ASPARAGUS IN CALIFORNIA. 



Introduction. The introduction of asparagus into California as a 

 commercial proposition dates back to the early 'seventies. No records of 

 its early history in this State are available. It commenced to be men- 

 tioned in the market reports in 1875. 



Originally the " green" varieties were the only ones known; in fact, 

 the "white" is a California evolution, an improvement on the "Eastern 

 green." This development was the result of efforts made by the Cali- 

 fornia canneries to find a stalk that would be less liable to bruises and 

 abrasions in the canning process. General report credits the experi- 

 mental work that brought about the discovery of the new variety to Mr. 

 R. Hickmott, the pioneer asparagus canner, of whom further mention is 

 made in the section on canning. 



The first attempts to raise asparagus on a large scale in this State 

 were made at Milpitas, Santa Clara County. The fields in the Sacra- 

 mento and San Joaquin delta date back to 1890-95. While asparagus 

 does fairly well in all parts of the California lowlands, it is on the 

 formerly overflowed and reclaimed lands of the Sacramento and San 

 Joaquin delta that it does its best. It is here that asparagus seems 

 to find the most congenial soil and climate. In no other place in the 

 world has it thus far been possible to equal the production of this section, 

 either in quality or quantity. Nowhere else in the West is it grown to 

 any great extent. The output from fields in other localities is inci- 

 dental to and in connection with truck gardening for local consumption. 



In the triangle between the cities of Sacramento, Stockton and Benicia, 

 there are approximately 35,000 acres devoted to its growth. These lands, 

 as previously stated, were formerly overflowed lands, covered during the 

 soring floods, and locally known as "tule lands," being considered 

 almost worthless. In the last thirty years, reclamation work has resulted 

 in levees that protect them from overflow and in their being drained and 

 otherwise improved, so that today the raw unplanted land is worth $150 

 to $300 an acre. Nearness and accessibility to river frontage and can- 

 neries are the principal factors in determining the values. 



As a rule the land is owned by Americans whites of American birth 

 or long residence. They seldom farm it themselves, the work being of a 

 character that does not commend itself to the class owning the land. 

 Most of the asparagus land is worked by tenants. 



Two systems of leasing are in vogue. One, the "long time" lease, 

 covering six to ten years, is on the basis of a cash rental, ranging from 

 $16 to $30 per acre, and averaging $22.50 per acre per annum. The ten- 

 nant usually plants his asparagus and his lease covers the life of the 

 plant, or at least the period of its greatest production. The holders of 

 these long-term leases are mostly Portuguese, who lease the bare land, 

 furnishing their own tools and other equipment. 



The other system is that of annual leases on a percentage basis, under 

 which the lessee and the owner divide the returns on 50 and 50 to 67 and 

 33 per cent, respectively the determining factor being the furnishing of 



