THE TRUTH ABOUT CALIFORNIA 



bacon, and fresh meats of others. They themselves pro- 

 duce none of the real necessities of life, but only the 

 luxuries. One reason for this is the lack of irrigation. 

 They have taught themselves to believe that this is not 

 only unnecessary, but would actually be injurious to the 

 quality of their fruit. They are learning gradually, 

 however, that this idea is erroneous that skilful and 

 proper irrigation is always beneficial, and that artificial 

 moisture is imperatively necessary to diversified produc- 

 tion; hence, to the highest business prosperity and best 

 social conditions. When this lesson is learned by the 

 coast region as a whole a new era will set in, and great 

 numbers of colonists will come. 



What is popularly known as southern California is a 

 narrowly restricted district reaching eastward from Los 

 Angeles for about one hundred miles and southward to 

 San Diego. Like the coast region, its character is fixed, 

 though on widely different lines. Its population is al- 

 ready comparatively dense, and its future growth will be 

 measured by the water supply for irrigation. While it 

 would seem as if the water resources had been fully 

 utilized, the fact is that large quantities run to waste in 

 seasons of flood, and that the cultivable area can be 

 gradually extended by storage works and more economi- 

 cal methods of irrigation. 



It is an impressive fact that the seven counties of the 

 south received sixty -one per cent, of the increase of 

 rural population between 1880 and 1890. This marvel- 

 lous showing was chiefly due to the superior public spirit 

 of the locality, and to the attractive institutions which 

 grew out of it. Los Angeles itself is the throbbing 

 heart of a region which, in many respects, has no equal 



