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Show 205 the top bore a crown of flowers. Here may be a proper place to allude to the giant grape- vine of Santa Barbara, which is 14 inches in diameter, and at 7 feet above the ground is divided into branches large as a man's thigh; the branohes covering an area of 3,600 square feet, and its annual product is from two to three tons of grapes. I owe much of the above information to General Stoneman, to whom I would here ratefully acknowledge my indebtedness. Before leaving the vicinity of Los Angeles would state that the rock out- crops are mostly argillaceous, shaly sandstones, with dark- colored shales interstratified. In some places these shales and sandstones, are capped by horizontal deposits of coarse conglomerate, made up of pebbles of granite, quartz, and hornblende rock, and not firmly consolidated. This is evidently a very modern formation, though elevated at least 100 to 125 feet above the plain. There are also numerous asphaltum springs in the vicinity, the product of which has been turned to commercial account, and promises to be more largely used in the future. It may be best to allude here to the " Bee Ranches " of Southern California, which of late have been so productive. I am without facts to prove my belief, but there is enough evidence to make it probable that the bees derive much of the material to make the honey from plants of the buckwheat family named Eriogonam. Several species of the group bloom profusely in the honey- producing regions, and its analogy to the buckwheat further serves to confirm the view. June 19, we left camp with the natural- history division for Santa Barbara. Leaving Los Angeles and going northwest, we passed many fine farms before reaching the Santa Snaana range. Like all this wonderfully productive California soil, it looked unpromising, and but for the abundant evidence we had of its fertility we would have passed by as worthless. The water used for irrigating purposes is, of course, that derived from the San Francisco slope. Proximity to the ocean, however, renders much less water necessary here than in the inland valleys. About 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles we came to £ 1 Conejo Ranch. This has 49,000 acres. Wheat yields 16 bushels to the acre, ( as I was informed by a resident.) Hitherto sheep- raising has been the principal interest of the ranch, and of this we had the most indubitable evidence in the appearance of the land, everywhere pastured off the very surface. How long it will take California to regain the rank pasturage the State once had is a question. Already it is overstocked, and herders are seeking feed in Arizona. It would seem as though regions like the latter, having so much land particularly adapted to the sheep-raising interest, should be sufficient ground to devote to it without devastating such portions of the country as are capable of better things. June 22, we crossed the western end of the Santa Clara Valley, and found the farmers engaged in harvesting their barley. Much of it they simply headed, allowing the straw to remain. Large fields of good corn were seen. It was just in tassel, and gave abundant promise of a heavy crop. It is hardly overreaching the truth to say that on that day we saw thousands of acres actually overrun with wild mustard, which attained a height often of 8 or 10 feet, realizing the oriental idea that it should become large enough for the birds of the air to lodge in its branches. In some places, indeed, it might well be doubted as to whether it was a mustard or barley field we were passing, both of which were luxuriant enough; but the idea still suggested itself how much larger would either be without the other. What more than anything else surprised me in the day's march was that no attention was paid to fruit- culture. I find recorded in my notes that not a single fruit- tree was seen that day. There was no apparent reason for this. The farmers through this region ( along the coast from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara) do not irrigate more than they can avoid, for the reason, as they state it, it brings the alkali to the surface. This I found to be a prevalent objection along an entire line of march during the past summer. I was much struck by the almost perpetual succession of flower- crops that the same species of plant would produce the season through. At no place was this so apparent as near Santa Barbara, which we reached on June 24. Here my time was again thoroughly taken up by archaeological work, and I was unable to devote to botany and collection of agricultural data the time I wished to, and my notes of observation lay principally along the coast by the main road from the town as far up as Los Pueblos. From the/ oast nothing of the surpassing richuess of this strip of land is seen; the whole shore- line looks barren and univiting; once landed, however, the semi- tropical beauty of the town and its surroundings bursts upon the beholder. Pepper- trees and acacias, with their light feathery foliage, contrasting beautifully with the more stately eucalyptus and its leathery leaves. And in the gardens flowers bloom in such profusion as to utterly bewilder one unaccustomed to see such an unlimited floral wealth. Immediately out of the town, on the road above alluded to, fine groves of oaks make their appearance. They have a height, on an average, of 40 feet. With widely- spreading limbs and perfect symmetry, they are as nearly the ideal forms as it is possible to imagine. To add to their beauty, the surface is devoid of undergrowth, so commonly associated with them on the eastern continental slope. In the main, the productions of Santa Barbara are those of Los Angeles, aud it is hardly worth while to re- enumerate them here. Though it is probable wheat does bet- |