The herald., 1895-08-19

uer the towering pines. The climate is
an "all the year round" one, pleasant in
summer as we'll as in winter. AT Los
| Angeles the temperature seldom reaches
100 degrees, and still moIe rarely sinks 20
the freezing point.
ABOUT IRRIGA TION.
| A mistaken idea prevails to some extent
in the east that farming is only carried
on in Southern California by means of
! irrigation, and that without it crops
would be failure. For all grains and
winter crop, irrigation is not employed.
Corn is irrigated in some localities, being
u summer crop, but is successf ully grown
il many places without irrigation. Upon
some lands. after a crop grown without
irrigation has been harvested, another is
raised by means of irrigation. On irri-
gated land, two or three GRO ps year are
frequently raise by alternating barley.
hay, corn and potatoes or other crops.
Where water from rivers is used, the sedi-
ment held in suspension to great extent
renews the fertility of the soil. There
are sandy lands about Los Angeles that
have been cropped tor three-quarters of
century with no apparent diminution
| of fertility. Water is used to a certain
extent in the orchards and vineyards, ON
| the uplands and about the foothills.
Citrus fruits, berries and summer v-ge-
ia bles must be irrigated. There are large
tracts of land within dozen miles or so
OF the ocean which are kept naturally
moist by sea fogs at night in summer,
and a cool breeze during the day. Hore
Il to cf,,II Cd ~
such crops as corn, apples, pears and
apricots do well without irrigation. Fur
ther back in the interior valleys are thou
sands of acres OF desert-like land, that
are apparently worthless, but upon which
water works magic transformation,
changing the desert into garden.
THE SOURCE OF WATER.
| Water for irrigation is obtained from
the rivers, from all the small mountain
streams and from artesian wells. The
old conception of Southern California as
a waterless land is being rapidly correct
ed. Tunnels are driven into the noun
tains and water is almost invariably
struck in varying quantities. At other
places mammoth dams have been con-
structed at suitable sites in the noun
tains, forming reservoirs to catch the
winter rainfall, which would otherwise
rush off to the ocean along the water
courses, many of which are dry all sum
mer. Four OF the most important OF
these dams are the Swsetwater in San
Diego county, the Bear Valley in San
Bernardino county, the Hemet Valley in
the San Jacinto mountains. Riverside
county, and the Pacoima in San Fernan-
do valley. Los Angeles county. The Ar
rowhead reservoir, back OF San Bernar-
dino. will be one of tn largest in the
state. On the low lands flowing wells
are obtained at depths varying from 60
to 200 feet or more. They are quickly
and cnesply bored by machinery. Some
of these wells give very large flow.
Near Pomona which is chiefly supplied
with water from arlesian wells, are over
one hundred wells of depths ranging
from $50 to 1870 feet.
HOW THEY IRRIGATE.
Where person has an artesian supply
on high portion of his tract he is OF
course independent as to water. Other
wise tn furnish ing of water for irriea-
ton, which involves large ontlay for
tunneling. piping and constructing reser-
yoirs, is unde rtaBen Dy companies.
Where land is purchased in an irrigated
section the right to so much water-gen-
orally one inch to ten acres-is purchased
with the land. Where the water-right
Is purchased the expense for keeping
pipes and bitches IN order. ETC.. runs
from so cents to $3.50 per acre per year.
The cost of water to purchasers per acre
per year. in cases where the land owners
do not own the water, varies from ~. 80
TO $l2.
PRICES OF LAND.
Prices OF land in Southern California
are mainly influenced by water ssnpply
and distance from towns Land commune
cation. Land adapted to growing grain,
root crops. alfalfa and deciduous fruits,
without irrigation, may be had at from
$50 to 500 per acre; land with water tor
irrigation, adapted TO all varieties of
deciduous fruits at from 500 to $500
and frst-class land, with ample water
right, at from $500 to 500. Good graz
ing land may be had in large quantities
in the mountains, at about $40 per acre.
often with one or more springs. Some of
this will be rocky and steep. but again
there will be arabic patches and some
tir1es tim ber. 1t should be remembered
that the lowest priced land is by no
means always the cheapest, Judged by
what it will produce.
Land is now offered on very easy terms
to actual settlers. Some may be had
occasionally without any cash payment.
except interest, for ten years, on con-
dItion that trees are planted and ir-
provements made. In this manner an
industrious settler can commence with
little cash; for those who are determined
to have low priced land there is still
plenty to be found. Back in the mount
aims relinauishments OF governm ent
claims. that include some good level land,
may be bought for a few hundred dollars,
sometimes with shanty and other
small improvements. The land-seek in
Southern California should, at the start.
abandon the idea Of taking up govern
over for such land. and what few hills
are left are isolated and rugged. Five
acres of level land with water, near a
market, is far preferable to a quarter
section of such mountain land, from
tnancial-and still moro from social
standpoint.
GENERAL FARMING.
Southern California has passed through
two pastoral eras AMI is now In the
third. First, there was the era of graz
ing, then that OF grain raising. and now
horticulture has the lead, which it is
constantly increasing. the cultivation
of grain has, however, by no means died
out. On the contrary it is increasing, as
newer sections are opened up, which in
turn will be devoted to orchards and
vineyards.
Wheat and barley are grown largely in
Los Angeles, Orange. San Diego and
Riverside counties. Southern California
wheat growers can ship direct to Europe
from our own harbors, avoiding heavy
railroad charges.