302 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



lead pencil. When they became violently enraged 

 they could erect their long, stiff sharp spikes and 

 thus protect themselves from their smaller and 

 more active enemies. These swine did not live in 

 the marshes but on dry land but when it rained 

 they wallowed freely and in this way, it is said, 

 the hog-wallow land was given its present uneven 

 contour. 



Did you ever see any hog-wallow land? Well, 

 if you had you would have given it a bad name. 

 However, if not too much impregnated with alkali 

 it may be made, when levelled, to yield prolific 

 crops of rice. The semi-rock hardpan near the 

 surface conserves the waters of irrigation ; and, if 

 holes are blasted, there are many varieties of 

 orchard trees which will thrive on the plant food 

 which lies below the hardpan. 



I will describe but one more kind of California 

 soil which the Native Sons tell me can be plowed 

 and tilled with perfect satisfaction for only about 

 ten days in the year. This soil is called "Adobe." 

 That's Spanish for unburned brick ; and when you 

 want to turn your farm into a brickyard all you 

 have to do is to plow the land when it is wet, shape 

 the brick, let them lie in the sun awhile, and build 

 your house. 



