The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-19
HER FARMING
METHODS.
By E. w. HILGARD.
University of California.

A NUMBER of causes have con-
~ triDuted toward the modification
- of Eastern and Old World farm
ing practices in California. Ear
Hest among these causes was the high
price of labor, so that the replacement
of hand labor by automatic or rapid
working devices became one of the
first requirements both of agriculture
and of housekeeping. The regularity of
the winds made the use of windmills
one obvious labor-saving appliance.
which, together with the elevated tank
and supporting frame, replaced the
odd oaken bucket" and windlasS or
sweep, even in pioneer settlements, at
once relieving the family from the on
erous work elsewhere connected with
the water supply, and encouraging the
muoh-needed irrigation of the kitchen
and flower garden. In the utilization
of springs and streams for similar pur-
poses, California at once took a posi-
ton alongside of the oldest countries
of the world.
In a large measure the rapid adop
ton of advanced agricultural, as we'll
as Industrial, methods in this State has
been due to the rare medley Of nation
alities attracted at first by the gold ex-
men of more than usual energy, such
as was required in the mere undertake
ing of the voyage, together with an
exceptional proportion of the well-edu-
Gated. Thus the habits and practices
of many peoples were introduced into
the State, and among these those that
suited the conditions best in new
country were apt to be adopted with
little delay by all; and all new sugges-
lions and devices were likely to be test
ed, if not carried out, to their last con-
sequences.
The predominant treelessness of the
lands first occupied for agriculture
caused the need of quicker methods of
land-clearing than grubbing to be lit
tie felt for time; but when it came to
occupying woodlands, the energy of the
California settler would not brook the
delays and waste of work involved in
the Eastern practice of "girdling,"
which renders pioneer settlements so
unattractive. The miner had early
taught the use and merits of giant
powder; the farmer soon found that
the same powerful agent would per-
form the clearing of land more cheaply
and satisfactorily than the hired man.
He noted, too, that, unlike the excava-
lions of the grubber, the blast-holes
would not become water puddles, and
this quickly suggested that in close and
ill-drained lands, giant powder, with
perhaps a little black powder on top,
might advantageously replace the tree
hole digger also. And nowadays this
farming with dynamite at first con-
sidered as joke, has become regular
practice in portions of the State where
close subsoils or hardpan inconven-
fence the orchardist.
After clearing comes blowing; and
here the old-time single prairie plow'
soon gave way before the gang plow;
not always, it must be confessed, to the
advantage of the depth and thorough
ness of tillage, since in the frequent at
tempt to make the same team do dou-
BILE duty, the turning-over of a mere
surface crust was the actual outcome
AS it happens, the light and pervious
nature of most of our soils render this
practice much less harmful than it
would be in the East, where it's long
continuance would produce a "plow-
SOLE" most injurious to crops by pre-
venting root penetration beyond the
reach of our summers heat and
drought. This difference in our favor
|
! farmers, most of whom are still more
or less under the influence of Eastern
experience, according to which the
| blowing up of raw subsoil'' will spoil
the crops of several succeeding years.
Most of our soils are almost I'M
changed to the depth of several feet,
and may fearlessly be plowed as deep
as may be desired.
| &c Of
ance in the case of the sugar beet.
In the matter of seeding and cult
walton. our farmers have followed the
most advanced practice of the East in
the employment of labor-saving nipple
ments. In the harvesting of grain. the
Combined Harvester and Thrasher,'
invented and first manufactured at
Stockton, has far outdone any other
appliance of the kind for quick work
with the aid of the fewest men. The
usefulness of this remarkable machine
may be terminated by the abandon
ment of wholesale wheat-farming for a
more diversified agriculture in Califor-
MIA, but will find its thousand
fields in Argentina, and perhaps in ST.
IBERIA, for many years to come.
Another point in general agriculture
in which California farmers are con-
siderably in advance of their brethren
in other States of corresponding OF
even greater age, is that of fertiliza-
ton. In the Middle West it has ordi-
narily taken forty or fifty years to con-
vince the farming population that ii
productive agriculture is to continue
returns to the soil in the shape of fer
tilizers must be made.
In California, on the contrary, the
farmers have taken fertilization by the
forelock, and have been, and are now
fertilizing lands freshly taken into cul-
tivation, and of enormous native fer
tiiity. because at times these lands
would not produce the wished fol
crops. This is an inheritance from the
experience of the East, where crop
shortage is, as rule, an unfailing sigr
that fertilization is called for.