Year: 1876

Orange, Santa Ana, New Port, Tustin,
Fair Haven and the San Joaquin Ran
cho. The soil is of diversified char
acter, and in the different portions OF
this great tract can be successfully
cultivated every agricultural produc-
ton of temperate and Semi-Tropical
climates. The deliberate judgment
of those who carefully compare this
with other localities. is that it is Sec
ond to no equal body of land in the
State of California in climate, re-
sources and general advantages. The
general, almost universal prosperity
of the settled portions; the enterpris-
ing character of the citizens; the gen.
erous rivalry between the competing
settlements; the constantly increasing
trade of the whole region; the ship
ping facilities along the coast; the
great and certain yield of the soil, and
it's prominent and exceedingly favor
able location along the great coast
line of trade; all mark Orange Valley
as the site of one of the future great
cities of the Pacific coast. With this
belief, men of capital are carrying
forward permanent and costly i'm
provements; population is pouring in,
and the settlements already begun are
started upon career of unsurpassed
prosperity. 1t has been predicted that
this Valley will in twenty years be
the home of hundred thousand peo-
pie, and in full view of all the facts,
the prediction is not likely to fail Of
fulfiilment. The San Joaquin Rancho
includes about half of the tract But
little of this portion is yet cultivated,
though great part of it is now offer
ed for sale by the owners, and the ad-
vantages offered to purchasers are GER
tainly very considerab 1t will no
doubt soon be occupied by u number
OF thriving settlements. Fair Haven
is the nucleus of a colony of Episco-
palians recently started by Rev. II. II.
Messenger. The enterprise gives prom
Use of success, but as yet it is only in
embryo. New Port, former
ly known as "Gospel Swamp
is situated near New Port Bay, and is
great corn-growing country. Corn,
alfalfa and barley are the principal
crops grown, but some attention is
now being turned toward fruit grow
ing. The citizens are enterprising
and are beginning to make permanent
improvements.


ORANGE.


Orange is the most Northern of the
settlements of Orange Valley, being
situated three miles South of Bur-
ruePs Point. 1t is settlement in
which the cultivation of fruits is made
the leading interest. 1t is especially
adapted to this as it is situated in the
highest part of the Valley, and near
enough to the foothills to insure al
most perfect immunity from frosts.
Besides its location on the mesa, the
quality of its soil is another great adj
vantage in frnit raising. For about a
mile and half South of the Point,
the soil is an adobe mixed with loam.
South of this and stretching well over
into the Orange, and Easterly up into
the mouth of Santiago Canon is a belt
of the gravel land so famous for the
early ripening of fruits. This gravel
belt meets with especial favor from
settlers, and the most advanced and
promising orchards and vineyards are
situated on it. South of the gravel
belt and stretching beyond the SAN
tiagO River lies magnificent body of
sandy loan. This land is isunsurpassed
in the production of fruit. and possess
es the great advantage of producing
ordinary field crops as well; so that
the fruit raiser can maintain his fami-
ly from the productions OF his land
while his fruit trees are coming to ma
turity. Past this loan tract and
South of the Santiago lies another
large body of the gravel land, equal in
all respects to that North of the San
tiago. There can be no question about
the prosperous future Of this settle
ment. AS rapidly as possible all the
available lands is being cut into tracts
of from five to twenty acres, and set
with choice vines and fruit trees. Ba-
nanas are always difficult to raise eX-
cept within the tropics, have ripened
we'll here in two years from the first
planting. No oranges have yet reach
ed maturity, as the oldest orchards
are of trees less than seven years old.
But nowhere does the orange tree pre-
sent healthier, thrifter growth, and
the almost exact similarity between
the climate of Orange and Los Ange-
les, puts their successful growth be-
yond experiment. The large number
of young lime trees being set into
hedges all over Orange, evinces an en-
tire faith In this fruit. Large vine-
yards abound, and choice varieties of
table and raisen grapes are receiving
much attention, the White Muscatelle
of Alexandria being at present the fa-
vorite. Much attention is given to
the English Walnut, orchards of this
tree being numerous and some of them
large. The lemon tree is also favor
ite. Banana culture is beginning to
awaken considerable attention, and
many believe that the time is near
when the banana interest will equal
that of the orange itself. The almond
is yet in doubt, no crop having yet
rpened, though it is not yet time to
decide, as only one season has passed
since the trees were OLD enough to
produce. Of other fruits, every va