Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-06

Those who wish TO get at the very
| beginning OF the story may find it in
the authors sweet and inimitablc
/ valley of the Moon" wherein he
tells how a romantic young couple
start out in search of a home. They
| wander northwards some fifty miles
from San Francisco into SOnOma
county-all a beautiful. diversified
: stretch of land staying their feet
among the foothills OF SOnOma val
ley, which stream Of the same name
has leveled and fortified with its
washingS
/ The geologic origin Of this valley,
Of course, lies unrecorded except in
modern scientific Certainties which
pave the floor of common knowledge.
Historically, Sonoma valley was the
interesting scene of many military
movements. Here stood Vallejo, FIRE.
mont, Kearney and all the early pio-
neerS whose names, someway. fill our
minds with gold-dust glamor upon
which is thrown the sunset afterglOw-
OF great deeds done by yirile men; the
exploits of real heroes who made Cal
iiornia possible for us all. Agricul-
turally, this land was Of the best,
built by volcanic waste and natures
beneficent rotations. but early in the
fifties robber-farmers there are ag-
ricultural as we'll as capitalistic graf
terS) came, and, tanning the soil,
reaped substantial benefits without
hint OF honest reciprocity. The whole
arabic area was subjected TO the
treatment which despoiled the farms
of Virginia in an early day. AS the
soil grew poorer. the original owners
leased their holdings, and, finally,
tenants themselves were unable to
make living.
About nine years ago Jack London
bought 100 acres of this land. If act
ualIy poor in quality, it remained
rich in possibilities. Above, domed
California's unspoiled sky. Benign
ant stars looked down upon the eter
nal hills, shortly came troops of flow
ers to adorn them, and not stately
redwood or live oak on the place but
was worth more in majestic dignity
than the paltry price of the transfer
ience.
Mountains beyond draped in at
fmospherfc glory, meadows of green.
canyons, cheerful, rushing streams,
trees, flowers, birds,-all this and d
wholesome climate, undoubtedly had
much to do in influencing the pur-
chase by the present owner. For he
lis a poet as we'll as farmer; lover
fof nature as well as lover of his
fellowman.
To save the life of trees, more acres
were added, and more, until three
years ago the farm included its pres
lent area of 1900 acres. give ranches
IAN average of three failures on each
ranch, fifteen failures on the finest
farming land in California" is the
lWay the famous novelist puts it.
The canyons or gullies for most
part are filled with a second-growth
4of redwoods, some Douglass spruce,
la few laurel, madcane and manzanita
ltrees, as well as a scattering of live
land other oaks. There is scrub
growth on some of the hillsides, while
Iseveral good-sized meadows. afford
ing excellent pasturage, are inter-
lspersed here and there. Originally
labout 600 acres of the estate were
out in wine grapes. OF these not
tmore than a third were profitable, so
1.-The rest were dug out. One hundred
Thousand eucalyptus trees have been
lplanted and are doing well. They
Twill supply fuel and lumber in due
Stime.
Mr.. London, who plans for the
ranch and has the general supervi-
Ision, gives over the management OF
[iparticulars and details to his sister,
Mrs Shepard, who lives in a comfor-
table cottage on the estate. She is
an unusually energetic and capable
woman. quite worthy of her relation
ship. Their business-social compan-
ionship is pleasant to see.
During our stay Mr.. London took
lus In his fourin-hand over to Ken
wood where we secured a stock of
Ieucalypti from a nurseryman there.
This team which Mr.. London manages
with a masterful, free hand is the
one he used in his trip through the
northern counties and Oregon.
AS poetry is said to be it's own great
reward, so this farm is to be made its
own regeneration. working out posi-
tive salvation by crop rotation, the
elimination of destructive erosion, and
a natural distribution Of manures by
stock. AS the land has grown poor
by waste so it will be fertilized by
scientific economy. brought back by
simple, natural methods to it's normal
condition. Contour ploughing will ia
cilitate irrigation and prevent wash
ing. Severest hillsides with evidences
of incipient terracing, so marked by
ploughing and subsequent erosion in
the lines Of least resistance, are grad
ually redeeming themselves against
wasteful washing. A stream which
now cuts its annual cash through the
estate and deposits good soil where it
is net wanted. will be turned another
way At it's head large dam or res
ervoir holding about 100000 gallons
of water. is being constructed, the
walls CT solid, substantial masonry
The lake will be thing of beauty,
too. lined with noble redwOods and
A.