Year: 1875

Mr.. j. a. Bell, II farmer reslding
near Los Angeles, who has been en-
gagged in agricultural pursuits in Los
Angeles county for the last quarter of
a century, furnishes the following facts
relative to the richness of this coun-
ty in the cultivation of all kinds of
grain.


WHEAT.


The growing of grain in this county
promises at no distant day to be of
very great Importance, although the
idea seems to prevail that there is
something either in our soil or climate
unfavorable to the growth and matur-
ing of wheat. But, in my opinion, the
idea is erroneous, for the reason that
in former years wheat was successful
ly and quite extensively cultivated in
this county, and some eighteen or
nineteen years ago, L, with Others,
grew splendid crops of beautiful wheat
in the San Fernando valley, and at
that day no complaints were made of
rust, smut or an any such drawback
to wheat raising. We used to consider
forty bushels to the acre about fair
crop.


BARLEY


viii undoubtedly become the great
grain staple of Los Angeles county.
Barley here grows to its greatest per-
fection, and yields the most bountiful
return to the farmer. AS crop, bar
ley never fails in this county, if prop
erly put in Within my knowledge
Ct was here during the drought Of
1S61-2) no year has been so dry that a
good crop would fail to mature, if the
ground had been ploughed, say ten
inches deep, and the seeding done as
early as December The fact is, that
grain can be made certain and
positive crop, and of the 100000 acres
comprising this county, it would be
safe to say that at least one million
acres are susceptible of growing splen-
did and sure crops of barley and there is
no grain so valuable to the farmer. 1t
is made to subserve the same uses as
oats and Indian corn in the Atlantic
States, being fed to cattle, horses and
swine After sowing crop of barley,
the farmer has positive guarantee of
good volunteer crop for the second,
and, sometimes, the third year. Under
an intelligent system of cultivation it
would be safe to place the average
yield of barley, year in and year out,
at forty bushels per acre. With a
market for barley there is no limit to
the prosperity Of farmers in this coun-
ty.


When this county was first occupied
by the Americans, and as late as '55-6,
the entire ranges of hills, from one
extreme of the county to the Other,was
covered with the most luxuriant
growth of wild oats, that was equal in
every respect to cultivated crops, ex-
cept that the grain was much lighter.
1t seems to have entirely disappeared,
owing probably to sheep grazing.
Very little oats, comparatively, have
been cultivated in this county; barley
seems to be preferred, though of late
years it seems to be growing in favor,
and is every year attracting more at
tention from the farmer. Twenty or
thirty bushels to the acre would be
about fair average for an oat crop.


CORN.


The great glory of the Los Angeles
farmer is Indian corn. We have vast
acreage susceptible of raising immense
crops of corn without irrigation, and
the labor on such lands is much less
than in the States in the Mississippi
valley, on account of the absence of
weeds, there being no rain very few
weeds grow. The cultivation of corn
on the low, moist lands, referred to, is
cheap, certain and easy, but the farm
er who irrigates corn generally earns
all he gees, although the yields about
the same. There is no doubt but what
with half the labor given to the rails
ing of corn in this county, that is given
in Illinois, Missouri and other West
ern States, that the average might be
placed at say eighty bushels per acre
rather more than less. l have had a
field average 125 bushels to the acre.
There are advantages, however, in
raising corn by irrigation that must
not be overlooked. One is that you
can always get two crops on the same
land, seeding the ground to barley in
Winter and harvesting in May; then
irrigating your ground and planting
it in corn, you can depend on a good
crop, planting as late as the second
week in July.


Has been experimental on in this
county with the most gratifying sue
cess, especially an African variety
that grows in hills and yields quite
satisfactorily. In my opinion there is
no reason why rice should not become
staple in this county.


BUCK WHEAT


Has been tried throughout the county
and has generally given satisfaction.


RYE


Is beginning to be quite popular with
the farmers, and promises to be eX-
tensively cultivated. 1t will yield
well.


OTHER GRAINS.


The fact is that all kinds of grain that
were ever grown in any country seem
to do well in this county. Last, though
not least, are canary seed and broom
corn. 1 know one farmer who makes
aspecialty of raising canard seed, and,
although it may seem small business
to him, believe it will prove to be
very large one in the end. Another
small farmer of my acquaintance ex-
perimented with an acre of broom
corn, with $500 gold coin as the result
of his experiment for the first year.
This country is certainly paradise for
the thriving and Industrious farmer.