The herald., 1894-01-01
LOTS OF MONEY IN ALFALFA,
Southern California the Poor
Mans Paradise.
Hay and Hogs Rival Oranges as
Paying Crop.
A Strong Presentation OF tho Way
Man OF 5mhil Means Can
Make Big Profits at
Kanching.
Try l.. NJ. HOLT |

| BY l.. NJ. HOLT
Southern California has ALWAYS been
very peculiar country. Its products
and climate taken together have been
very much different from those of any
| other section OF the United States.
The q. O. OF O. GLORIOUS climate Of
California; has been whistled around
tie world for two or more decades, and
the public at large has always supposed
that this peculiar expression referred
more particularly to Southern Califor-
mia, and that the other portions OF the
state were not in it.
| The golden orange has always been
considered an emblem of an earthly par
adiae, where people rolled in wealth and
reveled in luxury; where everybody
khad immense incomes and where booms
would never burst.
| Business men have left their homes in
the east. their business Offices, stores,
factories and banks, to retire to private
life, buy an orange grove and live in
ease and comfort with not wave Of
trouble to roll across their peaceful
breasts, or words to that effect,
! Educated and refined people have
come here by the thousands because of
their conditions, and they--many of
. them ct least-have been successful,
contented and happy.
AS result there is immense wealth
in many sections of Southern California
today. and high grade OF society, found
in few portions OF the world.
pono,oa af tbio aond;t;o.,
has been considered that hog and
hominy should have no place in auch
an earthlv paradise. What! hog in
heaven? God forbid!
But change has come over the spirit
OF our dreams. The $1,000 an acre
orange crops are not go numerous as
they were. 1t has been discovered that
choice locality, good cultivation. careful
management, regular fertilization and
other necessities must be faithfully OBJ.
served, or the ledger balances Of the
orchardist would not be as hsttering as
they were, or they might be.
Unusual frostH, unusual winde, and
unusual commission merchants, have
upset all the previous calculations; and
while orange orchards under proper con-
ditions and arrangements are still prof
liable properties, the people have prac-
tically quit for tiIue the planting of
orange trees.
But what about alfalfa? l met James
Kerr few days ago and asked him
what he knew about alfalfa. Mr.. Kerr
was raised-so to speak-on alfalfa. He
lived several years at Compton, in this
county, then he lived on the moist
lands In the San Jacinso valley for 10
years. During all this time he has
Hon fnx. al IL
any other crop.
b Mr.. Kerr replied that he knew just
that therezwas more money in alfalfa
than in oranges, for oranges are the rich
mans luxury, while alfalfa is the
worlds necessity. He said: II can
take 20 acres and put it into alfalfa and
another man can take the same area
and put it into orange orchard, and in
10, 15 or 20 years l will be away ahead
of him financially"
Mr.. Kerr vent on to SAY that alfalfa
WAS staple crop, that could be turned
into coin at any time as a rnie. That
the price of hay always ranged from Sc
to $l4 per ton. That a good alfalfa
ranch would, with a good supply OF
water. turn off from to 10 tons OF hay
per, acre regularly. and that there
we're practically no failures. That al
fslfa farmers on moist lands could clear
$40 an acre net every year and that with
water to use for irrigation this sum
could be increased to $50 or even $50
| per acre.
!, Mr.. Kerr said also as rule the alfalfa
farmers were the most independent
in Southern California A man can 20
upon q piece OF land. such ns the land in
the valley below Daggett, under the
Minneola canal, now being constructed.
He can get government land for $125
| per acre, and g watar right for 500 per
acre on long time. by paying one quarter
down, and for So per acre he can plant
out 10, 20, 40, so or even l60 acres OF
| alfalfa. He can get a crop off within
six months, and three crops within 10
monthe. These crops will average ton
to the acre. and the hay in that locality
is worth from $40 to $l2 per ton; but
| say it is worth So per ton in the stack,
| which ia at least 81 per ton net, and he
has made $l2 net per acre the first year,
| and this is increased to $40 net each
subsequent year, even figuring on hay
at o low price that has never been knows
| to exist, and with the pricee now in
vogue he would clear $50 an acre the
! first year, and $50 an acre each subse- :
! quent year. Look at the small invest
ment-about $2S an acre for an alfalfa
farm that will pay for itself the first
season, or at least pay for itself In two
seasons, figuring the price OF hay at the
lowest bedrock prices.
Il have no patience" said Mr.. Kerr,
with the man that Gays this country is
no place for poor man. II poor man
cannot get start here today under the
conditions now in vogue, it is because he
is too indolent to get living anywhere
on Gods green earth. What Southern
California has lacked heretofore has been
cheap lands and cheap water. and any
company or com binatipn OF men who
can bring these two elements together
at price within the reach OF men of
moderate meane il benefactor OF man
kind and is doing good thing lor this
section OF the state" c
Colorado b sa0pt i v0taan suffrage
D. 4 eNr~r.