Imperial Valley press., 1912-09-23
FAOS ANG FANCIES OF
THE CALIFORNIA FARMER

J. w. Jeffrey in California Guilt
vator: Among the thousands of fruit
growing friends and acquaintance
with whom l have been blest in go
ter of a century my correspondence
has necessarily become very large. To
me it has been very instructive, and
some of it very puzzling. And none
more so than that concerning the
many new theories and things that
have been sprung upon the unsuspect-
ing rural people and their interests
from time to time. Many of these
friends, believing that I am possessed
of an average degree of candor and
courage, have not hesitated to ask
questions about things upon which
candid answers would breed trouble
to the innocent soul who pens few
remarks in this department four or
five times each month. And now
comes a committee to continue these
prosecutions, not bearing gifts but
carrying a few pounds of soil they had
been able to scratch from the sur
face of a hard piece of land just over
the stratum of hardpan. They had
paid 5000 an acre for the land" it
being represented that the soil was
the best kind of grape land.
This. incident drew me to line of
reflection that should have been pur-
sued by some one years ago, and 1
find occasion here to say in public
what l have been telling correspond
ents by letter for two decades, name
ly, that all things are not what they
seem to even our best posted people.
1t is with the desire of advancing
plain economics that several incidents
may be recalled in this chapter, and
to record certain developments" that
have removed millions of dollars from
the shallow pockets of the farmers of
California. From these bits of his
tory we may be refreshed in our de-
termination to discourage, by every
fair means, such foolish waste of cap
ital and energy as has been the bane
of conservative, real progress for these
many years.
About 25 or 80 years ago some one,
perhaps a nurseryman, conceived the
happy idea that the olive would bear
profitable crops on all soils and situa-
tions from the snow line to the sea,
wherever a man could stand long
enough to plant tree. No one will
ever know how many millions of
money were lost in this horticultural
frenzy. Literally tons of olive boom
ing literature were printed, and 1 know
of a ton of it that fortunately lies
stored in a dark cellar to this day.
A few attempts were made to check
this monumental folly, only to be an
swered by protests and Investigations
that did something to perhaps clar-
ify the situation. But in few cases
did the proponents of miscellaneous
olive planting protest the idea of fol-
lowing foolish fads. Sanity now marks
the olive business throughout the state.
but who can estimate the losses that
marked the early days of the frenzy?
Alm1nd growing. now a most profit
able and increasing industry, did not
escape the deadly work of the pro
moter In one case wild almonds were
discovered upon a mountain side, and
this fact was made the basis of one
of the most impovcrishing and dishon-
est schemes ever perpetrated in Cali
fornia. 1t gave the almond business
setback from which it did not re
cover until men began planting with
understanding and square intent |
will say this for the almond, however.
II enabled the promoters of the scheme
to sell the same land the greatest
number of times for cash and at the
highest prices that have come within
my observation.