310 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



of the past thirty years. It is important that this 

 great valley of the Sacramento an area as large 

 as the State of New York should be saved from 

 further soil depletion and its productive value 

 maintained that the children and grandchildren 

 of California may have as fair an opportunity as 

 their forbears had. 



The Sacramento Valley has more rainfall, a 

 darker-colored and more uniform soil than the San 

 Joaquin Valley and its soil retains moisture well. 

 Both valleys are well suited to the production of 

 beans especially the smaller varieties and that too, 

 without irrigation. Beans are the most staple crop 

 that can be used to form a rotation and can be 

 planted in May and will grow all summer without 

 irrigation. In 1913 over three million bushels 

 edible beans were produced, but Michigan still 

 leads with a production of more than four million 

 six hundred thousand. Between 1900 and 1910 

 New York increased its bean product by 23 per 

 cent, Michigan by 192 per cent and California by 

 405 per cent in another decade California will 

 doubtless be ahead. 



Rice was introduced into the United States in 

 1647 by Sir William Berkeley and into California 

 a half a century ago ; but until six years ago it was 



