The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-13

=
with some good land. That problem has
been the special work of the station, in
volving a study of the behavior OF all
forms of useful vegetation when exposed
TO the alkali and of methods of soil treat
ment for removing it.
The Southern California station, near
Chino, in Los Angeles County, is the de-
hghtful station of the group. The prob
lens here, with the exception OF some in
teresting work on an outlying aIkali plat
of ten acres, do not involve so much the
study of new conditions as the making the
best of some which are unfavorable. They
relate more particularly to the study OF
the most profitable use of rich land long
cultivated and in a delightful climate,
and the work is carried on in
the midst and with the aid OF
the most intelligent and enterprising
agricultural population in the world,
which had long since ascertained for itself
the general lines upon which agricultural
operations could be prohtably pursued,
and was ready for the study of detail, to
which the work of the station has
been mainly devoted. This has included
testing of new varieties OF citrus and de-
ciduous fruits, sugar-beets, nuts, vegeta-
bles, grasses, cereals and, indeed, almost
the entire range of agriculture and horti-
culture, as practiced in an irrigated coun-
try of great fertility; it is the most charm
ing but not necessarily the most useful of
the stations.
tlOns, the university has charge of two
forestry stations, one at Santa Monica,
and the other at Chico, transferred to it
by the Legislature in 1898, upon the aboli-
ton of the old Board of Forestry. The
expense of maintaining these stations is
provided by the State. They are of the
utmost value and should be carefully fos-
IL 4 49,, 49,,
to agriculture description of their work
is omitted.
The center of the system of experiment
stations in the United States is in the De-
partment of Agriculture at Washington,
to which reports are regularly made from
all stations, which are thus united by an
official connection. Similar stations are
also In existence upon one plan or another
III all civilized countries, so that by
an interchange of reports and regu-
lar national and occasional inter
national conventions the best agri-
cultural experience of the world is
brought within reach of all farmers. No
stations, however, in America east of the
Rocky Mountains or in Europe, are dealing
with the problems OF a virgin soil in an
arid climate, and the interchange of ex-
perience between the stations of the Pacific
Coast and Australia and Africa is likely to
prove more valuable to those countries
than that of other regions which to US is
quite as apt to be misleading as helpful.
The most valuable immediate result to
be expected from this work is the knowl-
edge of what not to do and the preserva-
ton of the farmers from the periodical
craZes IN which, as the result of skillful
advertising, they are prone to indulge.
While one swallow does not make a sum-
mer, nor one or two experiments settle a
principle, 1t is evident that If, under the
careful nursing of an official experiment
station plant refuses to thrive, it is a
good thing to let alone upon any CONNER
cial scale on lands and exposures of SINH
lar character. On the other hand,
plants which may measurably succeed
under such circumstances may not prove
profitable under ordinary farming condi-
tions; but whatever will ordinarily sue
ceed in continued cultivation at the sta
ton, and which has fixed commercial
value or use, is usually safe enterprise
for farmers similarly located. But the
essence of agricultural experiments is
time. Our stations are still in their
infancy, and while information of
great value to farmers may al
ready be had from them, in the main
the most important problems upon
which they are at work are still unsettled.
There is a great field for enterprising
farmers of experience and some leisure to
aid in their solution by cooperation in
cultures and soil treatments under condi-
lions admitting of comparison with the
work of the station.
The organization of these stations is
simple and economical. 1t consists of
foreman, who is himself worker, and
always an experienced and intelligent
farmer, with such special training and
scientific knowledge as is possible to OBJ
tain IN conjunction with other essential
qualifications. Such help as he has to
have is given him. Some intelligent and
public-spirited farmer of the vicinity is
appointed patron and supervises the
accounts and consults generally upon the
work OF the station, serving without pay.
The inspector OF stations, Charles Howard
Shinn, brought upin a nursery, and once
a student of the university, superyises the
whole, under the direction of Professor E
w. Hilgard, director of stations and head of
thedepartment. All the details of the work,
the successes and failures, and every cir
cumstance offering light upon either are
fully reported to the director, and in due
time appear in the bulletins and reports of
the department, which can be had for the
asking.
These bulletins include such subjects as
alkali lands and their treatment; waters
and water supply; irrigation and drain
age and the like, and the reports include
all useful details of everything. Among
the most important subjects treated
in special reports is viticulture and
yinitication, proper attention to which re-
ports by our raw-wine makers would have
saved millions of dollars to themselves
and the State, and doubtless has saved
vast sums to those who did take advantage
of them.
AS already mentioned, the Farmers In
stitute work is considered by the staff
very important part of its duties. 1t is
freely offered to localities which will &C
cept it, and IS exceedingly useful, but the
professors do not themselves hire halls and
advertise like a minstrel show and take
their chance OF attendance. They have to
be asked, and to know in advance that
proper effort has been made to assure a
reasonable attendance. 1t is not credit
able to our farmers that for three years,
up to 1894, but thirty-five institutes had
been held in this State, of which ten had
been in Fresno County, ten in Los An
geles County, three each in Tulare, Placer
and Alameda, two in Santa Barbara, and
one each in Sacramento, Sonoma,