166 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



cover the proper manures, and to tell us what manure is best adapted 

 to the particular soils that need it. This is not an easy matter in a 

 State that has so many varieties of soil. But the work must be done, 

 else we cannot recuperate impoverished soil, and without recuperated 

 soil we cannot establish a fully developed system of agriculture. The 

 difficulty is of a serious nature, but it must and will be surmounted. 



Again : We have large tracts of alkali lands, which are in main 

 non-productive, a situation that cannot be tolerated by a civilized 

 people, who aim to establish a progressive system of agriculture. 



At the University, the College of Agriculture has done much to 

 show us how to recover these soils, and the University papers on this 

 subject should be in the hands of every farmer. Considerable alkali 

 land has been recovered following University suggestions, but, unfor- 

 tunately, little effort has been made to recover the larger tracts or 

 even the small spots that occur on almost every farm. The knowl- 

 edge now available on this subject, is perhaps sufficient, but who will 

 undertake the grand work of subjugating the vast tracts of alkali 

 lands? I answer, that thousands will engage in this work when they 

 discover that it can be done. Unfortunately in this as in everything 

 else, our accumulated store of knowledge is not brought home to 

 those who need it. 



Again: Aside from that which is alkaline, we have large tracts of 

 desert, so called. And yet a few trifling experiments have been suffi- 

 ciently successful to convince the thoughtful and intelligent agricult- 

 ist, that every acre of that so called desert land can be put to 

 profitable uses. Few know anything about these experiments; the 

 actual facts are practically inaccessible, like a million other facts that 

 everybody needs, but the other solemn fact remains, that the State of 

 California, to do its proper work in developing a true system of 

 agriculture; to do its duty in planting ten millions of people within 

 its territory; to do its duty in establishing a high state of civilization 

 on this coast, must recover for human uses every acre of land. 



Again: To accommodate the wants of immigrants and those who 

 are seeking investment, the State should investigate and map out the 

 natural divisions of soil, etc., so that every one may be able to know 

 accurately the character of all the soils of the State. Such a work 

 would save untold misery, numberless failures, discouragement of 

 effort. 



Bearing in mind our main object, namely, the establishment of a 

 comprehensive progressive system of agriculture, we come now to the 

 crop problems. 



The State of California is phenomenal in its comprehensive pecu- 

 liarities. It lias every variety of soil and climate known elsewhere 

 in the temperate zones of this Continent, with those of the semi- 

 tropical regions. 



Not to enlarge upon this point and to come bluntly to the matter 

 that we are after, we ask: Can we positively affirm that we are rais- 

 ing on any given acre the crop best fitted to its powers? 



Can we affirm that we are raising in this State the most profitable 

 crops? If we are raising the crops best suited to our several soils 

 and climates," and those most in demand, we may ascribe the fact to 

 accident as much as to intelligence. We have neither considered 

 the power of the soil, nor the real demand of the world's markets. 

 What farmer can truthfully say that he cannot produce on his land 

 crops better adapted to his soil, and more profitably than those now 



