SOIL SURVEY or THE REDDING AREA, CALIFORNIA. 29 



The agricultural population of the northern and northeastern parts 

 is relatively sparse, the most important agricultural districts of the 

 area consisting of the Anderson A^alley district and the Happy Valley 

 district of the uplands, lying in the southwestern part of the area. 



Transportation facilities are fair and the mining centers upon the 

 north afford excellent local markets for agricultural products. 



The summers are long, warm, and dry, and the winters mild and 

 moderately rainy. The climate is generally healthful and favorable to 

 crop production and to the curing of green and dried fruit products. 



The settlement of the Redding area was due mainly to the mining 

 excitement of 1849-50, the early agricultural products being grown to 

 supply demands of the mining camps. The construction of the rail- 

 road furnished an outlet for agricultural products and the production 

 of fruits soon became an industry of considerable commercial magni- 

 tude, developing first in the Anderson and later in the Happy Valley 

 district. 



Green and dried fruits are the principal products, prunes and 

 peaches leading in commercial value, followed by grapes and small 

 fruits. Alfalfa is grown to a limited extent and commands excellent 

 prices. Grains are produced on a considerable scale under the dry 

 farming system, but the bulk of the crop is cut green and cured for hay. 



The growing of pears has been a profitable and important industry, 

 but is now suffering a decline owing to the ravages of the pear blight, 

 which can be checked and eradicated only by the systematic and 

 persistent cutting and the removal of the infected parts of the tree. 



The production of prunes is confined to the deeper, moist soils of the 

 valleys, wliile peaches find most favoral^le conditions upon the grav- 

 elly and more shallow lands of the valley slopes and uplands. In the 

 upland sections there is some possibility that commercial grape cul- 

 ture may be extended to the deeper soils without the need of irriga- 

 tion if thorough cultivation is practiced. 



Many failures in the growing of grapes and tree fruits have resulted 

 from the selection of thin and stony soils, the lack of irrigation facili- 

 ties, and lack of proper care and cultivation. 



Labor conditions during the fruit-harvesting season sometimes 

 become serious, labor frequently being scarce and commanding high 

 wages. 



Little effort is made to induce settlers to enter the area or to effect 

 the subdivision and sale of the larger tracts of farming lands. Im- 

 proved valley lands may be purchased, however, at fair prices, while 

 in the upland section in the Happy Valley district wooded lands can 

 be bought at a low figure. The cost of clearing is high and the prod- 

 ucts must be hauled some distance to market or to the nearest ship- 

 ping point, but the cost of clearing is largely offset by the value of 

 the wood removed, and the country roads are generally in good con- 

 dition during the fruit-shipping season. 



