The record-union., 1899-01-02

is from to 10. Professor Hilgard says
that the low moisture absorption OF
Paso Robles soil, San Luis Obispo
County, would be a serious defect but
for the great depth of the soil. That
as the soil is eight feet deep, both
nourishment and moisture can be
sought by the roots independently of
the surface soil'' But as wheat is a
surface feeder, the roots must depend
upon the surface moisture, which in
the country examined is deficient. There
is some contradiction among the set
tiers in accounting for the small yield
Of grain; all say the crop depends upon
late spring rains, but some say that
rain is followed by a hot wind, others
cold, drying wind, either being de-
| trimental to the crop. Late spring
frosts are frequent.
may say here that the deficiency In
rainfall increases as we go eastward.
farther from the Coast Range.
| That the moisture absorption Of soil
| is a potent agency in securing crop
is evidenced by a comparison of cer-
tain counties in the San Joaquin VAL
ley, where the average rainfall is about
the average of the upper Salinas VAL
ley, and where the yield of grain is
satisfactory. The average rainfall at
Visalia, Tulare Cuonty, is sos inches.
At Modesto, Stanislaus County, $50
inches; at Merced, in Merced County,
! 1855 inches.
I examined several orchards in San
Antonio Valley, cultivated with care,
and the trees and vines intelligently
pruned. I am convinced that the
| n af fhn oof1 "a
were growing did not aid in their
growth. The orchard trees and grape
vines at six years old were no larger
than trees and vines three years cid
grown in the Sierra foothills without
irrigation. This fact is better than
theory, about the retentiveness of
moisture by the soil.
The poverty of the settlers is not due
alone to the poverty of the soil. They
are deeply burdened with debt, in
Cured originally to pay the Govern
ment for their land. The San Antonio
Valley originally was devoted to stock
raising. In time settlers came in and
began farming.
AS gentleman reported to me, about
| twenty families located on. the Mil
pitas ranch were elected in 1878.
Some left the country, others settled on
what was then known as Hungry
Flat" now known as Lockwood. A
few good crops of wheat were raised,
and soon the whole valley was taken
up by men of small means and large
families. Other settlers came and un-
dertook to carve out farms from the
brishy gravel hills, from which no
paying crops have ever been reaped.
| Some of the early settlers sold out,
others kept improving and extending
| their farms. The time for proving up
title came and found the settlers short
of funds. Then came the mortgage,
and the debts then incurred formed the
nucleus of the present membranes on
| the farm.
For the first ten years grain was
hauled to Soledad, a distance of forty
or fifty miles, the farmer making a trip
a week with six or eight horses In the
central and upper part of the San An
tonic Valley grain is hauled to Kings
City, or San Lucas, distance of fif-
| teen to twenty miles. The trip takes
a day, and the driver returns the next
day to load up for the succeeding days
haul.
1t is evident that there is no profit in
| growing wheat either in San Antonio
Valley, or, for that matter, in the up
per Salinas Valley.
The State Board of Agriculture for a
series Of years conducted an examina-
ton into the cost of raising wheat, and
reported, with the following result:
The actual cost of growing wheat, ex-
elusive of interest upon land valua-
| tions:
| Cost of preparing land per acre 81 50
Cost OF seed, so pounds at s1.20 per
GENITAL ..... .......................... 76
1 COST OF sowing ......................... so
| Cost OF harvesting ...................... / 90
Cost Of sacks and hauling. g.............. 60
/ n1 Il,