92 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



day of cessation in their performance. 

 They are preparing against possible emer- 

 gencies. There has never been any short- 

 age of water, in fact there has always been 

 a large surplusage. 



This year's frosts have developed a 

 number of thermal belts or districts which 

 were exempt from them. There is such 

 a variety of climate in the state that only 

 the experience of a term of years can 

 finally determine the best adapted locali- 

 ties for specific purposes. 



The freight rates that are being estab- 

 lished on the Valley road are but little 

 more than half those which have been 

 charged by the Southern Pacific company. 

 Of course they will be met and may be 

 cut to even a lower level than that indi- 

 cated. 



The dry season is proving a blessing in 

 many sections by forcing a search for new 

 water sources. A. B. Smith dug a well 

 near San Dimas depot 35 feet deep which 

 is yielding a large supply of water, steady 

 pumping at the rate of thirty inches not 

 nearly taxing its capacity. 



The Colton Fruit Exchange paid its 

 members dividends to the amount of about 

 fifty thousand dollars for the shipments 

 to the end of May. Several car-loads 

 netted from $800 to 1850 each and two 

 cars of St. Michaels and Valencias sold 

 for a gross amount of over $1,300 each. 



There are said to be more than a thou- 

 sand bee-keepers in Southern California. 

 Until recently there has been no organiza- 

 tion and no means of ascertaining the 

 extent of the product. Last year 7,000,- 

 000 pounds were marketed and the busi- 

 ness is being extended northward into the 

 San Joaquin valley. 



. Although the San Jacinto and Pleasant 

 Valley Irrigation district is in the best 

 condition of any in the state, the system 

 is incomplete, and the pending decision 

 of the Supreme Court of the United States 

 as to the constitutionality of the law under 

 which it is organized makes it impossible 

 to dispose of the bonds necessary to its 

 completion. 



Judge Van Dyke has rendered a deci- 

 sion in the case of Mayberry against the 

 Alhambra Addition Water Company of 

 more than usual importance. It includes 

 the declaration that developers are entitled 

 to the increased flow of streams, even 



after it has apparently passed from their 

 control. The developer has rights that 

 are paramount to the riparian claimant. 

 The court refuses to recognize increased 

 flow as a burden on riparian lands, as 

 long as the accustomed flow is not dimin- 

 ished. 



Mr. O. B. Stanton, formerly proprietor 

 of the Baldwin Hotel, San Francisco, has 

 been developing some mining interests in 

 the Mojave desert and has struck a won- 

 derful flow of artesian water near the 

 Koehn postoffice. The well is six inches 

 in diameter and is flowing water enough 

 to run 100 stamps. It is now being util- 

 ized to drive a mill about 250 feet distant 

 from it. This discovery is one of great 

 significance in connection with the future 

 development of that valley as to its agri- 

 cultural and horticultural possibilities. 



The San Francisco Wave eloquently 

 discourses on the attractions of California 

 its ocean and mountains, the Yosemite 

 and orange groves, the redwoods and Del 

 Monte, and claims there is no land under 

 the sun that can rival it either in the 

 grand, the beautiful or the picturesque. 

 Then it compares the commercial value 

 of these with other products and states 

 by way of illustration that New Hamp- 

 shire plucks eight million dollars a year 

 from the stranger visitor, or more than 

 half as much as the total gold product of 

 California. 



The assessed valuation of Stanislaus 

 county this year is $13,167,459, a decrease 

 from last year of $1,535,447. It used to 

 be that people were proud of an increase 

 in county and state valuations, but it is so 

 difficult now to pay taxes that they rather 

 enjoy going backward. 



The vintage of dry wines for 1895 was 

 only 9,500,000 gallons as against from 15,- 

 000,000 to 24,000,000 per year during the 

 past several years. The consumption 

 within the state is about 5, 000,000 gallons 

 so that there is but comparatively little left 

 for export this year. 



Fresno is especially fortunate this year. 

 The Republican says: " The advent of the 

 Valley road, the introduction of electricity 

 for power and light and the erection of one 

 of the largest wineries in the state, show 

 the great faith that capitalists have in the 

 future of the county." And now there is 

 to be added a large factory for seeding 

 raisins. The machinery to be used has 



