Evening star., 1911-06-10
TEN ACRES ENOUGH
Intensive Farming in the Sac
ramento Valley.
CUTTING UP BIG ESTATES
Transformation Of Desert by
Irrigation.
GREAT VALUE OF ALFALFA
Raising Poultry and Growing Of
oranges-Development of Electric
Power at Big Meadows.
CUTTING UP BIG ESTATES
GREAT VALUE OF ALFALFA
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

II
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record-Herald
SACRAMENTO. June 1. 1911.
The Sacramento valley is undergoing
a transition from bonanza farming, with
out irrigation, to farming upon small
tracts with irrigation. One is extensive
farming: the other intensive farming In
some cases big farmers grow poor on
1000 acres. while countless small farmers
are prosperous on less than ten acres.
The CENSUS CT 1900 showed that the aver
age farm in Glenn county was more
than 1000 acres. This condition con-
tinued up to four or five years ago. when
the big farms along the Sacramento river
began to be divided into smaller tracts.
and the census of 1910 will show a very
much smaller average.
More than twenty-five years ago the
central irrigation district was formed
along the west side of the Sacramento
river, with a total area of S5O.0OO acres.
or about 400 square miles. The central
irrigation canal diverted the waters of
the Sacramento river at point two miles
south of the county line between Tehama
and Glenn counties. AS laid out the canal
was Sixty-two miles long. Twenty-Five
miles were built and later branch was
constructed southerly. nearly parallel and
irrigation ever done from this canal, how
ever, until the present season, was by
means OF this branch The enterprise
was a failure and the large bonded IN
debtedneSS lay as a blanket upon the
titles of all the lands in the district
Neither principal nor interest was paid
for twenty years. Valiant efforts were
made from time to time to resurrect and
complete the system. but without sue
cess until two years ago. when a group
of Pittsburg capitalists, who have done
so much to transform the southern Idaho
desert. known as the Twin Falls coun-
try. into a garden, were attracted to the
possibilities of the Sacramento valley.
Cutting UP the Big Farms.
The settlers were unable to sell foot
of land because of their inability to clear
the title. The legal tangle Has a most
intricate one, but a plan of operations
was worked out. The Pittsburg people
agreed to take over the project and
carry out substantially the original plan
ii they could purchase at least 12o,OO0
acres to be sold in small farms with
water rights after constructing an lr-
rigation system
They agreed to buy up all the outstand-
ing bonds and clear the titles to the
lands. Each owner in the great tract,
which is about fifty miles long. was
given the right to retain for himself 10
of purchase the company adopted the
plan Of offering twice the assessed valu-
ation of the land.
The tedious task of buying the land
from so many different owners was pa
tiently performed. all the rights were
taken over by the new company ana
construction began. 1t is the intention
to complete the entire system within
the next twelve months
In a direct line il is about fifty miles
from the hea-Gate to the end or the
main canal, while the canal itself Is some
sixty-two miles in length, following sub
stantially the old survey. 1t is big enough
to float a large vessel through greater
part of its length, being sixty feet wide
on the bottom and seventy-eight 1eet
wide at the water surface.
The new organization has aimed to
make the plan nearly identical with that
which developed the Twin Falls coun-
try under the Carey act. small down
payment Is required, and the settler is
allowed to make the rest of his pay
ments annually through a period of ten
years. The water and the land are In
separable, and the purchasers acquire as
many shares in the canal company as
they have acres of land In the year
1915 the Pittsburg organization Will sur
render control TO the land owners. who
by that time will have organized their
canal association and elected officers to
administer the affairs of the irrigation
district.
Building Up a Desert.
A year ago the neglected lands in the
eastern part of Glenn county were desc
late and without population; within the
last twelve months 5000 acres have
been sold, and settlers houses are dot
ting the landscape in all directions.
About ten miles from Willows, the
headquarters of the parent company.
found the Herbert Shearer colony. COM
posed of ninety Chicago families. They
have Joined together under the leader
ship of Herbert Shearer. who was
formerly an agricultural editor and prac-
tical farmer, to carry on scheme Of CO.
operative development, by which they
will be able TO make the land pay for
itself, and instead of costing $l2o an
So an acre for the first payment and
development.
Southeast from the Shearer colony are
forty or fifty families from Monmouth,
and Morrison. ILL.,, the former having
fifteen or twenty families and the latter
forty or fifty. Near Willows Is a large
colony from FL Reno. Okla. who have
planted many orchards during the
spring: and at a point near the river.
in what is called the Jacinto Unit. is
another group OF settlers. known as he
Lowry colony. under the leadership OF
q Michigan settler.
These colonies will be increased in num-
ber during the coming summer and fall.
as the plan of cooperation seems to be
working out satisfactorily.
Value of Alfalfa.
Alfalfa is the crop most favored by all
settlers. Luther Burbank says that al
falfa is the greatest known plant. Nc
other plant compares with 1t in value to
mankind In the Sacramento valley six
cuttings per season are customary, and
he Is very ordinary farmer who cannot
hay from his seasons clip from an es-
tablished field Alfalfa is entirely unlike
other forage plants in its habits. The
roots OF timothy go only a few inches
into the ground. Clovers are shallow
rooted plants, and in dry weather soor
turn brown. Alfalfa although delicate
when seeding. becomes vigorous the sec
ond season. The roots will penetrate the
hardest ground many feet to reach water
The stool Is strong and vigorous. ane
when the alfalfa Is two three fee
high young shoots start out all around
the base Of the main stalks as an an
nouncement to the grower that it Is time
TO cut his crop and get 1t out Of the wa,
for another. Some growers wait for thu
first color Of the blossoms to appear. bu
the appearance of young shoots at thu
base Of the stalks is considered the safe
guide
cows the year around This is a largel
return than is derived from the inten
siveiy cultivated lands Of the Channe
islands where the census shows three
persons and one domestic animal for eacl
acre of arabic land. Breeders OF dair!
cattle say that Sac1emento valley VII
one day produce theFrecord dairy COW