162 IKRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS IN CALIFORNIA. 



perhaps 20,000 acres of the same character lying to the north and along Putah 

 Creek. This estimate does not include an\' of the Putah Creek deposits south of that 

 creek, as my investigations did not extend southward beyond the limits of Yolo 

 County. 



The low hills to the north of Cache Creek and the lands of Hungry Hollow 

 lying between them and the creek are largely an adobe soil. Thej- are fertile, but 

 require care in working at the proper stage of moisture to secure the best results. 

 It is good grain land, and with irrigation alfalfa and other forage and many kinds of 

 fruit and vegetables could be produced with profit. 



The land lying to the south of Cache Creek, between Madison on the north and 

 Winters on the south, and between the mountains on the west and the sedimentary 

 lands before described, is a mingling of red, black, and grav adobe. The red and 

 black adobe are good soils and with proper handling produce good crops. The gray 

 or white adobe is not so good, but with favorable seasons will produce fair crops of 

 grain. In some places this soil is strongly impregnated with alkali salts, and these 

 are the least valuable lands. The mountains which lie to the west are of sandstone 

 formation, and, being steep, the streams which flow down from them bring, during 

 the rainy season, much light sandy material, which is deposited after the streams 

 reach the open country. Where the streams drain large areas and carr\- nmch 

 water, as in the Chicahominy and Buckeye sloughs, this sediment is pushed well out 

 into the valley. In some places this deposit is quite deep and covers considerable 

 areas. With irrigation this light soil is very productive, but without artificial 

 watering it will not retain enough moisture to mature crops in drv seasons. Where 

 this material is deposited in moderate quantities it is just what is needed to correct 

 the tendency in the adobe land to run together and bake. Much might be done 

 toward controlling and directing these deposits over this adobe land with great 

 advantage to the crops produced. 



The adobe lands of this southwestern part of Yolo County are inclined to be 

 cold, and impenetrable to air and moisture. They need drainage, sand, and humus. 

 The use of water on these lands without providing for drainage would probablj' be 

 of little benefit, if not disastrous. With a good system of drainage and an intelligent 

 and sj'stematic distribution of the wash from the hills, and of the burden of fine sand 

 and earth carried in the winter waters of Cache Creek, the soil would be rendered 

 friable and warm and correspondingly more productive. The lack of humus could 

 be supplied by the plowing under of green crops and the growing of alfalfa. With 

 systematic and thorough treatment along the lines suggested it is believed that much 

 of this large body of land could be brought to a high state of productivit3\ The 

 first essential, however, in any successful treatment of these lands is drainage, and 

 any attempt that neglects this is likely to result in disappointment. 



The lands lying between the sedimentary deposit and Sacramento River are low 

 and wet. This is a part of the great stretch of swamp land extending from Glenn 

 County southward through Colusa, Yolo, and Solano counties, parallel with Sacra- 

 mento River, to Suisun Bay. In times of high water this territor3' is for the most 

 part submerged. It takes the drainage from the watersheds of all the counties 

 named, and from Lake County and a large part of Napa County. It also receives 

 large contributions from Sacramento River when it is in flood. In fact, the waters 



