The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1920-02-05
CUT IN CALIFORNIA
Former State Senator w. McCuIIoh
Brown is Enjoying Himself.

I hElAtC CCHdtUI w. hCNullOl
Brown is Enjoying Himself.
Mr.. W. McCulloh Brown, former
State Senator from this county, is in
California this winter where he is en-
joying himself travelling about in that
far-famed section of the country, see
ing some wonderful sights and visit
ing many points of interest In let
ter to The Republican dated at San
Diego, January 25th, Mr. Brown says:
Il am having a good time in South
ern California. On the way out l
stopped at the Grand Canyon of the
/ Colorado River in Arizona, and it is
sight that no one should miss in
coming this way. An irregular can
yon, thirteen miles across, with pre-
cipitate walls falling away 5000 feet
from the plain above to the Colorado
River. 1t is grand, and the coloring
most beautiful. l have visited Los
/ Angeles, Pasadena, Riverside, La Jolla.
San Diego and the Imperial Valley,
and have been to the Mexican border
The Imperial Valley, one hundred and
twenty miles by auto from San Diego,
vas most interesting, but sixteen
years ago it was a perfect desert Then
the water from the Colorado river was
brought in, and now it is one of the
garden spots of the world. IN 1907
the first railroad was built. What i'm
! pressed me was the marvellous growth
which all crops make animals as well
they claim. Everything can grow for
365 days in the year, or a rotation of
three crops from the same soil. There
is abundant water for irrigation and
it can be had when and as wanted by
the land owner to a minimum amount
for the twelve months to cover each
acre three feet deep in water. There
is practically no rain at any season.
l saw exposures of the soil over ten
feet deep without any change in tex
ture or appearance. The great advan-
tages are the warm and early season
at which crops mature, the phenome-
nal growth and the comparatively
cheap land. The products are cotton.
alfalfa, beans, maise, garden crops,
butter, cattle, sheep and hogs. Grape
fruit, oranges and other fruits are also
grown. Fifteen years ago this land
could have been homesteaded; then
it went to 500; now farms can be
bought for from $175 to $3.50 per acre
with water rights. Profits are enor-
Alfalfa 1o,,I IL
tons per acre per annum, now selling
at $3.50 per ton, or 1895 gross per
acre. On good cutting was told that
5000 per acre had been made on let
tuce in 1919. $4,000 in one season was
the result of an investment of $4,000
in 20 acres of grape fruit. Profits on
cotton are also large. Land rents for
from S35 to $40 per acre per annum.
There are many cattle and sheep AMI
all l saw were of good Grade. This
valley is about at sea level at the Ar
i2ona-MeXican line and gradually falls
toward the north until at the Salton
Sea it is 2S3 feet below the level of
the Pacific Ocean. FL Centric, where
two railroads and the State highway
from San Diego center, is the most
thriving and growing town. | fear that
| have given but poor description
of that which impressed me so much,
but the beautiful level fields and album
dant crops did look most attractive.
have not seen the thermometer below
80 degrees thus far; your paper re-
ports zero weather in our Maryland
mountains"