Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-04-21
IN SUNNY CALIFORNIA.
T. C. Ryan Writes G. D. Jones Of His Dissertations There
Which the Latter Allows us to Publish.

irrigation, and then set your wits at
work to devise a system OF irrigation
fol the state you may be able to realize
how little of the state there would be
that you could grow anything on. But
if you were to put the Sierra Nevadas
on one side of Wisconsin, the Sierra
Madres across the center, and the coast
ranges along in the other side, and then
flank all these with the lower ranges,
and the foot hills, and then dot the
spaces between with occasional other
mountains and foot hills, and then take
away from Wisconsin nine tenths of all
its rivers and streams, and then put
yonr wits at work to devise plan of
irrigation for the state, you would have
the California problem. And after
studying it awhile you would give it
up, as a general scheme and content
yourself with letting the occupants of
each little valley where irrigation is
possible work the problem out locally
in their own way. The result Of this
condition is that wherever rural pepu
iation exists in this state, it is much
denser than it is anywhere else in the
country. Five acre farms are not
uncommon. Ten acres is an average
size. A twenty acre farm is too large
to be a common thing. | am speaking
now of fruit farms There is, however.
good deal of land on the northern
slopes of the Sierra Madres--in the
Fresno district, where am told fruit
is not so profitable, but alfalfa thrives
with irrigation, and farms of forty acres
may be found devoted entirely TO dairy
ing
When one of us "EasterHers" thinks
of California as having l55 600 square
miles of territory, and that its present
population is only ! 500, 600. we are apt
to- over-estimate the possibilities of
future growth here But if we realize
the real truth, that California ia fact
has only 10000 square miles OF territory
that can ever possibly be made useful
for agriculture, we will understand the
state better. | believe the estimate
have made OF 80 0lg square miles is too
high But taken into account the fact
that north eff the latitude of Sacramento,
along the headwaters of the Sacremen-
to, Napa and Russian rivers, the rain
fall per annum is sufficient to permit
farming, of a sort, without irrigation,
perhaps the 80. 900 estimate is not far
out of the way The other 10000
square miles, which IS and always must
remain desert, is not therefore value
less, however. 1t contains large wealth
in minerals. And on the higher noun
tain slopes, where the snow capped
mountains furnish irrigation, To such
patches of soil as happen to stick on
the rocks underneath, there is good
timber. Time will exhaust the mines
and the timber, but at present, and for
a long time TO come, these portions Of
the state will have some value. not
anywhere near what the same area 0f
agricultural land owned but still, in the
aggregate. the one crop now to be found
thereon is an important item
4 DsAn who comes here TO live, II he
cosaes from Wisconsin,, and if he have
any love for nature, must thrust his
ideals into the background, aud be con-
tent to accept very ugly landscape,
except in a few small areas. Of which
this head land, upon which Pacific
Grove and Monterey are situated. -
one. The size Of this one you can Judge
from the fact that a Seventeen mile
drive takes you entirely around the
outer edges Of il. The seventeen mile
drive" Is one of the brides it Offers 80
tourists 1t is wonderfully beautiful
natural park, filled with good sized
timber, and aboundiBg with roman. !.
scenery. And you couldn't make q
good living, or any kind Of a living,
hardly for one small family upon the
entire tract enclosed by that seven.
teen mile drive If the land were all
cleared. and every stump removed. aad
ready for farming. Why Because IL
cannot he irrigated. But there IS rain
+ fall enough fifteen inches per year, r.
keep the trees thrifty And The trees
are not valuable for lumber. So here
we may expect TO always find this won
derful natural park Aud therefore
I this win always be an ideal resort. In
the winter splendid place 70 hide