Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-19
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.
THE IMPORTANT RESULTS TO BIZ Pro.
pUcED BY IRRIGATION.
The Natural Condition of the Valley and its
Cause-Water for Irrigation Extent
OF Holdings Progress dade-Etc.
Correspondence from I. N. Hoag. !

Correspondence from /. n. Hoag.l
In my last letter neglected some gen.
eral observations in regard to irrigation
about Fresno. was very soon convinced
after arriving here that the custom was
general, and / think may say universal,
where water was being used at all, to use
too much Of it. felt called on to remark
this fact to all cultivators I met person
ally, and I deem the matter OF SO much
importance that I 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 prescriptiys or possessory right, CT
claim, to as much as the country they pro.
pose to irrigate may require il the future.
Hence they are encouraging the use by all
of more than they really need. Then the
season has been q peculiar one The pros
pech 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
cums!ance has called the attention of peo-
pie to the necessity OF q good and thorough
SYSTEM OF DRAINAGE
AS well as of irrigation. Aud this matter
of drainage should not be neglected, not
only for the good of the soil and its pro-
ducsion and the qualify Of its products,
but the sanitary condition of the section
will depend greatly upon good drainage.
Then it has been found that the land after
| it has been irrigated one season requires
much less the next, and will require still
less each succeeding season, as the soil be-
comes more saturated and settled with
water. It is also found that the water
level in the soil in all the irrigated parts Of
the valley is rapidly rising. The wells dug
a 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 good supply Of
DOES not como from the clouds-and this is
hardly enough to redeem the valley from a
natural deserts 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, ell the dampuess is carried
beyond it and
PRECIPITATED UPON THE SIERRA NEVADA
Hence, if man would utilize the fertile soil
of this great valley and create successful
agriculture in it, he is compelled TO con.
struct artificial rivers or canals to bring
this moisture back where nature failed to
deposit it. There IS plenty of water in
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 isslready assured. From
the town Of Fresno to the upper end of the
valley every town or railway station boasts
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 Seventy.
six" canal are, to 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 the valley, considerable portions of
which are owned by the companies who
are constructing the canals. The 'fSev.
enty.six'' canal, especially. is a grand un.
dertaking. The company own about 30, :
600 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 IS 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.
I 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 mem 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
/ 81 Eba bnrra,, hit Co..
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
| ND and brought under settlement and cul.
| tivatioo. 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-
ducsd without the expense of even plow-
| ing. The land is very fat, but the first
operation is to level il by scraping down
all unevenness and then building small
levees or checking it off. 1t is then
| flooded, and when the water is turned
| OH lQLO IIlc HtAb CuoCh UT pisst, q CCAEuEdbeA
or wheat cultivator is put on il and the
surface mellowed up. The seed is then
sown and narrowed in with light Tooth
harrow, and the work is done. At the end
of this season they will have
OVER FOUR THOUSAND ACRES OF ALFALFA,
Aud next season over eight thousand.
Not o 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 off
! the place, but all is TO be fed upon it. Beet,
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 millet or Johnson grass, and the first
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 Sierras, above Kings
river, and company is now organized to
bring out water enough TO make
NAyIGABLE CANAL