Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-06-18

other form. there was practically no water
reservoirs except in deep tule lands, great de-
pressions without outlets, and lakes-since
the hardpan was practically on the surface
whereas now every titled acre is sn artificial
reservoir, from the surface OF which evapora-
ton is going on during the whole of every dry
s ,ase n, thus forming an annually increasing
connecting link between the surface moisture
of the interior valleys and the damp, coel
current of sea air floating over them almost
daily. Whether there results more extended
rainy seasons from this condition of things
or not, it is positively certain that there does
come out Of it more moist soil and atmos-
phere, circumstances which render it possible
to grow a greater variety of crops, and thus
make the pursuit of agriculture more safe
and Independent, and hence more desirable.
Artificial irrigation is one OF the means OF
rendering cultivation more successful, and
from this practice, also, comes an aid to a
moister climate. 1t will be remembered that
for number of years back a moist cool
spell of weather has come on just in time to
save and perfect the wheat crop when it
seemed to be threatened with destruction
by drying north winds and heated sunny
weather. Last season many of our wheat
fields seemed to be past redemption, and
some were being cut for hay, when one of
these favorable changes took place and per-
fected the heaviest wheat crop ever har-
vested. The same favorable change has
secured fair medium crop of plump
wheat this season, when the general expecta-
tion had settled upon light crop of shrunk
and shriveled grain. Thus we think we have
shown that man, by cultivation and without
any general effort to do SO, has brought about
very great and favorable changes in the eli
mate of this State, and the question now
naturally arises, to what extent it is possible
to push these changes when there shall be
united effort, directed by scientific principles
intelligently understood and applied. We
have been stripping our entire valley OF Its
natural forests and oak openings, but we have
supplied their places to some extent with
orchards and Vineyards so that in this re-
spect we have given as good as we have
taken ; but what we want is to give In the
future more than we take. Let us increase
the area in orchards and vineyards, and at
the same time let every farmer plant out on
and valuable timber-say the native black
walnut, the locust, the catalpa, the blue gum
and the various kinds of elm for hard woods,
and the poplar, the cottonwood and some of
the better classes of willow for soft timber.
Then for evergreens may be culti-
vated successfully in almost all sections
of the State many varieties of the pine and
the redwood and cypress. A few acres of
forest of mixed trees would be the most
profitable investment farmers could make on
their farms, and while they would add inn
mensely to the beauty and cheerfulness of the
country, the forests would, at the same time.
prove among the most effective means of
accelerating favorable changes in the climate
and securing retention of moisture in the
soil during the summer seasons. Indeed we
think it possible to effect so great changes in
this direction that renewal of crops of
almost any kind will be possible in midsum
mer on the more moist lands, and that good
vegetables can be produced of every kind in
the sections now devoted exclusively to the
small grains. The changes of the past have
been SO great without any concert of effort
that it is impossible to predict the probabili-
ties of the future when science shall direct
and organized action shall execute its sug-
gestions