Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-19
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.
THE IMPORTANT RESULTS TO BE PRO.
DUcED BY IRRIGATION.
The Natural Condition of the Valley and It's
Cause-water for Irrigation-Fx Extent
OF Holdings-Progress Eade-Etc.
[corresp,ndencs from 1. n. Hoag. l

Correspondence from I. N Hoagl
In my last letter neglected some gen
ersl observations in regard to irrigation
about Fresno. was very soon convinced
after arriving here that the custom wal
general, and L think I may say universal
where water was being used at all, to us,
too much of it. I felt called on to remark
this fact to all cultivators / met person
ally, and I deem the matter OF SO much
importance that / desire to refer to it again
in this public manner. saw many vines
and trees, and, indeed, whole vineyards
and orchards that were materially set back
because the soil was too full of water.
There are two very plausible reasons for
this state OF things at this time, and Meth
er of which will probably continue. The
ditch owners want to appropriate all the
water they can from the river go as to &C.
quire prescriptiye or possessory right, or
claim, to as much &c the country they pro-
pose to irrigate may require in the future.
Hence they are encouraging the use by all
of moro than they really need. Then the
season has been peculiar one. The pros.
pect Of very Cry season encouraged the
use of a full supply and heavy irrigation,
and the rains beginning in March fill up
the soil already full of water. This cir
cumstance HAS called the attention of peo-
pie to the necessity of good and thorough
SYSTEM OF DRAINAGE
As well as of irrigation. And this matter
of drainage should not be neglected, not
only for the good of the soil and it's pro-
ducsion aud the quality of it's products,
but the sanitary condition of the section
will depend greatly upon good drainage.
Then it has been found that the land after
ii has been irrigated enc season requires
mitch less the next, and will require still
less each succeeding season, as the soil be-
comes more saturated and settled with
water, Il is also found that the water
level IN the soil in all the irrigated parts of
the valley is rapidly rising The wells dug
few years ago have water much nearer
the surface than formerly, and new wells
do not require to be dug or bored SO deep
as heretofore to obtain a good supply of
water. All She water of the valley that
does not comefrom the clouds-and this is
hardly enough 70 redeem the valley from a
natural desert-R brought out of the Sierra
Nevada mountains, there being no rivers
or creeks OF any moment, supplied from
the coast range. This fact accounts for the
dryness and natural barrenness of the
west side OF the valley. The great alti.
tnde of the coast range sends the damp
breezes from the ocean'up into cold arid
regions before it can pass the summit, and
meeting no cold currents Or cold surface
over the valley, al the damp,ess is carried
beyond it and
PRECIPITATED UPON THE SIERRA NEVADA.
Hence, if man would utilize the hrtile soil
of this great valley and create Successful
agriculture in it, he is compelled t. con.
struct artificial rivers or canals to bling
this moisture back where nature failed 20
deposit it, There Is plenty of water IL
these mountains, and man is equal to the
task of making it serve his convenience
and necessities, and thus convert this great
valley into an earthly paradise. This
work is already begun, and its completion
at an early day isalready assured. From
the town Of Fresno to the upper end of the
valley every town or railway station boastG
of its projected and soon to be completed
irrigating canal that is to surround it with
great fields, orchards, vineyards and a
dense and prosperous population. The ca.
nal approaching Fowler Switch, and the
grand enterprise known as the "Severey.
ST" canal are, to a great extent, the works
of Yolo county enterprise, and are being
pushed by Yolo county pluck and capital
Both take water from Kings river, and
both are intended to irrigate broad sections
of thu valley, considerable portions of
which are owned by the companies who
are constructing the canals The "Sev.
enty-six" canal, especially, is grand IN.
dertaking The company own about 80,
| 900 acres Of excellent land for the cereals,
vines or fruits. The railroad crosses two
sections of the company's lands, on one of
which it is intended to locate town and
shipping point, and wherever located to
build rival, friendly competitor of the
lively Fresno.
THE CANAL rs ONE HUNDRED FEET on. THE
Bottom, and will carry volume Of water
three feet deep, sufficient to irrigate terri
tory enough to make good sized county.
/ understand from the President of the
company, Mr.. Kitchener, that this land
will probably soon be broken up into farms
of 20 acres and up to l60, and plated and
put upon the market In the mean time
the company will put under improvement
ornamentation and cultivation blocks in
different localities to demonstrate the capa,
bilities of the whole. At Tulare similar
work of transforming the barren but fer.
tile valley lands into resident farms by
means of irrigation is in progress, and
what were once the most noted stock ranges
by reason of their extent, are being broken
up and brought under settlement and cul.
tivation. We first visited the large farm
of Page & Morton, where the once dry
| plain that could only, in its native state,
support one animal on ten to fifteen acres,
is being turned into alfalfa meadows capa-
BILE of feeding much more beautifully from
three to four animals to the single acre
and this wonderful change is being pro.
duced without the expense of even pillow.
ing. The land is very fat, but the first
operation is to level it by scraping down
all unevenness and then building small
levees or checking it off, It is then
flooded, and when the water is turned
off into the next check or plat, corrugatol
or wheat cultivator is put on il and the
surface melIowed up. The seed is Their
sown and narrowed in with light tooth
barrow, and the work is done. At the end
of this season they will have
lover FOUR THOUSAND ACRES OF ALFALFA,
Aud next season over eight thousand.
Not pound Of hay of which the
land will produce over ten tons TO the acre
per annum, besides producing uninterrupted
good feed for half the years. to be sold of
tbs place, but all is TO be fed upon it. Beef,
pork and mutton are to be the products OF
the farm. Page & Morton last year had
fourteen acres sown in June to the ever.
green lnillet or johnson grass, and the frat
cutting produced four tons of seed, which
was sold at fifty cents per pound, or 81, 900
per ton. A second crop of good hay OF
two tons per acre was afterwards cut, and
then from two square rods they sold 1915
worth Of roots and left roots enough in the
! sell to produce larger crops this year than
last. The water with which the place is
irrigated is brought from Kaweah creek,
flowing from the Sierrss, above Kings
river, and q company is now organized to
bring out water enough to make
l A NAvIGABLE CANAL
From the Sierras to Tulsre, and az the