"How much land do I need in California? is a question often asked. The answer is readily made: as much as you can profitably and economically work. A gentleman has made the following exhibit in the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce: 'Raised on twenty acres of ground, 2500 boxes of oranges, 1500 boxes of lemons, 37,000 pounds of grapes, 2000 pounds of pears, 35,000 pounds of apples, 15,000 pounds of berries, black and red, 1000 pounds of English walnuts. Besides nectarines, apricots, plums, three crops of potatoes, 500 pounds of crab-apples, and one acre of alfalfa kept for cows, and flowers of different varieties. These oranges are worth on the trees $3500, the lemons $3000, the grapes $370, pears $30, apples $75, berries $30, walnuts $80. The total will be $7085, and all the products not counted. That surely is more than the crops of a half section in Kansas or Illinois will sell for.' Every one may not do as well, but they can approach it, and if they do, twenty acres is quite enough."
"PROFITS OF BERRY CULTURE.
"Speaking of the profits of growing strawberries in Southern California, the Covina Argus gives some interesting facts and figures. That paper says: 'One of the growers stated to us that last year he picked and shipped from three acres the enormous amount of fourteen tons. These berries brought as high as fifteen cents and as low as four cents per pound, but netted an average of about eight cents per pound, or $2240. That would make an acre of berries produce a cash return of $746.66⅔, which, considering the shortness of the berry season, from four to five months, is a pretty good income on the money invested.'"
"PROFIT IN ALMONDS.
"M. Treat, an authority on almond culture, has contributed the following to the Woodland Mail: 'This year from 190 California paper-shell almond trees (five years old), covering two and five-sevenths acres, I gathered 3502 pounds of nuts, which sold in Chicago at twenty-two cents a pound. This is $316.82 to the acre—a little over $4 to the tree—18½ pounds to the tree. When these same trees were four years old they averaged about three pounds, and in eight years they will double what they bore at five. They will at eight years bear full 40 pounds to the tree. At twelve years they will bear fully 100 pounds to the tree without the least exertion. This is at seventy trees to the acre, and reckoning at twenty-two cents to the pound, $1540 per acre. Now these are nothing but plain, bare, raw facts.
"'Almond trees live and do well for fifty years, and in some places in Europe when fifteen years old bear from 150 to 200 pounds per tree.'"
At Saugus Junction Mr. Tolfree has established one of his famous restaurants, where I can conscientiously urge you to get out and dine. Every course is delicious.
Ventura County is partially devoted to the culture of Beans. I use a capital because Beans represent Culture, or are associated with it in one State at least, and the very meaning of the word is property, money, from the French biens—goods. I wonder how many of my Boston friends knew that! I did not until a friend showed it to me in Brewer's phrase-book, where I also learned that beans played an important part in the politics of the Greeks, being used in voting by ballot. I always had a liking for beans, but I have a profound respect for them since viewing the largest Lima Bean Ranch in the world, belonging to my friend Mr. D. W. Thompson, of Santa Barbara. There are 2500 acres of rich land, level as a house floor, bounded by a line of trees on one side and the ocean on the other; 1600 acres are planted to beans, and the profits are nearly $60,000 yearly. Thirty-six tons of beans were used this year in planting. This could not be done in the East, but beans do not need to be "poled" here, as, influenced by the dreamy atmosphere, they show no desire to climb, but just lie lazily along the ground. Still, there is a deal of work connected with the business. Dairying, building, horseshoeing, repairing of machinery, are all done on the place. "As soon as the spring rains are over, eleven gang ploughs, four ploughs to a gang, each gang drawn by six horses, plough about seven acres per day." Then the harrowing and planting in the same big way. During the entire summer these vines grow without a drop of water, freshened daily by the heavy sea fogs. Harvesting and threshing all done by machinery. The steam thresher would amaze some of our overworked, land-poor farmers. About one hundred and twenty carloads of beans are annually shipped from this ranch, reserving the tons needed for seed.
And all along the way fine ranches are seen, where beans are seen growing alone, or planted between the long even rows of fruit trees. Mr. Thompson also owns a large hog ranch. But dear me! We are now skirting the beautiful ocean curve which leads to the "Channel City"—so near the beach that the waves almost touch the rails and the dash of the surf seems under the cars. See how fine a situation! The coast line taking a sudden and most fortunate turn, the trend of mountain range and plain land is east and west, instead of north and south. Sheltered by mountains and mesas, and nestled in the green foot-hills, with the ocean breeze tempered by a chain of islands, making a serene harbor, Santa Barbara has much to make it the rival of San Diego and Pasadena. Pork and beans must now give way to legend and romance, martyred virgin, holy monks, untutored "neophytes," handsome Castilians, dashing Mexicans, energetic pioneers, the old Spanish, the imported Chinese, the eastern element now thoroughly at home, and the inevitable, ubiquitous invalid, globe-trotter, and hotel habitué—each type or stratum as distinctly marked as in a pousse café, or jelly cake. What a comparison! I ask Santa Barbara's pardon, and beg not to be struck with lightning, or destroyed by gunpowder.—"Yes, to the Arlington."