The San Francisco call., 1897-02-15
NATURES GIFT TO
!. SAN LUIS OB|SPO
In Climate, Resources and
Soil the County Is
Not Surpassed.
Great Stock Ranges and Fruit
Orchards Yield Wealth to
Its Residents.
Picturesque Towns Nesting in VAL
leys Between the Mountains
and the Pacific.

Yeddo on the eastern shore OF Japan,
thence on it touches Jerusalem, the
sacred CITY OF the land of Canaan; thence
on it crosses the Mediterranean, on the
northern shores of which lie Asia Minor,
Greece, Italy and Spain. countries cele-
brated since the dawn Of history for their
climate, their productions, their land
scape and their people; thence on the
line crosses the Atlantic to Cape Hatteras,
then over North Carolina, Tennessee,
. Arkansas New Mexico, Arizona and back
TO San Luis Obispo in California.
But the mean temperature of the six
coldest months of the year is still more
satisfactory in comparison with other IA
nous places of the world. In San Luis
Obispo il is 56.15 degrees; in Santa Bar
bara, So 55 degrees; in Nice, Italy, 4S As
degrees; in Mentone, France, 1921 de-
grees; in the City of Mexico, 56.o3 de-
grees. In a word, so far as climate goes
toward making life ENJOYABLE San Luis
Obispo compares favorably with the most
famous localities of the world.
In soil and natural resources San Luis
Obispo may well claim to equal any other
county in the State. The topography of
the county presents many striking fea-
lures. The Santa Lucia range OF noun
tains, rising near Monterey Bay, divides
the county into two parts, about one-third
on the western side and fronting the
ocean, and two-thirds on the eastern side
in the interior. But this mountain range
itself invites consideration.
1t is broad and com paratively low. The
general elevation is about 1000 feet. Many
parts of it have gently sloping sides COW
cred with grass and oak trees or chaparral,
and the soil is good. On the fiat SUBMITS
in some parts the soil is superior. Within
the range are beautiful valleys and pla-
teaus of excellent land. 1t has a pro-
nounced thermal belt covering fine bench
lands and secluded valleys, where frost is
almost unknown and semi-tropical plants
flourish. The lower foothills are usually
broad and rolling and are separated by
small, deep valleys, IN which water flows
from the mountains
On the western side facing the ocean
there are no large tracts OF level land
Undulating mesas comprise the greater
'par.. Small rich valleys lie along the
streams which find Their way to the ocean.
The most noted of these is the Arroyo
Grande. never-tailing stream of pure
water divides this valley of wonderful fer
tility, unsurpassed by the soil of the Nile
Valley. The valley land proper embraces
, about $4,000 acres and is about a mile
wide. Even well-read Californians who
know nothing OF this valley will stare
wIde-eyed over sober everyday facts of
production in this valley. The writer
himself saw carrots which weighed 30
pounds; caulihowers, "a TO 36 pounds; cab
bages, S5 to 80 pounds and sunfowers
which measured % inches across the face.
Strawberries yield and ripen every month
in the year. But the readers creduIity is
already sorely taxed no doubt and otner
Fts nf q U de
The northwestern portion OF the county
is given up mainly to dairying and raising
stock though there are quite number of
fine old apple orchards near Cam bria, and
some cherry trees also. The writer meas
ured one cherry tree which was twenty
ground. He also found apple trees foot
in diameter, and a pear tree fourteen
inches through the center. All these
trees bear heavy crops. The celebrated
Hearst ranch of 2900 acres, devoted to
booded horses, lies about two miles from
Cam bria.
Nearly all the fruits grown in Cali
fornia may be found in perfection on the
western slopes of the mountains, and most
of them flourish even down TO the shore
line of the ocean in the south end of the
county, though but few large orchards
have been planted in this part of the
county the land, ike the Cambria coun-
try, being devoted mainly to stock-raising o
and dairy farms. Tne apple, apricot and
walnut seem 10 have been favorites with
those who have put out the larger Or
chards.
Grapes of the highest quality are pro-
duced in abundance on the higher lands
near the mountains wherever VINEYARDS
are TO be found. The olive, the lemon and
the orange are grown successfully, and
figs also ripen IN perfection in the vicinity
of the city.
Or fLa s;d oF H.
: grain-growing and sheep-raising were
formerly and are sull the chief industries.
In early days sheep-raislng was the lead
ing business. But fruit-growing is grad
ually displacing these older occupations
since this portion of the county is found
o.pe one OF the pest irult.producinG Sec
tions in the State. Here are found some
large tracts of level land, more especisIiv
on the eastern side OF the county, In the
vicinity OF Templeton, Paso Robles and
ean Miguel are some OF the best of the
smaller orchards in the State.
The olive seems to thrive here as if in
Its own habitat, so far as one NAV ind oe
by the growth of the young trees which
have been quite extensively planted over
considerable portion of This larger half
OF the county In small orchards at various
points. Aprlcots pears and peaches also
grow to perfection. The prune, however,
seems by odds 10 be the favorite tree of
i
grows with vigor and thrift not excelIed
IN any part OF the State and is as prolific
bearer as the most avaricious could
reasonably desire.
Inc reader will be misled if he infers
from what has been written of this region
mat 1t is thickly settled and the land
mostly under cultivation. Reference has
been made only to various settlements In
different portions of this i'm mense tract OF
country. True, the land has long since
passed into private ownership, but is Sill
largely devoted to pasturage.
One cattle range alone is inclosed by
wire fence forty miles long, an average OF
ten miles on each side if in the form of
square. This is the famous Cressey cattle
ranch, which the writer passed N a ride
, of twenty-five miles east from Iempieton
70 The great Estrella Valley, where the
San Juan and Choiame rivers unite TO
form the EstrelIa River, which In turn is
lost in the Salinas River at San Miguel,
twenty miles below. On this trip but few
habita tions were passed after leaving
Creston, twelve miles east of pleton.
Nature yet relgns supreme in silent soli-
tudes of undulating plains, rolling hills
and fertile valleys In the greater part of
this eastern portion of the county, which
is girt about on the east, the south and