SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

Evening Star, Issue 3996, 15 December 1875, Page 2 (Supplement)

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

BV EoOMEEAKG, An old Dunedinite, who sends us bis impressions of California, as follows : —For the benefit of numerous inquirers, I send you the following description of Southern Califonra :—Los Angeles Count}', consisting oi the moat valuable portion of semi-tropical California, is bounded on the North by Kerr County, the line running duo east and and about seventy miles in length. <'n the east if is bounde I by *an Bernardino County, tho lit;e running neatly unrlh and south, ane over 100 miles in l.ngtb. On tho south west it is bounded by the Paei fi ■. Ocian with a coast lino of near y 100 mil s ; and on the south by San _ Diego County, the capital of which is San Diego, and is situate on one of the prettiest barb rs on die Pacini Coast—th-3 proposed term JUJ3 of Texas i aiiiic Railr-ad which is intended to bo a Southern Transcontinental competing line against the Central Pacific. The principal rivers in LoAngeles County are the Sin Gabriel, los Angeles, Santa Clara, and several strerms the chief of which are the Arrojn Seco, oanta Amta, an J >3e, San Antonio, Los Covotes Jbe la Brea, and Santa Argus : here is a sufficient s 'pply of water to imtatinorti than one hah of ihe land that nc ds it. The Los Angi les Valhy contains abouv 640,000 acres, widen may b-j. divided into thiee parts, viz , 100.000 suitable for grazing purposes, ii'o.ooo suitable for grapes and semi-tropical fruits, 320.000 acres as superior land for corn, barlay, rye, oat?, millet, Ac, and a larg.3 portion of it is aiso suitable for apples, pearci, peacbe*-, apricots, wvnuts, &c. Ibis is Los Angeles V; Hey, on the ocean f-ide of the Foot Hills. St'o.o 0 acres of this land can be irrigated, it lies most favorably for this purpose, having a fall of about 10ft per mile in a southerly direction. Very Lvge ziiijas or ditches are already constructed, leading tho water from the rivera for irrigating and manufacturing purposes CHARACTER OF SOIL. '< he soil in general is a rich, sanely loam, easily worked, and v< ry productive. In a few small portions of the valley the soil contains an -excels of alkali This l:md soon |

iMS'.-omea the b(:*t by planting belts far one j or two year?, alt<..rw;...rdß corn and barley, then anything. i>o3 vngeles Valley, back of the hoot Hills, contains about 135,000. acrts, subdivided as follows .-viz , 45 0 0 acres for giaziug, 45.000 acres for vineyards and semitropical fruits, and 45,0'J0 acres lor grain. This bolt includes the orchards of Hon. B. D Wilson, Rose, and others, which probably cannot be surpassed by any place in the world for the cultivation of all the varieties of the rrisiu grap*. he entire valley contains upwards of 12,000 tquare miies, and the county about 5,000 square miles. CLASS OF FRUITS. Nearly all kind of iraits can be grown with ease and profit. Orange, lemon, lime, fi/, walnut, chestnut, apriiofc, almond, nectarine, apple, p. ar, peach, plum, currant, blackberry, raspberry, Btrawberry, gooseberry, pea-nuts, etc. VEGKTABLES. Nearly all kinds of vegetables can be raised in abundance, aud of the best quality ; and

more perhaps per acre than can be raised in any other valley in tho State. RAILROADS The chief of which is the Southern Pacific, having for its present terminus th;: harbor of W.bnington, twenty-two miles from Los Angvles city. From Wilmington, it runs through the city to >an Fernando tuuuel. at which poiut it is being met by the through line from San Francisco, which will he completed by next June. Another branoh extends to .-.uatieisu, a distance of twentyfive miles., and is being rapidly pushed on to Santa Ana, a must remarkable and productive country. :>nother line, which is a portion of the main line, now extends throujh the San Bernardino Valley to the Gorgonio Pas, aud will be completed as rapidly as pessible to Fort Yuma, on the Colorado Kiver, connecting with the Texas Pacific, or Tom Scott's line. We have also a rival line called the Lon Angeles and Independence Railroad, which extends from >auta Monica, on the se;* coast, north of Wilmington, and onlv 14 miles from Los Angeles. Jt is the intention of its projector, .Senator J. P. Jones, to

ui'-i this line to halt Lake City, connecting with the Union and Pacific Kailroad, which would make a third competing line io the Pacific slope. (To be continued.)