The record-union., 1892-02-02
TO be, with perfect drainage,

iSy 10 the Sect3O on covered, ana as IL embraces
nearly 100000 acres of irrigable area, ii is of
no little Importance 10 the State. With a
thorough system of irrigating canals amid
the central and upper portion of this State,
the entlre width of the Sacramento ana San
Joaquin Valleys could be made as productive
and valuable as is our lands that lie adjacent
TO the great natural water courses of both
these valleys.
The value alone to the cultivation of alfalfa
as forage plant, both in its green and dried
state, cannot at this time be calculated. All
who are concerned in the breeding of live
stock. nay, all who own for use any slock,
can readily testify TO the great value of this
wonderful plant. With extension OF its
growth, feed or stock Woald become more
plentiful and cheaper TO the consumer, where
as by reason OF its continual growth and pro-
dlg1ous capacity to yield wntn assisted by
water, the producer would reap much more
in return than he now does with an
insufficient yield of other fibrous plants used
Tor pastuTage, or cured for hay. In another
portion of this report we will more fully refer
to this great plant.
What irrigation has accomplished for the
rich and fertile counties of Los Angeles, San
Bernardino, san LEGO Fresno, Tulare and
kern, IL can perform for the extensive and
favorable localities of San joaquin, Sacra-
mento, 4olo, Solano, Sonoma. Colusa, Butte,
1ehama and shasta. Our mountain counties
OF Nevada, Placer, Amador and Calaveras
have some irrigation advantages, and are
building additional works for equable dis
trlputlon OF that great purveyor of agricult-
ural bloom-water. The great amount sus-
ceptible TO use in the portion of the State
above referred to, as being without proper
systems, makes it matter of investment of
capital alone. With our perfected laws and
an assurance of their permanency, capital
should be forthcoming TO supply this,
the greatest OF all wants, TO insure
safe and profitable cultivation of
our lands We are constrained to
believe that lack of faith in our legislative
action, whereby there is danger of repeal OF
laws, thereby creating disaster among indus
tries that come under legislative control has
much to do with the non-eNtension of indus
tries where large capital is required II this
State, until some assurance is given that no
laws iniInical TO this great industry viii be
passed, Just so long o we fear it will not be
forthconing. And how can this be done eX-
cept by constitutional amendment.
We hope to see these apparent obstacles
overcome, and the greatest ureadth tor acton
DE given capital for the purpose of irrigation
construction, to the end that one of our prin-
c1pal natural resources AN be so utilized us to
do the greatest good for the greatest number.
SPECIAL AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.
An essential quality in the makeup of a sue
! cesSful Soil-wOrker Is farm contentment. We
| do not deny the existence of many that are
| thoroughly contented, bat we firmly believe
| there Is all equal amount Of discomfort among
| those that follow tie vocation of farming.
There are numerous causes for this state OF
affairs. In the first place lack of thrift and
energy among many who live only for the
! day, as it Were, leading careless and neglect
| III! existence to which after time as years
| roll on, realization comes in ran: bling
| thoughts of past life, or when comparison OF
/ position is made with that OF a more thrifty
| nelghbor whose possessions are in better
shape, or IL the shape OF a foreclosure of mort
gage.
With some the meeting of their annual in
| terest and store account gives enough salts
| faction for one season, ana if any surplus is
| on hand it is used 1or pleasure or luXuries, TO
| the expense of the uncanceled mortgage. in
| recently Well-prt pared article upon Dis
content of Farm Llfe," by Hon. J. r. Dodge, a
| statistician of national reputation we OBJ
served many truisms upon this subject, and
/ NUI ll.ar Nv f,F NO
! lieving it will be of interest to onr
readers. OF course this paper applies more
directly to the state of affairs throughout the
Eastern and Middle States, but inasmuch as
1 California IS similarly afflicted to some ex-
tent, We deem its reference proper. Referring
to the causes, Mr.. Dodge says:
There are those, however, among farmers,
| and the most progressive and enterprising of
| their class, who will not admit that they have
any special grievances or have suffered
! from depression. one of these writes from
/ the West that the farmer who is attend
| ing to his business is as prosperous and con-
! tented, as q rule, as men in other business,
and is making no complaint; that the COM
| palmer is the thrlftlesS farmer who spends too
much time in town, is ambitious for Office,
| seeking even the little township offices,
neglecting his work to attend caucuseS and
| conventions that many an honest complainer
! is led on by demagogueS and place seekers.
