The Raisin Industry: A practical treatise on the raisin grapes, their history, culture and curingEisen, Gustavus A.
History
The Raisin Industry: A practical treatise on the raisin grapes, their history, culture and curing
Eisen, Gustavus A.
Raisins; Viticulture -- California
The Riverside colony forms a continuous settlement along the mesa,
skirting the river, the deep green of the orange orchards harmonizing
splendidly with the lighter green of the vineyards. At close intervals
there are houses in every direction, with the bluest smoke rising
straight up from their chimneys, and thence carried in long, tiny bands
and columns down the valley just level with the tree tops. It is a pity
the hotel on this hill was never finished--a great many more would then
have enjoyed the almost unequaled view. An extension of the main
business street in town leads up to this hill. On both sides of the
street there are fine orange orchards and neat houses,--real country
homes, sidewalks of cement where rows of fan-palms take the place of
regular shade trees along their sides. The business portion of Riverside
is confined to two streets crossing each other at right angles. If we
stand in the center of this crossing we take it all in, the houses
extending a block and a half in the four different directions. Some of
the houses and brick blocks are very large and expensive, while many
again are smaller, but all are costly and elegant, with new and perhaps
startling ornamental designs. Whatever Southern California does, it does
well, and even the cheapest structures have an air of character and
taste which can hardly be too much admired.
When one speaks of Riverside he means the whole settlement that is
irrigated, and to live in Riverside may mean to live in town, or it may
mean a suburban residence ten miles away. In the latter locality the
benefits of the country are happily combined with the luxuries of city
life. Street cars run from the center of the business part of town down
to the end of the settlement. It is a cheap way to view the settlement
to board one of these early cars. You can see as much as any one may
care to see, but of course cannot stop and examine. The whole drive is
one not to be matched anywhere else. From the moment you leave town you
pass orchards and vineyards separated from each other by only a road or
cypress hedge. Every foot of ground is taken up. The main effort of all
the settlers appears to be to make everything attractive, from the very
sidewalk to the elaborate garden and the villa. Nearer town, every
street has sidewalks of cement, and bordering them are continuous hedges
of cypress trimmed in various styles, and in front of every house are
lawns and plats of shrubbery and flowers, as neatly kept as if visitors
were expected day or night. Some of the villas partake of the character
of mansions, with towers, balconies and painted windows, while here and
there in some of the finest orchards are yet seen some of the first
houses built, small and unpretentious. The individual tastes of the
owners are clearly discernible. One has a row of palms running along his
sidewalk, another has palms and grevilleas, while others prefer the
pepper and gum. The manner of trimming the hedges is charming; it has
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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