128 RURAL CALIFORNIA 



The production of wheat in California in United 

 States Census years has been as follows : 



Year Bushels Farm Value 



1850 17,328 



1852 271,763 



1860 5,928,470 



1870 16,676,702 $15,592,000 



1880 29,017,707 39,524,496 



1890 40,869,337 22,131,778 



1900 36,534,407 16,555,304 



1910 9,900,000 9,306,000 



1913 4,200,000 3,990,000 



1917 7,425,000 14,850,000 



1919 * 16,335,000 33,323,000 



California's present capacity for wheat is shown 

 by the quick return made to large production when 

 both price and patriotism urged it in 1918. This 

 was done without taking land from other crops, for 

 all were largely increased by the same motives. No 

 matter how great the population of California may 

 become or intensive special industries, with fruits, 

 vegetables and live-stock, there will always be land 

 for wheat. Coast valleys and uplands, interior val- 

 leys and foothills, mountain valleys, lands reclaimed 

 by drainage, lands protected from drought by irri- 

 gation or by rainfall conserved by tillage every- 

 where in fact, up to a certain elevation, wheat can be 

 successfully raised, if the right variety is grown in 

 the proper way. 



There is, therefore, much satisfaction in the dem- 

 onstration that California can return to large wheat 

 production without displacing other products and that 



1 1920 was a dry yiear : acreage and product were reduced 

 nearly one-third. 



