The San Francisco call., 1909-05-30
BUTTE VALLEY WILL
GROW GOOD CROPS
Bureau of Soils Says Alfalfa
Will Produce AbundantIy
Without Irrigation
Vegetables Suited to Temperate
Zone, Apples and Other Fruits
Found Profitable
ESPECIAL Dispatch TO The Call

WASHINGTON. May 2s.-An inter
esting bulletin on the soils of the ia
nous Butte valley, California. and their
virtues has just been issued by the
United states department of agricul-
ture. The bulletin was prepared by
W. w. Mackie, who is in charge of the
work of the bureau of soils in Califor-
mia, washington and Oregon. Dealing
with the agricultural conditions of the
valley. Mackie says. in part:
.'AlI the soils of the valley are well
suited to grain crops, which have been
grown to limited extent for local de-
mand for many years Both heavy and
sandy soils have produced good grain.
The loans in the northern part of the
valley, at Pickard and Sans Neck. have
been most extensively farmed.
VEGETABLES GROW WELL
apple trees in the various small
orchards in the valley have borne well,
producing fine, large clear skinned
apple, free from ali blemishes OF insect
and fungus pests and diseases. Every
vegetable suited to the north temperate
zone mas D6Sn grow 10 SUI
culence and crispness. With these evil
dences and beginnings of agriculture
before one it is quite safe to predict
the agricultural development of the
valley.
Alfalfa, clover and timothy will pro-
duce abundantly with little or no irri-
cation according to the character of
the soil and closeness of the ground
water. Grains do well without water
u l.- ,1< fvvf inn
except in very dry years
SUGAR BEETs AND PEAS
Sugar beets should prove success
full and profitable crop. and those
grown experimentally have shown
marked adaptation to the soil and eli
mate. The level stretch of many thou
sands of acres, especially on the loan
soils in the central and northern por-
tions of the valley, when once cleared
of sa gebrush and other brushy growths.
offer suitable soils for sugar beets. A
promising crop for rotation with sugar
beets is the Canada field pea, which
will probably grow we'll in Butte val
ley, for IT has done very well in valleys
of like altitude and climate in Colo
RADIO
Until such time as the tule grass
(Juncus) swamps can be drained and
reclaimed for farming they can be vast
~ improved for hay and pasturing pur-
poses by sowing broadcast in the fall
the seed of redtop grass and velvet
grass.
Asparagus is another crop which
will grow well il placed on the lower
or more moist sandy loans. Some of
the sandy loan tule grass swamps, If
properly ditched and drained. will un-
doubtedly produce excellent asparagus.
HOPS AND APPLES FAVORED
Hop soils are found in the sandy
loam west of Macdoel, where the soil
is loose and pliable and the ground
water can be reached by the vine. The
climate appears to be favorable to the
production of a fine. bright hop. The
poles necessary for the hop fields can
be procured cheaply from the neigh
boring forests
Apples will undoubtedly prove
valuable and extensively grown crop,
for except for occasional late spring
frosts, the climate is ideal. Such
small orchards as have been planted
produce good crops of beautifully col
ored, clean, bright skinned fruit No
pest. affecting fruit or foliage has yet
appeared. though caution should be
exercised to prevent them from enter
ing the valley.
CARE IN PLANTING NEEDED
I'm selecting apple soils great care
should be exercised, for not all soils in
the valley are suited to the culture of
this fruit. The apple soils are found
principally along the edges of coyes
of the valley, but they extend for a
mile or two into the valley in the
sandy loans where drainage is good
and the water table five feet or more
below the surface.
Pears will grow on all soils suited
to apples, and perhaps also on wetter,
heavier and more alkaline soils. Cher
ries. however, need better drained.
drier and deeper soils than apples,
with the water table al good depth.
or a freedom from flooded conditions
at all times. The slopes of sandy loans
about the valley are better suited to
this fruit
.Plums. ounces and berries. espe-
cially blackberries, raspberries and
currants,. will also do well on the
apple soil. and can be proitably grown
between the rows of orchard trees
during the years before the orchards
come into bearing"