The record-union., 1899-09-10

these 100 largest holders in the valley,
the next 200 below them own still
greater quantity. Thus 300 men usurp
the opportunity for subsistence of at
least Ga, 600 families.
In the county of Fresno one of the
most progressive communities in the
San Joaquin Valley in 1870 there were
forty flour holdings of 5000 acres ana
upward, aggregating S74,379 acres. In
1880 there were fifty holdings of 5,0UJ
acres and upward, aggregating 99o,oi'
acres. In 1885 there were forty
eight holdings of 5000 acres and
upward, and they aggregated t.
061 $50 acres. In 1890 there were
forty-one holdings of 5000 acres
and upward, and the aggregate was
943, ,557 acres. The largest land holding
in this county had increased from 169,
464 acres in 1875 to 239, 1856 acres in
1890 Other counties containing the
most fertile land in. California show
similar conditions and the question
naturally arises as to the details Dy
which this aggregation has been
achieved The answer is not far TO
seek. 1t was through the facility with
which land may be made the basis OIL
security for the repayment of money
borrowed. In many instances the orig
ina1 owners of much of this land were
so prosperous that they desired to IN
crease the area of their holdings hop
ing to increase in like proportion the
amount of income from the product OF
their land In the great valleys OF
IL Cr4t IL. rot zXynG
and during many seasons the return
upon the production of this staple was
extremely profitable owing to scarcity
in other wheat regions Of the world 1t
was the desire of the farmer to plant
as many acres Of land to wheat as
possible. and to accomplish this pur-
pose he mortgaged his farm to buy
more land. The result was gradual
accretion of land to the mortgagee un-
der foreclosure, the mortgagor falllnS
through lack of thrift, incompetence TO
handle the responsibilities of his IN
creased holdings, a glut of the market
and consequent depreciation in the
price of the commodity, or other
causes. local or general. In no IN
stance did the land pass from the pos
session of the original owner by reason
of lack of fertility, inclemency of eli
mate or intractability or any natural
condition Moreover, millions of these
acres are open to the skill and industry
of the world at what may be regarded
as a nominal price when the produc
tiveness of the soil and the equabillty
of the climate is taken into consider
alton.
The territorial area Of California Is
about 15S,000 square miles or 1UO,
0O0 eco acres The question of the pro
portion of the arabic land of the State
to the entire acreage, has been much
discussed The pioneer population re-
garded but a very small portion as
suitable for cultivation. Many large
areas rejected as possessing no aerl
cultural value whatever in the first de-
cade of American occupation are now
among the most productive and val
liable of any lands in the State. The
methods of agriculture pursued in Cal
ifornia are of comparatively recent dis
coverv and practice. Being the re-
suit of experiment under climatic con-
ditions wholly different from those op-
tanning on the Atlantic seaboard OF the
United States or in Europe, the agr1cUI-
ture of California may be said TO De
distinctive and peculiar. AS now ad'
mitted TO be applicable to the varyln6
conditions of the different portions OF
the State the area of arabic land may
be presented as follows: