Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-10-30
In the Thermal Belt of the Great
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY"

Delano situated on the main line of the
Southern Pacific railroad midway between
Bakersfield and Tulare, being the hub OF
great district comprising perhaps the
largest holding of all good land in one body
in the state of California; at least such
is the claim. being the center or hub of
this great belt of soil where oranges and
alfalfa grown side by side, and water
from artesan wells. five miles to the west
of Delano. to from fifteen to twenty feet
from the surface. nearer Delano on the
west, all of which belt comprises the COM
ing alfalfa region to deeper wells to the
east the difference in point of depth being
the difference in the rise of the land to-
ward the mountains. which is from ten
to fourteen feet to the mile.
Everyone who knows anything about the
opening Of a new country at most casual
glance could not help but see that with the
commingling of interests the diversity of
crops to be raised. where one. the orange
grower, will patronize the other, the alfalfa
grower, where the soil is rich and deep
and in a district essentially it's own that
DeIano has in store a wonderful future.
1t might suffice to say that Delano is
the proof of this assertion to those who
care to investigate, for, as the old adage
says, THE proof of the pudding is in the
eating" which simply means that no
amount of explanation to why the pud-
ding should be good would make it so, the
eating being the only proof; so with this
land of earliest products, no explanation as
to why it is the earliest will change 1t in
the least; it either is early or it is not, and
the answer to the question lies in thorough
investigation, and this is just what we
court.
There has been little attention paid to
the orange industry at Delano until the
last year when some of the most eXpe-
rienced orange growers of Southern Caltfor-
MIA began TO invade our section; they have
the practical experience and knowledge of
the orange and lemon industry
Oranges ripen early in November and are
practically all shipped before December 10.
Some varieties of grapes can be shipped
in first week of July.
Raisin grapes can be gathered by July 20.
Watermelons ripen in June.
Pumpkins ripen by June 10
Sweet potatoes are dug in first week of
August
Alfalfa is cut six and seven times each
season.
Wild grasses are earliest, and buyers get
first fat stock here.
Wild flowers blossom here weeks before
elsewhere.
Grain harvest in the san Joaquin valley
begins at Delano.
All of these important features have been
looked into very carefully by the southern
standpoint; after a most careful inyestiga-
ton they have found that Delano has every
advantage that could be expected, for the
soil is what they wanted, being loose and
easily irrigated and cultivated, the slope Of
The land being most perfect Tor irrigation
as it is very gentle, only enough Tor water
TO run freely and not enough to cause II
to wash Delano being the main line
of the Southern Pacific railroad. about
half way between the two great cities Los
Angeles and san Francisco, gives it every
advantage of local markets as well as east
ern shipments. ..... 20