Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-03
ANTELOPE VALLEY
PUSHES FORWARD
FARMER WRESTS REGION FROM
COWBOY
KNOCKS OF cATTLEMEN ONLY
ADVERTISE COUNTRY
Alfalfa Culture Leads with Six Cuts Of
Excellent Flavor - Deeiduous
Fruit ThriVes and Wins
Worlds Prizes

That part of Los Angeles county
known as the Antelope valley has made
wonderful strides in the past four
years, especially the part lying east ana
north of Lancaster. This territory that
was once thought to be only the abode
Of the cowboy and the coyote is now
fast developing into one Of the richest
and most fertile sections of Los An
Reles county and Southern California.
It has been but a short time Qess than
ten years) since it was believed that
there was no water for this valley, ana
It was considered a desert country, MT
for grazing and nothing else. 1t now,
through the efforts of several energeuc
and progressive persons, such as II.
c. Redman and Edward Scherman, VINO
have spent large sums of money 10 de-
yelop the country, has been seen 10
have large bodies of the finest silt SOIL,
and an abundance of water for irrlga-
tion purposes. Many fine flowing arte-
sian wells have been developed in the
mast year, and now this vast country is
being rapidly sown to alfalfa. There
are but few fields over four years old,
hut one field which has been in alfai1a
for eighteen wears without reseedlng
stands as thick as can be on the ground
and has made an average Of two ana a
half tons an acre for fve cuttings TINS
wear, with the sixth cutting now COM
Ing ON. 1IlS ID CldllnGu " pO NAAS 49,
piece Of alfalfa in California. Several
larger fields of more recent seeding are
making this year about two tons an
acre a cutting for six cuttings The
quality of the alfalfa grown here is
considered far better than alfalta
grown in lower altitude, and especial
" in the fog belt, as the nay grown
in almost continuous sunshine contains
much more sugar than that grown in
q low altitude and in the fog belt, which
prevents it curing bright and green
like alfalfa in this valley.
1t is claimed that no part OF Califor-
mia grows as fine alfalfa as Is grown
sn the Antelope valley, and the wonder
fuI productiveness of the soil makes
this the coming alfalfa producing coun-
try of Southern California. Ranchers
who care for their alfalfa in this Sec
ton are getting from twelve to fifteen
tone an acre a year, which is bringing
from S12 to $14 a ton in the field.
The soil is a fine sedimentary silt,
which varies in depth from three to six
feet, which is underlaid with sand and
gravel, there being no hardpan in the
whole country
Surface Water Everywhere
Water known as surface water can
be developed anywhere at from ten to
fifteen feet. This seems to be sheet
water, and is a vast underground lake.
This water continues for about $50 feet,
at which point the blue clay is encoun-
tered, and at a depth of 240 to 700 feet
strong flows of the softest and purest
of artesian water is obtained. The re-
cent government survey of the water
in this part of the valley shows an
abundance of water. and in fact more
than other portions of the state. few
orchards have attained to size in the
VII,
profits, especially those Of Bartlett
pears. One orchard of Bartlett pears.
the owner claims, produced over $500
an acre last season and will make about
$1,000 an acre this year. This orchard Is
about Is years old. It has paid over
$1,000 an acre a year ever since 1t was
10 years old. There are many young
orchards that are making fine show
ings, and in a few years this country
will produce thousands of boxes of the
finest pears in the world. The pears
from this valley took the first prize at
the worlds pair at st. Louis, at the
Lewis and Clark exposition at Port
land, Ore, and at jamestown in 1907.
The finest favored and colored and
best quality Of apples grown anywhere
in California-in fact in the United
States-are grown in this valley. There
are but few orchards of much size, but
those that have been planted for any
length of time are extra good ones.
Mr.. Cram grows among the finest
Spitzenberg apples grown anywhere,
and for quality and flavor cannot be
beaten. This orchard is on the west
side of the valley, but apples on the
east side are as fine as can be found
anywhere. The finest figs, olives and
almonds are grown in this valley. Cher
ries and peaches are also fine growers.
In fact. this is destined, owing to the
fine quality, to be one Of the best al
falfa and deciduous fruit sections in the
state.
The valley has been held back by
cattlemen who Craze thousands OF
herds on the ranges, and for obvious
reasons want to be left alone.