| Another influential and representative farmer
in the same region says that whatever discon-
| tent exists in his State IS mainly due to the
| short crops and low prices of the last few
| years; that shrinking income makes any
| man or class more or less dissatisfied; that
the great bulk of thoughtful, Intelligent farm
! ers, men who shape largely the sentiment of
the communities in whicn they live, under
| stand that the recent depression in prices OF
farm crops has been the result of natural
! causes; that they regarded with greater
anxiety the prohibition of American pork by
| Germany than the accumulation of GouId's
millions; that they know there is nothing
which rests with mere. crushing weight upon
the farmers back than his own unbusiness-
like methods and that they pay more atten-
| ton TO the markets than TO politics. and their
| principal complaint is that the present sys-
| tenn OF education and state of public senti-
! ment toward farm life is such that the cream
OF American youth is SKINNED into other
professions A prominent Kansas represent
ative of the agricultural class refers to the re-
cent magnificent haryests and the improved
J state OF feeling, declaring in somewhat abrupt
| and vigorous terms that 'iiscontents and
| demagogues find IT hard work to howl into
the mouth of cornucopia.' These references,
of which q multitude could be given show
that there is no absolute unanimity in any
| section relative to the grievances suffered
or the remedies proposed. AS the present
purpose is TO give the facts as they exist and
! to show with absolute accuracy, if only in out.
| line, the main features of this remarkable
popular manifestation. these conflicting views
are presented.
while the gradual reduction and extreme
depression OF prices gathered and intensified
| the public discomfort the restoration OF salts.
| factory values modifies but does not dissipate
! it. In the primary markets corn and oats
| have doubled in value. ana wheat and meats
have materially advanced, though cotton as
a marked exception, has declined. 1t can
doubtless be shown that, on the basis of the
present average values of farm products and
OF manufactured goods, days labor in pro-
| ductlon mas hlgner power in the purchase OF
| what the farmer needs, at the present time
than at any former period in the history OF
! the country. This is not because of extraor.
| binary farm prices, though values are me
! dunn to good, but because days labor with
| present appliances produces more than ever
| before, and also because of the cheapening OF
| the value of nearly all manufactured goods
| Few realize the extent of this reduction in
| fifty years, and especially since the DAYS OF
household manufactures. A recent oppor
tunity to examine a daybook OF q country
merchant of 1917, in Webster n. H., showed
that the farmers ofthat region paid so cents pei
yard for calico, 60 for cambria, 75 cents pei
pound for cotton yarn, 3 cents for @ single
! nutmeg and 81 cents for common garden
hoe, while they sold veal at 3 cents per pound
ana farm wages were one-third OF the present
| rate.
ga return TO reasonable prices is q relief tc
the farmer, but ii does not settle the vexed
/ questions that have disturbed his equanimlty
| in the past, in which he believes are involved
! in no small degree the equities of profit-shar
| ing in the industries and the prosperity of his
| future.
1.-The assumed causes of discomfort are in.
dustrial social, financial and political. They
| are more numerous and aggravated IN one
geographical district than in another In
some States large numbers of farmers are un.
aware of the existence Of any serious griey.
ances; in some other States the rural classes
are in state of active ferment. In the for
mer the orators of agitation encounter apathy
| in the latter the public ear is alert the public
mind perceptive, the public heart ablaze
| While these differences, which sometimes
| amount to contrasts characterize in some de
| gree large districts, there is much of differ
entiation in the mass Of individuals of each
The farmer who is successful makes little
search for grievances, and gives less thought
to oppressive ills. He who suffers loss and
| incurs debt, whether from misfortune or mis-
calculation, is inclined to look outside for the
| adverse influences which blight his enter
prise. They may exist unobserved in one case
and be very real and oppressive in the other
t.The spirit of unrest mas its largest mani