REPORT OF U. S. COMMISSIONERS. 313 



the hard, unbroken surface of the plains, reflecting instead of ab 

 sorbing the solar heat. 



That which absorbs heat best, reflects heat worst, and that which 

 radiates most, also absorbs most heat, and hence rough, loose, and 

 porous soils, such as cultivated soils, freely radiate by night the 

 heat which they absorb by day, in consequence of which they be 

 come cooled down, and condense the vapor of the air into dew. 



This immense valley, being to the east of the ocean, becomes first 

 heated by the solar rays, and as the heated air ascends, the cooler air 

 from the west rushes in through the Pacheco and other passes to 

 supply its place, causing a prevailing wind, and this wind becomes 

 hotter and hotter from the reflected heat as it passes along the hard 

 and uncultivated surface of the valley. 



I do not believe that the Colorado desert is the cause of the hot 

 winds in the San Joaquin valley, because heated air must ascend, and 

 being lighter than cold, denser air must pass over and not displace 

 it. Hot winds are therefore due to local causes; and it is not the Jiot 

 air of the Colorado desert that creates the hot winds of this valley. 

 By deep plowing and carefully pulverizing the soil of these im 

 mense plains, the farmers and land-owners have it in their power to 

 alter the climate of the valley, and to abate the force of the pre 

 vailing winds. By keeping the soil open and porous, they enable it 

 to absorb the solar heat, instead of reflecting it; and also enable it 

 to absorb carbonic acid, etc., which are food for plants, and thus 

 render the air less unhealthy. The air being cooler, evaporation 

 will be lessened, and more rain and dew will fall. 



I believe that the farmers would obtain better results if they would 

 plow up or cultivate the land as soon as the grain crop is removed. 

 An eminent agricultural chemist, has calculated that a w r ell-made 

 fallow insures a supply of nitrogen equal to two cwt. of Peruvian 

 guano per acre worth $4 per cwt. 



I am sure that canals built for transportation in the first instance, 

 between Tulare lake and tide-water, will pay a fair interest on the 

 capital invested therein. In time this would be supplemented by 

 the receipts from sales of water for irrigation. With canals available 

 for navigation and irrigation, and with a system of agriculture more 

 in accordance with the present climate, I believe the San Joaquin 

 valley can be made the most productive and reliable portion of the 

 agricultural lands of the State. 



The report of the United States-Oommissioners covers ninety 

 octavo pages, and is accompanied by a map which embraces 

 the San Joaquin, Tulare and Sacramento valleys, showing 

 the Sierra Nevada mountains on the east side of the valley, 

 and the Coast Bange on the west side to the summits; the 

 &quot; great valley of California,&quot; with all its lakes, rivers and 

 creeks, with their catchment-areas,, the overflowed and swamp 

 lands (one million two hundred and twenty-five thousand acres), 

 the division into counties, alid the township lines of the United 



