410 THE POTATO 



of such magnitude that they can be said to have 

 been hardly touched. 



The potato industry has been most largely 

 developed in the vicinity of Stockton in the San 

 Joaquin Valley, and in the Salinas and Lompoc 

 valleys along the coast. The crop is grown every- 

 where in the state, but not in a large commercial 

 way, except in the places mentioned. 



There are splendid opportunities for developing 

 an early potato proposition in the Sacramento 

 Valley and elsewhere throughout the state. 



The first potatoes on the market always bring 

 the high prices, and by the use of European meth- 

 ods of storing and starting seed, the crop could be 

 sold four to six weeks earUer than any now pro- 

 duced. 



In the following are brief descriptions of Cali- 

 fornia conditions: 



THE LOMPOC VALLEY 



The Lompoc (Uttle hills) Valley is a very nar- 

 row strip of country that extends up from the 

 Pacific Ocean. The mainland juts out into the 

 ocean somewhat at this point, so that the climate is 

 tempered by the ocean both from the front and 

 sides. The valley is about nine miles long and 

 not over five miles wide at the widest part, having 

 a total area of something less than 15,000 acres. 

 It is in Santa Barbara County, 172 miles north of 

 Los Angeles and 303 miles south of San Francisco. 

 Lompoc (1,500 population), the only town in the 

 valley, is nine miles from the sea on a branch of 

 the Southern Pacific Railroad connecting with the 

 main coast line at Surf. 



All of the land in the valley and the surroimding 



I 



