MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 243 



perature in winter, that it rarely fell below that. Next morning the 

 thermometer registered 57 degrees. A tiorist informed me that last 

 winter it was so cold that pots in his green-house were bursted by 

 freezing. 



It would be much better for those who visit here with a view to 

 settlement to come during the summer while the crops are growing. 

 Life here, to those who till the soil for a livelihood, is anything but a 

 play-day. The soil is good (sand and gumbo ), adobe (almost pure 

 gumbo) or alkali ( salt). Everything must be irrigated, and the soil 

 being so largely composed of sand, soon dries out. Close in to the 

 city the irrigating is done with river water. In this vicinity it is done 

 with the sewer water of the city, and it is needless to say it smells to 

 high Heaven. The hired man does not " lay off" here when the crops 

 are watered, but wades around all day in that Los Angeles rose-water, 

 and sometimes in the night they can have that little pleasure. Water 

 costs tive dollars a day, less if you take it by the year. Five dollars 

 worth of water is a small amount when spread out. 



The weather, since I have been here, has been chilly nights and 

 mornings. Only a few very warm days, but mostly pleasant. They 

 wear about the same class of under-clothing in summer here that we do 

 in winter. I have been wearing heavy cloaks since I arrived here. 

 Heavy fogs usually settle down at night, and often do not lift until 

 nearly noon. Another thing we vain country people would find it hard 

 to get accustomed to is the all-pervading dust. At the present time it 

 is five or six inches deep on a level ; when a vehicle passes a great 

 cloud arises and floats out over the surrounding country, and the 

 appearance of the foliage along the roadside can better be imagined 

 than described. 



The surface of the country here is a dead level, excepting some 

 parts which are a little lower and in which water stands all winter. 



Eoads are but continuations of city streets, and are generally bor- 

 -dered with Eucalyptus trees. This tree furnishes the chief supply of 

 iire-wood. These are planted in belts on the boundaries of each ranch 

 and are very large at four years of age. Wood at the present time 

 sells at $10 per cord. 



All crops grown out of the rainy season must be watered. The 

 soil is very rich, and fine corn is grown with little water. California 

 can never be a prosperous country so long as the laud is held at the 

 present high figures ; here, six miles from the city, it is held at $oOO 

 per acre. Few can buy enough at that price to grow field-crops, and 

 if they could, it would bring too small an interest on the money in- 

 rested. A ten-acre lot, house, barn and out-buildings, held at $5000, 



