The record-union., 1899-09-10


Between the line OF an equal ele- ..o
va tion at from 1900 10 1900 feet. 100000
Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and 80
San Diego coast climate .......- 3,oOo,VOo
Total - ....... ........ .ss, ,444, 600
The irrigable area of the San Joaquin
Valley is 5,545, $50 acres. In a large
proportion of this area there is suffi-
cient annual rainfall to mature annual
crops of cereals. This acreage is ir-
rieable from the water shed of the
western flank of the Sierra Nevada.
About ]. 900. 900 acres on the west side
of the San Joaquin Valley is irrigable
from storage reservoirs in the Coast
Range. The entire acreage of the Sac
ramento Valley receives sufficient rain
fall to mature annual crops of cereals.
The Sacramento and the San Joaquin
Valleys together comprise l. per cent.
of the entire acreage of California.
OF the arid land south of the Tehach-
api there are at least 100000 acres
reclaimable by irrigation. The pos
sible arabic acreage of California may
be estimated, therefore. at 3S,000,0 600
acres. Much of the timbered slopes of
the Sierra Nevada and also of the
Coast Range, when cleared, is suitable
for the production of red clover, tim
othy. and many of the fruits Of the
temperate zone: and it has been DEM
onstrated that in numerous specially
favorable places citrus fruits ripen
earlier and produce better than in the
sub-tropical regions. The timber re-
sources of the Sierras and the Coast
Range are the source of great wealth,
the annual value of the lumber pro-
duced in the forests being estimated
at upwards of 81 100000
There is no portion Of California
which would not be greatly benefited
by the development of systems of irri-
cation. The valley of the Pc, embraced
within the Provinces of Lombardy.
Piedmont and Valencia in Italy, COM
prises 5,120000 acres. or 3S0,000 acres
less than the arabic acreage of the Sac,
ramento Valley. The valleys of the Sac
ramento and the Po have many points
in similarity The area is nearly equal.
The single central drainage runs
through the entire length of each, with
lateral tributaries from the mountains
on both sides. The annual precipita-
tion of rain in the valley of the Po is
about twice that received in the valley
OF the sacramento. Inc river TO mas
thirty very considerable tributaries.
The Sacramento has ten large tribu-
taries The arabic area in acreage is
in favor of the Sacramento. Close re-
semblance may be observed between
the fertility of the soils, the clemency
of winter climate, the tropical heat of
the summer. the facilities of transpor-
tation to the seaboard. and the con-
tiguity of every portion of the valleys
to the sea coast. But with these par
allels cease. The population of the val
ley of the Po exceeds 1900, 600 inhabi-
tants. while the population of the Sac
ramento Valley is less than 300 600.
More than S0oQ0O0 of the population
of Italy are registered as engaged in
unskilled occupations or in the produc-
tion of raw materials. and of these,
more than one-half are credited to the
valley Of the Po. Thus. more than
100000 of the inhabitants of the val
! ley of the Po in the irrigated area find
profitable employment for their labor.
where over a like area in California.
depending largely upon the annual
rainfall 100000 people begin to feel
what is called the pressure of popula-
tion
Reduced to cultivation by systems of