m 



260 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 May, 1918. 



fruit on the most advantageous terms. An advance is made to tlie 

 grower at the beginning of the season to cover costs, and at the end 

 of the season the grower receives the whole of the balance of sales, less 

 marketing and operating expenses — not unlike the Australian wheat 

 pool. Similarly, the raisin growers have their association; so also have 

 the peach, apricot, and almond growers. Co-operative disposal of 

 every type of crop, save cereals and vegetables, seems to be the regular 

 thing in California. 



5. Resemblance to Yictoria. 

 On the whole, Victoria is very like California in climate, soil, and 

 density of production. But the difference lies in the extent to which 

 California has developed her irrigation resources and intensified her 

 agriculture. Only on the poorest land do we find cereals grown. Whore 

 the soil can be irrigated, fruit, alfalfa, and vegetables are grown. 



In regard to the cereal production, it is interesting to note that 

 barley is far more intensely grown than wheat. Thirty-three and a 

 third million bushels of barley were raised from 1,190,000 acres in 

 1915, as against 5,60'0,000 bushels of wheat from 350,000 acres. 

 Strangely enough, barley has the reputation of being more reliable and 

 hardier than wheat, and better able to stand dry spells. It certainly 

 matures much quicker than wheat, and, cut at the right time, makes 

 excellent hay. This year California has suffered from the v/ca-st 

 drought since 1849. Wheat is usually sown in Doiiember, b;it this 

 year most of the wheat planted failed to come up. The barley crops, 

 .however, are doing fairly well, and are in striking contrast to th3 wheat 

 crops. 



0. Farm Crops of California. 

 A few words regarding the farm crops of California may be added, 

 in order to give an idea of the intensity of the farming practised in a 

 country very like our own. Unfortunately, the State Statist's figures 

 are not complete. I shall, therefore, take the census figures of 1910 

 compiled by the United States Department of Agriculture. The follow- 

 ing was the value of the principal farm crops in 1910: — • 



Fruit and nuts . . . . . . . . $48,417,655 



Cereals (principally barley) . . . . . . 28,039,826 



Hay and forage (principally alfalfa and barley) 42,187,215 

 Edible beans .. .. .. \. 6,295,457 



Beet sugar . . . . . . . . . . 4,335,358 



Potatoes . . . . . . . . . . 5,235,073 



Vegetables . . . . . . . . . . 6,886,885 



Flowers and small fruits . . . . . . 5,400,515 



Total farm crop .. :. ..$153,111,013 



Since 1910, production of some of these crops has been greatly in- 

 creased. This applies particularly to sugar beets, edible beans, hay 

 forage, and fruits and nuts, whilst rice and cotton are now being grown 

 in large quantities. Thus the cotton crop for 1917 is estimated to be 

 worth $12,000,000, and the sugar beet crop $20,000,000. Reliable 

 statistics for the live stock industry are wanting. The output of dairy 

 products, however, for 1910 was $20,443,977, and for eggs $10,262,694. 



