus fruits, 0
our wines or brandies, or canned or drie'
staples, of our plentiful yield Of petro
leum. or of our corn and alfalfa fields o
of the hundred specislties of the marke
gardeners pursuits.
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