ANIMAL INDUSTRIES 271 



fornia: turkeys, chickens, geese and ducks, as also 

 their eggs,, sell at profitable prices." In the same year 

 the State Surveyor General made a census from the 

 county surveyors' reports, which is contrasted with 

 the last United States Census report in this way : 



Chickens Turkeys Ducks Geese 



1867 1,030,579 113,119 73,310 15,217 



1910 5,665,964 116,002 40,061 14,195 



The figures show that only in chickens was any 

 notable progress made during the forty odd years 

 between the collections of data. The same course 

 has been followed during the last decade and very 

 marked progress has been made, for now Sonoma 

 County has probably as many fowls as were counted 

 in the whole State in 1910. Poultry-keeping has 

 advanced both by increased production and valuation 

 of the output to a total, currently estimated by ex- 

 perts, to exceed $20,000,000 a year. 



The production of fowls and eggs is practicable 

 everywhere in the State from the immediate coast 

 across the hot valleys and up the foothills and moun- 

 tains everywhere. The mild equable coast climates 

 from end to end of the State make the least require- 

 ments in the way of shelter; the hot interior valleys 

 demand shade during high temperatures; the moan- 

 tains necessitate winter protection from low tempera- 

 tures. Therefore, a farmer can keep fowls wherever 

 he has his farm, if he gives them fair play. It may 

 be that they will not keep themselves so easily as in 

 countries with moist summers which are less favor- 



