The herald., 1894-01-01
MORE ABOUT VENTURA.
PROGRESS OF A SPLENDID COUN-
TY DURING THE YEAR.
Tho Latest Data Concerning Ita Crops
and EnterprIsss-Informa for
Homsssskers-A Fine
Record.
By B. A. SYKES, OF THE VENTURA FREE
PRESS.

!
PRESS
Ventura county 10 at present more OF
general farming country than a fruit
growing one, but large amount OF
fruits and nuts are grown, and the pos
sibilities in this line are almost un-
limited. The profits on beans, barley,
corn and wheat have been good and
steady for years, and they are so easily
raised, the crop is so sure, and the
shipping points sare so close and sc-
cessible that the owners of the land
have been content with the results OBJ
tanned from them. This by no means
implies that the people of the county
are not progressive; as q matter OF fact
they are Just the reverse. They are do
ing we'll raising these crops on safe
and payiug basic. In the matter OF
fruits. they are growing into il itgradually,
and the acreage in this line ia steadily
increaslng year by year.
There has been q great improvement
in the looks of the county during the
past few years. Good fences, houses and
barns dot the landscape in every direc-
tion, and there is an air of thrift and
prosperity on every hand that makes a
favorable impression on the stranger.
The various towns OF the county, de-
spite the dull times of the past year, are
steadily building up and improving.
There are four banks in the county
two at San Buenayentura, the county
seat; one at Santa Paula, and one at
Hueneme-and all are in most healthy
and prosperous condition.
The crop statistics for the year are
very incomplete, and can only be esti-
mated. From the most reliable sources
the following are given as not being far
from the actual figures:
Beane, 20 600 tons; barley, 32,500
tons; corn. 5000 tons; wheat, 1900 tons,
potatoes, $500 tons dried apricots, 800
tons; dried prunes, 500 tons oranges
and lemons, $50 tons; honey, $50 tons.
Besides these there is large revenue
from gypsum, asphaltum and stone;
wool, hogs, eggs, etc. In addition to
all these is the oil industry, which is
growing greater each year. Santa Paula.
the second largest town in the county,
is called the oil city of the Pacific coast,
and justly deserves the name. The
Union Oil company there is now manu-
featuring printers ink from the product
OF the oil wells, and are building up
large business in that line, supplying
eeveral of the leading papers of the
coast with that very necessary article.
The products OF Ventura county are
the most varied OF any county in the
state, and while it might seem that
beans and barley were the principal
productions. yet the county ia depend
ent on no one thing, and like every other
part OF Southern California can in some
locality raise almost anything that can
be probably grown in the United States.
The oranges and lemons grown here are
as fire as can be raised anywhere, and
the curing OF lemone has been reduced
to such a science that lemon fully
equal to the best Sicily is put on the
market, and commands the same price.
The area devoted to oranges and lemons
has been greatly increased during the
past year.
The English walnut, the apricot, and
the prune, always great success in this
county, have been also increased by
hundreds of acres during the last II
monthe, and the coming season prom
ices to see greater activity in tree plant
ing thnn ever before known in the
county.
Ventura is one of the best.watered
counties in the state, and the water Is OF
the best. Irrigation is needed but very
little, as the inest of fruits of all kinds
are raised without it. The population
Of the county is about 5000. and the
bonded Indebtedness but 81 900. The
public school system is unexcelled and
no county can show finer school build
ings.
The Ventura county exhibit at the
worlds fair was one of the best, and that
it was decided so by. the judges is evil
denced by the large number of awards
given to her citizens