PRODUCTIONS OF LOS ANGELES VALLEY. 
81 
the whole extent. East of Los Angeles, and between Monte and the Cajon, hundreds of acres 
were occupied with sunflower, (Helianthus petiolaris ,) of unusual height, 10—12 feet, in blossom 
and often disputing the road by their numbers. A hundred other species of more humble 
growth, but exceeding it in beauty, covered the whole surface of the plain, rendering it a 
beautiful object to behold: among these were the species Calendrina viola, (pedunculata,) 
Cilia, (five varieties,) Eritrichium, (fulvum,) Nemophylla, mimulus, orthocarpus, pent- 
stemon, erodium, and salvia.* Above all were conspicuous the Escholtzia, (Californica,) 
and the salvia, which by their scarlet and red flowers gave to the base of the hills the appear¬ 
ance of a finely dotted carpet. Nor should the wild mustard and the clover be forgotten. 
Under the latter name come the “alfalfa,” which is extensively spread over the valley and 
ripens its fruit in autumn ; the stalk then dies and scatters its capsuled seeds on the ground, 
where they form so thick a layer a& to mask the ordinary growth below and give an air of 
barrenness, from their brown color, to a soil essentially fertile. A prickly burred capsular 
surface invests the seed, whence it has derived the common name of burr clover . It is highly 
nutritious, and much sought after by the domestic cattle, who devour it with avidity, and upon 
which they fatten when other leguminous plants and grasses fail from drought. 
That portion of the plains which do not much exceed 1,000 feet in elevation are admirably 
adapted to the culture of grape and other kinds of fruit which require a warm and constant 
temperature. The vineyards of Los Angeles have been long famed for their productiveness in 
supplying the more northern sections of the State with the grape, the pear, apricot, peach, 
apple, and fig. During fruit season the steamers from San Pedro go up laden with grapes, 
peaches, and pears, which are delivered at San Francisco and Sacramento. The apple does not 
grow to any great perfection, owing to the climate and latitude being too near the intertropical 
zone, but the pear, the peach, and the fig trees, bear very abundantly. 
The orange has not of late been extensively cultivated, although it grows remarkably well. 
At the mission San Gabriel are large orchards of this tree growing in the open air, and ripening 
their fruit at the close of the month of May. Its cultivation can be made as profitable as any 
other fruit production, owing to its luxuriant growth, and, as already a few small orchards have 
been planted around the pueblo of Los Angeles, there is little doubt that in a few years this 
fruit will form a staple article, indigenous to the plains. The climate and soil appear both to 
have united in favoring the growth of the grape in California. Commencing with a few cuttings 
which 150 years ago were transported from Malaga to this country, it has spread with remark¬ 
able rapidity and rendered itself almost a native in its quick growth. The number of vineyards 
in Los Angeles county are (1855) 125, each producing seventy thousand pounds of grapes 
annually, or making an aggregate of above nine millions of pounds. The value of the grapes 
varies according to the time they ripen and are in condition to be shipped, ranging from three 
to twenty cents per pound. It is estimated that two-thirds of the whole amount shipped would 
not exceed three and a half cents. Under the present culture there is much loss from neglect 
and inattention, not harvesting them sometimes until heavy rains come, when they are rendered 
worthless. 
The rough estimate made of this growth sets down one-half of the entire crop as being manu¬ 
factured into wine and brandy, one-quarter sold for shipping, and one-quarter for domestic use, 
including waste and loss ; very nearly 100,000 gallons of wine and brandy are manufactured in 
the county annually, which is valued at $2 per gallon. In 1854 it was calculated that $50,000 
* Vide Botanical Report and synopsis. 
11 u 
