The morning call., 1891-12-20
THE FARM OF THE FUTURE.

Senator Casey of North Dakota is re-
ported as expressing the opinion that the
tendency of the agricultural industry in this
country is toward large farms rather than
small ones, and that large farms, conducted
on as careful business principles as are
large mercantile concerns, are to be the farms
of the future in the United States. AS the
owner of n farm of several thousand acres
in North Dakota, Senator Casey is perhaps
excuSable for his opinion, but outside OF
North Dakota lies a territory considerably
larger than that region of bonanza farms,
where different opinions prevail.
Here in California. for instance. the peo-
pie are learning that the safety, convenience
and prosperity of the agricultural industry
lies in small rather than in large holdings.
The great ranches of many thousands of
acres that were once the rule in California
have been largely instrumental in retarding
the growth and progress OF many sections.
For years Southern California was so ham,
pered and retarded in its growth, and it is
only since the famous great ranches of that
section were cut up into small holdings that
an era of prosperity has begun for the peo-
pie down there. Southern California is pre-
eminently a successful agricultural country.
In San Bernardno County, one of its most
prosperous sections. Riverside paper rec
Gently pointed out the fact that the county
assessment rolls show the wealth OF the
county to exist principally in holdings of
less than twenty acres each, yet some OF
these small holdings are valued and sell at
mare than many OF the great ranches of
North Dakota are valued or sell at. There
are but two or three large ran hes in the
county. and they are being subdivided and
sold in ten and twenty acre tracts. In 1880
San Bernardino County contained but 1900
souls. Its present population, as shown by
tie last census, IS ., 49, and the total value
of its taxable property, exclusive of railroad
assessments. is SIS, 49, 45. Another county
where small holdings are the rule is Ala
media, in the northern part Of the State. 1t
is one of the smallest counties, comprising
but about 800 square miles, bat in popula-
lation and value OF taxable property it leads
the State, outside of San Francisco County.
In sharp contrast with these two may be
instanced Cnlusa County where Senator
Casey's farm OF the future" prevails.
Colusa County lies in the very heart of the
fertile Sacramento Valley. 1t includes
territory OF about 1900 square miles, but its
population is but IA, $40, and tie Auditors
report for 1891 shows the value of its tax
able property as but S12. $751; Sl.
Of the entlre acreage of ColuSa County,
74S. 2S6 acres are held by 100 men, and Sc per
cent of that enormous amount is held by
nOn-residents OF the county.
The effect of this system of holdings is
readily perceived. VIII s. Green, the vet
eran editor of the Colusa Herald, in a re-
cent issue of his paper, says that the ten
dency of such ownership Of the land is ''to
make this fair valley Of no more use to
civilization than n whaling station at the
North Pole at which an amount of oil is
taken equal in money to the value of the
wheat"
The land along the river is growing less
productive, from constant cultivation to a
single crop (wheap; the population of the
county is decreasing, small holders being
crowded out; land values have deprecated;
handsome homes have been abandoned, and
the houses are being destroyed by the pres
ent nonresident owners, who have no use
for them. and prefer burning them to pay
ing taxes OIL them asiimproYements. The
men who cultivate the land for hire can,
the owners estimate, as well live in rude
huts and shanties exempt from taxation.
With many magnificent natural resources,
and, at the start, plenty of energy and en-
terprise, Colusa County is to-day, despite
the progress SHE has made against these
hard conditions, a striking illustration of
the evil influence of 1.-THE farm Of the
fut1