12 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1907. 



grown on the shallower red soils of the Happy Valley section are less 

 succulent and of less vigorous growth, but are not so liable to attack 

 by blight. Peaches are usually planted on gravelly sloping valley 

 lands or on the more elevated shallow soils of the Happy Valley 

 district. It is believed that the influence of the shallower and some- 

 what less productive soils of this district tends to smaller tree growth 

 and lower yields, but the fruit is exceptionally fine in color, size, and 

 flavor. 



Grain and grain hay are grown by a system of dry farming and 

 summer fallowing. Little attempt is now made to grow alfalfa or 

 other deep-rooted crops upon the shallow upland soils, and consider- 

 able loss has been met with in the past from planting fruit upon shallow 

 dry lands. Such injury has been particularly apparent in the case of 

 young orchards at first irrigated, but to which water was later denied, 

 or where attempts were made to produce orchard fruits entirely with- 

 out irrigation in unfavorable locations. Grapes do well upon the 

 deeper phases of the shallow upland soils when irrigated or even 

 without irrigation if intensively and thoroughly cultivated. It is 

 quite possible that a profitable field awaits the development of this 

 industry upon much of the upland part of the area now utilized only 

 for grazing purposes, if attended wath care in the selection of soils and 

 systematic and thorough cultivation. 



Rotation of crops and the use of commercial fertilizers are practiced 

 to a limited extent, but barnyard and green manures should be more 

 generally used. The better and more profitable orchards are usually 

 well cultivated, but in many places the importance of frequent and 

 clean cultivation is little appreciated. Throughout the northern part 

 of the area, over which small unirrigated orchard and vineyard tracts 

 are frequently found, much of the loss from the "going back" or 

 dying of the trees or vines is commonly attributed to the poisonous 

 effects of fumes from the smelters of the mining district. The, 

 evidence, however, seems to point rather to unfortunate selection of 

 soils and lack of careful cultivation as the real causes of the trouble, 

 although much injury to the native vegetation from smelter fumes 

 has taken place to the northwest of the area. 



During the fruit-harvesting season labor is very badly needed and 

 the prices paid are correspondingly high. The work of packing the 

 fruit is done largely by women and children. A large part of the 

 labor of harvesting and handling the fruit in the orchards is generally 

 performed by Indians, who are provided with camping places in or 

 adjacent to the orchards. 



Little effort is being made to bring in new settlers or to place 

 farming lands upon the market. Land can be purchased from a 

 few dollars to $100 or more an acre, depending upon its condition of 

 improvement and adaptability to the production of fruit. Ver}^ little 



