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 ii in
the authors sweet and inimitablP
VALLEY Of the Moon" wherein he
tells how a romantic young couple
start out in search of home, They
wander northwards some fifty miles
from San Francisco into Sonoma
county-all 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, Ere
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 virile men; the
exploits of real heroes who made Cal
ifOTnia 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 capitHlistic 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
M m in - U
soil grew poorer, the original owners
leased their holdings, and, finally,
tenants themselves were unable to
make a living
About nine years ago Jack London
bought 1870 acres of this land. If act
ually poor in quality, it remained
rich in possibilities. Above, domed
CALIFORNIA; unspoiled sky. Benign
ant stars looked down upon the eter-
nal hills, shortly came troops Of flow
ers to adorn them, and not a stately
redwood or live oak on the place but
was worth more in majestic dignity
than the paltry price of the transfer
enee.
Mountains beyond draped in at
mospheric glory, meadows of green.
canyons, cheerful rushing streams,
trees, flowers, birds,-all this and a
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; a lover
tof nature as well as a lover Of his
lfellowman.
To save the life of trees, more acres
were added, and more, until three
sc f1 irn aI 10
ent area of 1900 acres. give ranches
l-an average of three failures on each
ranch, fifteen failures on the finest
farming land in California" is the
way the famous novelist puts it.
The canyons or gullies for most
part are filled with a second-growth
of redwoods, some Douglass spruce,
la few laurel, nadcane and nianzanita
Itrees, as well as a scattering of live
and other oaks There is a scrub
growth on some of the hillsides, while
several good-sized meadows. afford
ing excellent pasturage, are inter-
spersed here and there. Originally
about 600 acres of the estate were
out in wine grapes. OF these not
more than third were profitable, so
1.-THE rest were dug out. One hundred
thousand eucalyptus trees have been
planted and are doing we'll They
Twill supply fuel and lumber in due
Itinie
t. Mr.. London, who plans for the
branch and has the general supervi-
sion, gives over the management OF
particulars 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
LUIS In his four-in-hand over to Ken
wood where we secured a stock OF
| eucalypti 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.
l AS poetry is said to be it's own great
reward, so this farm is to be made its
own Regeneration, working out a posi-
tive salvation by crop rotation, the
elimination Of destructive erosion, and
natural distribution of manures by
stock AS the land has grown poor
by waste so it will be fortified by
scientific economy, brought back by
simple. natural methods to its normal
condition. Contour plCughing 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 not wanted, will be turned another
way At its head a large dam or res
ervoir holding about 100000 gallons
Of water. is being constructed. the
/ walls Of solid. substantial masonry.
Tie lake will be a thing of beauty,