Imperial Valley press., 1913-09-30

more between the rows. We Will keep
it up until most of us will grow
trees in with the annual crops, not
uninportant crops in the orchard.
The isolated tree bears heaviest Of
fruit or nuts; it is cleanest of insect
pests or disease, and is vigorous and
healthy. Get whole orchard Of
isolated trees, so to speak, have them
so far apart that they might as well
be isolated, and it goes without say
ing that production per tree is vastly
increased. BY that system the other
tendency of annual crops in the or
chard is encouraged, and we will
grow more alfalfa, beans, melons, CT
what not, by far than in the crowded
orchard. We kill two birds with one
stone, and although, for example, the
yield per acre with prune trees about
go feet apart may prove to be less
than when they are 80 feet, the dif-
ference will be much less than the
gain in interspace crops. That gives
the soil the chance that nature seems
to so strongly desire to rest herself
by having a variety of occupations.
rather than year after year growing
the same thing with artificial help
like clover crop, manure or chemical
fertilizer.
These things will only come, Of
course when change in labor con-
ditions and land values make it
necessary and profitable. Specialized
farming may be most profitable for
years to come. It is that diversified
system, however, that has developed
in the older countries, and why not
here?
Livestock will be a fundamental
thing in California agriculture, and
it will be livestock on every farm
rather than the orchard here, the
truck farm there, and the dairy be-
yond. The white man naturally is
adapted for livestock management,
and the land requires it. Manure is
the greatest single thing needed to
keep up the strength of the soil, and
it is only a question of time until
the demand for manure will make
those that need it get stock, for peo-
pie with stock will think so much Of
the manure that they will not sch
it.
This means also the breaking up
of the straight dairy farm as COM
mon feature All investigators are
unanimous in the statement that the
bulk of the net profits from dairying
year in and year out comes from the
manure. On the California dairy
farm with alfalfa everywhere, the
soil gets it's nitrogen direct from the
air. Nitrogen is the greatest part
of the manure for fertility, and to
put this back,on alfalfa means big
waste in comparison with what could
be done if it went to fruit or field
crop and the alfalfa was given only
phosphorus and potash. We don't
especially feel the pressure now, but
we will when only the best farm
systems will be profitable.
Furthermore, there is an advar-
tage to the cows in living just three
or four on farm. They are health
ier, for it is no good life for a COW
to be locked up in dusty or muddy
corral month in and month out with
20 other cows, some of which are
fairly sure to have tuberculosis; and
when one has this disease, Others
surely get it under those conditions.
A family COW with a good start and
well cared for is healthy COW and
usually a good producer.
Furthermore, this is cheap dairy
ing, for there are a variety of foods
(Which are pleasant and healthful for
the animals) and many of these are
by-products. Gull apples and fruit,
bean straw, etc, which is cheaper
than raising feed as feed. We are
even starting rotation Of crops with
alfalfa; we are planting alfalfa in
the orchard and coming to diversified
farming in theory and practice. No
country in the world is Better fitted
by soil, climate and markets for
diversified farming than California.
We will have large ranches, too;
we will raise cattle on the range and
fatten them on farms, specializing
more or less on this; we will have
small farms mostly, with COW or 50
and couple Of hogs, perhaps a few
sheep to keep things cleaned up, and
some poultry. We will make the
most of our material development.
We will develop by cooperation
cheap and efficient method Of distri-
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