■**MI AND f=Vr- 
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HORTICULTURIST, 
Vol. IV. 
LOS ANGELES, CAL., JULY, 18*1. 
No. 7. 
^gvicttUttvc. 
THE GROWTH Or FARMING. 
Tho earliest history with which we arc 
acquainted, sings of tho fruits of the field. 
Tho ancients had their goddess for every 
department, and as some particular branch 
bore abundantly, they bowed at the shrine 
of their propitious benefactress. As we 
look back through the centuries of the past, 
we find the profession of farming in its 
highest state during the time of republican 
Home, and note its decline during the 
tho reign of the Cn-sars, when the luxuries 
and vices of their thrift permeated all 
cla bos of society. Broad republican prin- 
eiides, a growing civilization, and a liberal 
education of the masses, will ever bo found 
goiug hand in hand with progressive farm¬ 
ing. Other professions may prosper and 
shine with a double bister on the page of 
history under imperial and kingly rule, but 
farming, to attain its largest proportions 
II"d aueoeaa, must be fostered by the an- 
nobling band of liberty. Landlord and 
tenant may hold their respective positions, 
but never till the loriRiit becomes the land¬ 
lord will tbo noil bless a prosperous and 
happy people. 
Looking through the dark night of a 
thousand years which followed tin- down¬ 
fall Ot Home, we sec the gleam of the (ksltio 
sword mul tho poise of the Teuton lance 
slowly but surely preparing tho way for n 
better and nobler ag.-. An ago that will 
not bo perfect until the iron rule of modern 
Europe shall disband its standing armies, 
which are the bono and sinew of the land, 
and return the memhora to fields freu to 
the hand that tills them. The very reason 
why tin- United States is the leading agri¬ 
cultural nation of the world, lies in the 
fact of the broad freedom which it* citizens 
enjoy. When the dark cloud of war sweeps 
over our land, tho call to arms is answered 
by hundreds <>f thousand* ready to do their 
duty in tho field of carnage, but os soon as 
tho lieaty of peace is proclaimed the Spirit 
of r«atlwMiiu>»8 prevails until the last tent is 
folded and the warring thousands wh" were 
rivals In war become rivals in the fluid of 
husbandry. In truth, we arc a nation of 
farmers in peace, and a nation of soldiers 
in times of war. No nation can bo truly 
great and prosperous for any length of 
time where these conditions do Hot ovist, 
History bears us out in this assertion, and 
it is with a certain national pride which we 
feci that we glanco at our own free America 
with her boundless resources. From ocean 
to ocean,from the forty-ninth parallel to tin- 
gulf, we arc a nation of workers, and our 
present wonderful prosperity is all duo to 
the intelligent labor of tin- active farmer. 
The trades could not exist, commerce would 
bccorno a thing of the pssr, and failnres 
more appalling than were ever known, 
would appear on every side, should the 
fields refuse to yield their aniuial reward. 
Tim time has past when farming, in tlm 
minds of a few, ranked lower than tin; pro¬ 
fessions and trade. The honest rustic is 
now regarded as tho great source of our 
national strength, a position which his in¬ 
telligence and success have justly won for 
him. Farming will bo a success in propor¬ 
tion to the intelligence of the masses. 
Scientific farming ulouci may not succeed, 
but scionoc combined with experience am) 
a fair amount of good seuae, will always 
attain a larger success than the unlearned, 
hap-hazard system. 
Beading, thinking and doing arc the 
three essentials; combine them properly, 
giving to each the time which its import 
anoe demands, and our great plains and 
valleys will support a degroe of prosperity 
that will command the respect and admira¬ 
tion of all civilized nations. 
MIXED FARMING. 
More mixed farming, wc believe, would 
bring more coin to tho farmers’ pocket, 
and a more lasting prosperity tu the country 
than the all one thing rule that so generally 
obtains throughout Southern California. 
Tho Eastern farmer who, after his long 
year of toil, finds one or two hundred dol¬ 
lars added to his bank account, fee.la satis¬ 
fied that ho ha# been fairly rewarded for 
hi* labor. This amount of money would 
snoni but a small couipeuaatiou In our 
farmer*. Unless they can raise u largo 
crop of wheat or barloy, run in debt for 
this thing and flint, run tbft ri*k uf a dry 
season, and carry on a largo business, 
farming fins no charm* for fheui. And 
right here is where Wo find failure*, if any 
nro lo bo found. 
Vou never hear of a man with forty or 
eighty acres, who gives hi* attention to the 
different branches of agriculture ami hor¬ 
ticulture failing. True, it may bn that at 
tlm end of llio year lit; may not have 
cleared so much us Iris more pretentious 
neighbor, whoso large wheat or barley crop, 
favored with a good season, has added 
largely to his exchequer. Hut how will it 
bo the year following, and the nest, should 
they be dry seasons? 
While the small farmer keeps down ex- 
icnses, lives within Ids means, improve* 
lis few acres, and becomes independent 
slowly but surely, the larger one goo* into 
debt for teams, provisions, machinery, 
finally mortgages, and at lost is wild out 
and lias nothing that he may call his own. 
The term gambling can justly bo applied 
Ui some branches of farining.aud especially 
in California. 
Every new branch that is more than or¬ 
dinarily premising, is taken up with such a 
furore that it become* a “boom," and u a 
rule it eventually proves a failure through 
over- product ion. 
We refer to tho time when everybody be¬ 
came wild over the orange and general 
citrus culture, and dug up their vineyards 
to make room for the orange, lemon, time, 
etc. Now they arc reversing the order of 
things, and everybody must have a vine¬ 
yard, even to the neglect ol citrus fruits. 
Sonic years ago deciduous fruits were by 
many considered a failure, and unworthy 
of any attention. Experience, however, has 
given us n full line of deciduous fruits, 
save, perhaps, cherries, a few currants and 
plum*, which challenge* tho world to a 
comparison. The forty -acre farm properly 
managed, will have a small vineyard, \ 
deciduous orchard, some citrus trees, a 
patch of nlfalfa, cows, chickens, pigm, and 
will raise in the field a general vanelv of 
products: oorn, potatoes, pumpkins, ft**, 
beaus, hay, barley, etc. Uy *.>me this 
would be considered a sort of pultvring, 
and would be considered boneatb their 
time and attention, but it i» a fact, verified 
by cases near this city, that man who fol 
low this plan will inevitably succeed, an 1 
in a short lime will bectinm tho kry to our 
periiianant prosperity. 
- 1 a- - — . i 
I'.vi-n *i. invested in a farm ami managed 
with skill is inoio generally rewarded than 
any other investment a man can make. 
Tint outlook at iha present time is a 
promising one for a most splendid harvest 
in JSM. We have not had a tioto from tlu> 
croakers for a fortnight. 
A man of good health, good judgment, 
fruual habita, industrious and jmrsevering, 
am) with a family to match, may engage in 
farming at any time and in any place with 
a prospect uf almost certain success. 
