PULSE OF THE IRRIGATION INDUSTRY. 



99 



the engineer in charge, Mr. H. Clay Kellogg, and the 

 foreman, some time in May. At that time 1,500 feet of 

 the east end was finished, and the piles were driven in 

 what was termed the " new work at the west." They 

 were filling in the foundations with rock and putting 

 up the bents of the superstructure. The controversy 

 was in reference to filling a space of thirty feet on the 

 south side, where considerable water was passing 

 under the lower sheet-pile line. The engineer in- 

 sisted on stopping it; the foreman thought his plan 

 unnecessary and too expensive. The consulting 

 engineer upheld the foreman, and Mr. Kellogg was 

 relieved. It was at that point where the washout 

 occurred. He claims that but little of the eastern 

 portion, which had been finished under his direction, 

 was carried away, and that probably by abrasion. It 

 is not the first time in the history of dam building 

 that the foreman has assumed to know more than the 

 engineer, nor is the first time that the management 

 have economized very greatly to their disadvantage 

 and subsequent loss. Such a disaster is in every re- 

 spect unfortunate, not only involving heavy loss to the 

 company, but calcutated to discourage other effort. 



CALIFORNIA. 



Those who eat the "forbidden fruit'' from the Red- 

 lands orange orchards, have to submit to the county 

 diet as a penalty. 



At the agricultural experiment stations, a display 

 of small signs is now made upon the grounds to indi- 

 cate to passing farmers the subjects under investiga- 

 tion for the time being. 



Many of the Southern California orchards will yield 

 an average net profit this year of 8300 an acre in ex- 

 ceptional cases more. 



Many parts of the State are overrun by vagrants, 

 who are becoming a very great nuisance. 



The San Joaquin Valley Railroad is at last receiv- 

 ing due attention from San Francisco capitalists. 

 That city has subscribed more than 2,000,000; Oak- 

 land, 8200,000, and Stockton, $100,000. 



San Joaquin County has shipped oranges by the car 

 load for the first time. 



Abundance of rain all over the State gives assur- 

 ance of good grain and hay crops. 



Azusa, in the eastern part of Los Angeles County, 

 is becoming noted for its strawberries. 



The Vacaville Reporter says fully one-fifth of the 

 entire fruit shipment from the State is from within 

 fifteen miles from Vacaville. It suggests that an or- 

 ganization of the fruit growers there could have a 

 pronounced influence on controlling the market. 



A new fruit, casabana, has been introduced from 

 Louisiana. It is of the banana family, but will stand 

 a lower temperature. 



A discussion is in progress in Southern California 

 as to the injury suffered from heavy rains by the 

 orange crop. There is a tendency to overgrown fruit, 

 and where smut prevails it renders the fruit unsightly. 

 Otherwise there appears to be no material injury. 



At Redlands the orange crop is in prime condi- 

 tion, and growers are getting high prices for an unu- 

 sually heavy crop. 



The demand for California oranges is a month 

 earlier than usual, due to the widespread destruction 

 from frost in Florida. 



Palermo orange growers are hard to satisfy. Not 

 content with having a month of advantage in earli- 



ness, they are said to be using Redlands' brands to 

 get credit for the latter's reputation. 



R. S. Thompson, of Highlands, has been shipping 

 125 boxes a week of fine strawberries from his hillside 

 farm, to Redlands. 



Lytle Creek, in San Bernardino County, was di- 

 verted from its course during the floods, and it re- 

 quired prompt and energetic work to turn it back 

 again in its bed to prevent serious damage. 



The 700 acres of the Alessandro orange grove, 

 which was frozen out a year ago, near Moreno, has 

 been divided by lot among the shareholders. 



An effort is being made to secure legislation that 

 will exempt improvements on lands within irrigation 

 districts organized under the Wright law. 



The Redlands orange crop is estimated at 440 car 

 loads for the year; less than one-fourth has been 

 shipped. 



The Editorial Association of Southern California 

 held its annual session on the 4th of February, at Riv- 

 erside. They were entertained by excursion to Per- 

 ris, and to the recently completed irrigation works of 

 the Hemet Company. 



The Orange County Fruit Growers' Exchange 

 opened the season with orders in hand for nineteen 

 car loads, which .were allotted to the different associ- 

 ations. 



Alfalfa hay at 818 a ton in Santa Ana, and rising, 

 indicates the scarcity of forage in that section. 



Bonds for 8300,000 to build a sugar factory at Ana- 

 heim, have been sold in the East at 90 cents on the 

 dollar. 



The Sunset Irrigation District, containing 300,000 

 acres of land in Fresno County, has failed to sell its 

 $3,000,000 of bonds, issued four years ago. No works 

 have been completed and no water put upon the 

 land. The opponents to the district organization 

 have finally carried an election, and it is probable 

 that the district will be dissolved. 



ARIZONA. 



An ostrich farm in the Salt River Valley is a pay- 

 ing investment. There are forty-nine grown birds 

 and one chick, all the produce, within a few years, of 

 two birds imported from California. It has paid four- 

 teen per cent. 



The Phoenix Gazette says Arizona spends $3,000,000 

 annually for whiskey 816 for corn juice to 81 for ed- 

 ucation. 



J. V. Spainhower, of Mesa, harvested thirty to forty 

 bushels of wheat to the acre, then thoroughly plowed 

 and planted to corn, getting a fine crop, and this was 

 followed by a heavy volunteer wheat crop, all in one 

 season. 



The Salt River Valley has proved its adaptability 

 for orange culture during the present hard winter. 

 Its oldest orchards are just beginning to bear paying 

 crops. 



And now the Phoenix papers complain' at the high 

 freight rates over the new railroad from the North. 

 It seems to be the old story all the traffic will bear. 



The opening of the Phoenix and Prescott Railway, 

 giving a connection with the Santa Fe system is good 

 reason for jubilation on the part of the Salt River 

 Valley people. 



Prof. Boggs, of the University at Tucson, has a 

 class in surveying, which he is giving practical in- 



