220 TRANSACTIONS OP THE 



most of Our principal grain growing counties, and may, we think, with 

 safety be taken as a standard for all. An average of the above estimates 

 show an increase of more tban eight tenths in favor of tbe summer fal- 

 lowing system. That is to say, if ten represents the number of bushels 

 of grain raised on a piece of land sown in the ordinary way, then eigh- 

 teen would represent the number of bushels raised on the same piece of 

 land if summer fallowed. Then, reason, nature, and facts all agree, and in 

 an unmistakable manner point out to the California grain farmer the 

 cause of his failure in the past, and the means of improvement and suc- 

 cess in the future. In the light of the above facts, let us see what is the 

 annual loss to the State in the items of wheat and barley by bad culti- 

 vation. 



In eighteen hundred and sixty, the quantity of wheat and barley 

 raised in California, as shown by the United States census, was — 



"Wheat, bushels 

 Barley, bushels 



Total 



5.946,619 



4,507,775 



10,454,394 



Suppose one tenth of this was raised on land summer fallowed. Then 

 nine tenths — equal to nine millions four hundred and eight thousand nine 

 hundred and fifty-five bushels — could have been increased, by summer 

 fallowing all the land sown, by an addition of eight tenths. Eight tenths 

 of nine millions four hundred and eight thousand nine hundred and fifty- 

 five is seven millions five hundred and twenty-seven thousand one hun- 

 dred and sixt3^-four. This, then, is the loss in bushels to the farmers and 

 State for one year — eighteen hundred and sixty. It certainly has been 

 equally as great for each year since, including eighteen hundred and 

 sixty-four — making the whole loss for tbe last five years equal to thirty- 

 seven millions six hundred and thirty-five thousand eight hundred and 

 twenty bushels. In other words, thirty-seven millions six hundred and 

 tHrty-five thousand eight hundred and twenty bushels of grain could 

 have been added to the productions of the State by a proper system of 

 cultivation without increasing the number of acres of land annually cul- 

 tivated. But this is not all. Could we estimate the damage to the State 

 by the useless exhaustion of the soil, the result of the system of culti- 

 vation and waste of fertilizing agencies which has been practiced, and 

 the effects of which we are yet to experience in the deduction from our 

 future crops, we have reason to believe the loss above indicated should 

 at least be doubled, if not quadrupled. But, let us take another view of 

 this matter, for it is only by a discovery and an appreciation of our 

 errors that we are induced to correct them. 



Suppose the farmers of California had, for the last five years, culti- 

 vated well in Avheat and barley, on each alternate year, one half the land 

 they have done, allowing the other half to rest and recuperate alternately 

 — helping it to do so with manure, rotted straw, etc., much of which has 

 been burned and wasted — what would have been the result different from 

 what it now is ? "We call upon you, farmers, to say whether the follow- 

 ing answers do not truthfully indicate that result, and, if so, to com- 

 mence now to bring about so desirable a change by using the means in 

 your power: 



