The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-08-04
The Wheat Crop in California.


tile State. The history Of the industry Is
perfectly well defined. Introduced by the
fathers of the missions, in 1869, from
seed brought from Mexico, the adaptable
ity of the country for the growth Of cere-
ais was quickly demonstrated, and the OBJ
iect accomplished of rendering the country
independent of Mexico for its breadstutfs.
During the supremacy Of the missions
enough wheat was raised to more thar
supply the scanty population of the period,
and this condition of affairs continued
until the ocnfscation of church property
in 1924, after which the cultivation OF
wheat declined In 1917, but little wheat
was produced and that of very inferior
quality. The era of gold mining inter
rupted agricultural pursuits for several
years, but, by 1854, the local crop began
to appear upon the market in increasing
quantities and to gradually displace i'm
portations from South America and the
East
The expectation of California wheat to
English ports, probably as ballast has been
followed by ever increasing shipments until
now a hundred of the finest sailing vessel,
of the world feet are employed in the
traffic.
The new era, beginning with the Amer
lean occupation of the country, was due to
the great influx of highly intelligent
class who came in search of gold. Pro
badly not five per cent. of these people
contemplated permanent stay. They
knew little about the agricultural possibil-
tiles of this new land, and never suspected
that the riches of the gulches were actual
" secondary to the wealth that lay dor
mant in the soil Unsuccessful in the
quest of gold, and with resources greatly
impaired. these men were obliged to re
turn to their familiar occupations as asrI.
culturists and of necessity to the cultiya-
tion of crops requiring the least labor t'
mature. and to such as would ind the
promptest market at remuneratlve prlces.
Hence. the early attention given to rals
inc wheat. The bay and river system al
the country gave access to the most Ter.
tile valleys of the world in every direction.
Acres and acres of virgin land only re
ouired the scratch of the pillow to yield
abundantly. In six months crops could
be gathered and brought to market and
sold at prices that meant riches. Hence
in 1854, the crop of wheat amounted Il
enough to supply the country and allow
small quantity for export.
The acreage devoted to wheat continued
to increase until 1899, when it amounted
TO 3, 800, 600, with crop Of Is, 723, 6sO
eentals. Since then the acreage has grad
ually become less. In lS99-l900 there
was (estimated) 1850, 900 acres ia wheat
with crop (estimatedo) Of 20, 600, ooo
centala.
The conditions insurins large wheat
crnp in California cannot be said to depend
upon the quantity so much as the lmell'
ness of the rainfall. The great crop oi
1880 was produced with rainfall Of but
1914 inches Gin San Francisco), at least
10 inches below the annual average.
Lands devoted to wheat in California
include those reclaimed from the beds Of
rivers by entertainments, which have been
under water for ages and never produced
ANYTHING but rank growths of vegetation.
Once protected from oyerfows, the crops
of fruit. vegetables OF cereals, grown upon
these lands are surprising Instances Of
40 sacks of wheat, averaging 80 pounds,
as the product per acre of A reclaimed
farm, multiply; and knowing their exceed
ing fertility and witnessing the rank, pow
erful growths Of the stalk before harvest
time, such a yield ceases to astonlsh.
Wheat grown upon these soils, however,
does not rank in quality with the best
Lands which are protected from over
flow by artificial leyees, Of which there are
hundreds of thousands Of acres along the
banks of the Sacramento and San joaquin
Rivers. are the finest wheat lands of the
State. and the most valuable. Lying low,
they are independent Of drought, and then
natural fertility has been augmented by
deposits brought down By oyerfiows betor,
the leyees were constructed. The YAH
basin on the Sacramento River, in time Of
harvest, is a sight beyond description.
The wide. level valley, stretching on both
sides of the river, is a golden sea Of vege
tatiou. The great Glenn ranch of 90, 00t
acres, all in wheat, Is situated here. The
high lands. located above the influence OF
river floods, and dependent upon rainfall
for moisture, extend in these valleys {,
where the foothills begin. They are o.
vast extent, and produce the finest, deep
est and weightiest wheat grown IN th'
world They average, perhaps, SIX sacks
of $50 pounds each, per acre.
After persistent cultivation the reclaime,
and leveed lands show no signs of exhans
ton. No fertilizers have ever been add
ed to these fields other than the charreC
straw burned after each harvest. The
high lands, some after Fifty years Of con
tinuous planting to wheat, upon which n,
fertilizers have ever been spread, do show
the effects of wear, though these lands arr
quickly restored to their old fertility By
deep blowing and change Of crops. Al
falfa substituted for wheat for few years
and then change back to wheat, ha.
shown as fine crops on these soils As wer'
ever raised
These high lands are all capable Of irri
CATION. In MERGED county, where thous
ands of acres of wheat are planted under
the superb irrigating system there estab
lished, crops never fail and are always oil
huge dimensions.
The fortunes 50 rapidly acquired by the
early wheat growers naturally influenced
Others to follow their example; but the
scarcity of laborers became a serious prob
lem when the wheat area increased to hun
dreds of thousands of acres Then it wa.
that mechanical ingenuity supplied the
means for blowing, cultiyating, seeding
and harvesting the enormous wheat crops
To California mechanics is due the dis
tinction of instituting steam for hand labor
in manipulating cereals in the fields
Huge 50-horse power traction engines, o
the Best type, with driving wheels e
inches in diameter, and hanges 90 inche,
in width, drawing over the fields sixteer
10-inch plows, four G-foot harows, and .
press drill to match, blowing, narrowing
and seeding from 10 10 80 acres at on,
operation each day, explains why the vas
crop of California, covering millions Of
I I Il