Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-01
FARMING BY STEAM
Operations on the Big Ranches
Of California.
DOING WITHOUT HORSES
TRACTION ENGINE COMBINES
SEVERAL MACHINES.
Cuts, Threshes and Sacks 100 Acres
Of Grain a Day-An Inter
esting Experiment.
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Corresr 9ndence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.


When I asked Mr. H. p. Wood. the &C
tive and interesting secretary Of the cham
Der of commerce, what San Diego has be-
hind it, he replied
Il. climate better than you can find
anywhere else on earth, which draws
thousands of tourists and tired people this
way every year.
'2. Agricultural and horticultural indus
tries that are already very large and are
increasing at a rapid rate.
20. The best harbor on the Pacific coast
between Puget sound and the Straits OF
Magellan and a growing interest in ship
ping. both In the coasting and foreign
trade
~. Valuable mining resources-gold cop
per and gems-the last being new industry
not more than four years old"
Within a few miles OF the city, in San
Diego county. are found valuable deposits
of several kinds of precious stones. now be-
several lapidaries have been established
here to cut and polish them. About fifty
miles north OF the city tourmaline appears
in matrix of quartz and mica, In shades or
green, pink and red. 1t Is brilliant and
durable and sells In New York and Eu-
rope for $16 a carat. Several mines are
now in operation. Beryl-whfte and pink
the hyacinth, a gem of reddish brown col
or, ana ladrge quantities OI SdIHetS al c
found in the same neighborhood and are
brought to San Diego to be cut and pol
ished. You can see elaborate displays In
several of the jewelry stores. But the es-
pecial pride and glory of San Diego is
kunzite-a beautiful lilac crystal found
only in this country. II was discovered by
couple of Frenchmen about four years ago,
and named in honor Of the genial George
F. Kunz, Tiffany's famous expert In pre-
cious gems 1t is becoming known to com
merce and there Is quite demand for II
in Paris. London, Vienna, Amsterdam and
other European jewel markets.
Little gold mining is being done in this
locality at present. the sensational dis
coveries at Goldhelds and in the deserts
having drawn the miners away.
The people are doing a good deal of intel
lgent and effective advertising. In nearly
all of the thriving young cities In Califor-
MIA and the southwest chambers of COM
merce boards of trade, commercial clubs
and similar organizations are engaged In
the promotion business and are making the
special attractions and advantages of their
respective sections known to the world. But
] have seen no association of this kind bet
ter organized or conducted In more eff
fcctive manner than that at San Diego. 1t
is supported by monthly contributions from
Il large membership, including the business
mel and most of the citizens of the town.
1t has permanent exposition in the CEN
ter of the business section of the city,
where the products of the various industries
are displayed, so that whatsoever comes
this way can See for himself grain, fruit,
vegetables, fish. minerals and other exhibits.
illustrating the resources of the county. In
connection with this museum is bureau
of information in charge of Mr.. II. P. wood,
an oracle on all subjects that pertain to
Sar Diego-past present and future. When
Mr.. Wood is not telling somebody all about
II or showing visitor about the town, he
Is preparing pamI hlets and leaflets on ell
mate. olive oil. the training of children,
Mexican embroidery, the mineral wealth of
the county, race suicide, tuna fishing. foot
rot honey bees, silk. soil chemistry, marine
phenomena rose culture. real estate yalua-
tons, theosophist expansion or poultry
raising. or is answering thousands of let
tiers that come from all parts of the world,
making inquiries on every subject from
sheep to walnuts. / am solemnly assured
that no inquiry ever reached the San Diego
chamber OF commerce that Mr.. Wood was
no; able to answer.
Big Ranches.
AL of the country down here was given
away by the Spanish and Mexican govern
ments in enormous grants to court favorites
and influential politicians for the purpose of
colonization; and the Mexican owners lived
upon their ranches like the dukes Of the
middle ages In Europe.
Most of the big grants have been cut up
and divided into small farms. but several
still remain. The Santa Fe train which
brings you to San Diego runs for an hour
through a single farm. known as the Irvine
ranch. which was originally grant from
the Spanish government, known as La Lo-
mas de San Diego San Joaquin" Uhe hills
of st. James and St. Joaquin). Fifty years
ago It was purchased by James Irvine, a
pioneer merchant OF San Francisco, for 50
an acre, and was inherited by his son,
who has turned 1t over to corporation for
business convenience, his wife and other
members Of his family being the only other
stockholders. The ranch consists of LOG, 600
n n la nd
are under cultivation. The remainder, 76.-
600 acres, In the mountains and foothills, Is
given up to sheep. 1t required 1000 horses,
25O men, eight combined harvesters and
four steam threshers to do the work of
harvesting, which has Just been completed.
The manager is just now shipping the re-
suits to market.
This year there were 20 900 acres planted
to barley. 400 acres to wheat, 5000 acres to
beans and the remainder to hay, alfalfa
and other crops for home consumption. The
average product for the past five years has
been follows: Barley. 10000 sacks;
wheat. 1900 sacks; beans, 81 600 sacks;
hay. 800 tons; alfalfa, 800 tons; olives, 300
tons: walnuts, 30 tons; honey, 90 tons
which is pretty good crop for one farm.
Besides this there are about 5000 sheep
and 2.oOO cattle on the ranch and ZOO col
onies of bees. The manager sends about
GOO steers to market annually, and each
colony Of bees is good for 100 pounds of
honey.
The Irvine ranch has not been irrigated
until recently. but now wells are being
drilled all over the place, an artesian basin
having been discovered which underlies
the entire valley. Fifteen or twenty pro-
ducing wells now irrigate between ] 800 and
ZOO acres. that will be planted to alfalfa.
Another old Spanish grant, the Santa
Marguerite de las Flores Saint Margaret
of the Flowers), better known as the O'Neil
ranch. also lies along the tracks of the
Santa Fe road. 1t originally belonged to a
Spanish family named Foster who occupied
II until Don Juan Foster, the last of the
line, died a few years ago. Then Flood
the Bonanza miner OF the Nevada Bank
paid the heirs $4,000 for about 10000
acres. with a lot of cattle, sheep and horses
thrown in. He managed II until his death
when 1t was inherited by James L. Flood
his son. The latter took in a partner Rich
ard ONeil, a well-known and popular Irish
man, who lives on the property and man.
ages il very closely on old fashioned ideas
making a large profit. About 10000 acres
are leased to tenant farmers in small tracts
and cultivated on shares. The remainder
Is used for pasturage and for fattening cat
tie for the Los Angeles and San Francisco
markets. The Flood estate also owns the
Mission Viejo (Old Mission) ranch OF 40 900
acres. and Trabuco (Blunderbuss) ranch
of % 600 acres.
Cut Up Into Small Tracts.
In San Bernardino county, fifty miles east
of Los Angeles is the Chino ranch, for