The San Francisco call., 1904-04-13
SMALL FARMS.

T HE Sacramento Bee sounds the right note for Cali
ornias future in exploiting the small farm idea for
Il the Sacramento Valley. In this connection the Bee
says that planting needs further stimulus and
settlers may prohtaby their attention diverted
variorum farming.
We of the opinion that the fruit planting develop
be in the foothills that border the valley The
red soil of the foothills eminently the fruit SOIL 1t
has capacity for holding moisture that found in
the sedmentary soils OF the valley. If kept we'll filed
that the finely broken surface mulch the
foothll soil is able withstand any drought and pro-
duce without any most with little irr
CATION The quality of the fruit is excellent.
Industries develop the line of natural selection and
this is the that both sides of the railroad from
Rosevle Applegate and beyond, stretch series of
fruit FARMS small plantations that make the pleas
ing to be found in the world. Set among the
orchards of deciduous fruits and olives and small vine
yards plantations figs and houses surrounded
with palms and ornamental trees that make picture
that is hung upon other hills in the world.
But the plains in the valley the best conditions
for small farming which fruit may incident
the main object of farming Alfalfa, crops
truck farming and berries livestock of all kinds poultry
and dayng offer there the best rewards that rural labor
win. The sedimentary soil is aluvial and rich and
when the various of irrigation in offers
every facility the small farmer desire AS for irr
cation it is by everywhere necessary to wait
for the accomps hment of great projects for the diver
sion of rivers the storage and distribution of
waters. Ground is abundant and pump irrigation
is cheap and easily applied The late Dr. Blowers of
Yolo County of the pioneers of this method of
irrigation and by its he first proved the possibility of
raisn production That industry in the valley has lapsed
and been transferred the irrigation and white ash lands
of Fresno and the Sacramento Valley is being and
devoted to varorum farming.
The Bee is right in saying that capacity for fruit
production abundany advertses itself by conquest of
the Eastern market and that should the pro-
sale but profitable bale of alfalfa hay advertisement
the capacity of the valley to support dairying live
stock and general farming Eastern farmers trained
for these branches of the business. Fruit culture they
have learn and in the process they often
discouraging failure. But they apply general
farming experience already acquired.
The Eastern man who is we'll located eighty acres
of land in the Sacramento Valley will astonish himself
by the results He will find himself in the receipt of
income from that greater than his toll could
wiring from half section in the East His stock thrives
and earlier market, because it is retarded
in growth by hard winter. and his work goes
unvexed by the hard weather which in the East makes
many months of eachsyear struggle for existence
Then he here easily change entirely greatly
vary his industries The transfer of the OF his land
from crop another is matter of months only in
stead of years and he loses time in the process.
country and climate that permit intensive and great
y varied farming marked by nature for the home OF
the small land holder In that respect part of the
United States can compete with California and part
of California excels the Sacramento Valley. There
farmer have his house shaded by palms and
rounded by orange grove that supplies his family with
that wholesome fruit His family garden and orchard
will produce something for his every day in the year
and he may work easily. live well and con1pe
tency than anywhere else outside of California.
1t is encouraging sign that the press of the State
takes space from politics and controversy to devote it
these economic This is turning the attention of
the people from those things that divide to those that
them and the State already feels the benefit of this
new impulse. When Eastern men know advantages
we'll and realize that here farmer may pump for
irrigation by electricity light buildings with and
for power in many operations, this, added to other
advantages, will increase the tide of desirable immga-
ton and the number of prosperous and contented
citizens.