194 IRRIGATION INVESTIGATIONS IN CALIFORNIA. ' 



The mean annual rainfall at several stations in the valley is given below. The 

 table is made up from records furnished b_y the chief engineer of the Southern 

 Pacific Railroad: 



Mean annual rainfall in Salinas Valley. 



Inches. 



Pajaro 1 19. 24 



Castroville * 16. 58 



Salinas ..'. 1 13. 55 



Soledad 1 8. 82 



Kings City ! '10.34 



San Ardo ' 10. 36' 



San Miguel ' 10. 22 



Paso Robles ' 14. 89 



Templeton '16. 68 



Santa Mai^arita ^ 24. 23 



This rainfall was until recently considered sufficient for agriculture. Not many 

 years ago it was written: "It is the absence of droughts which distinguishes the 

 Salinas Valley from other sections of the State where irrigation is required to insure 

 crops." This view is no longer held. Two successive dry j^ears have seriously 

 injured the cattle industry, and in manj- sections of the vallej^ the grain crops, too, 

 have been a failure. In ordinary j'ears the total rainfall is sufficient to produce 

 crops, yet its distribution is such that to insure crops for the future irrigation will 

 have to be resorted to. 



The following summarj' shows the monthly mean rainfall at Salinas, as reported 

 by the U. S. Weather Bureau: 



Monthly mean rainfall at Salinas, Cal, 187S-1899. 



Inches. 



January 2. 92 



February 2. 22 



March 2. 29 



April... 1.20 



May 45 



June 14 



July 00 



August 02 



September 16 



October 72 



November 1. 30 



December 2. 52 



In the twenty -seven years covered by the summary no rain has fallen in July, 

 and the rainfall from May to September is hardl}^ appreciable. With such a distribu- 

 tion of rainfall any but the most primitive forms of agriculture are impossible. This 

 fact was recognized by Messrs. Brandenstein and Godchaux, who in 1884 organized 

 the San Bernardo and Salinas Valley Canal and Irrigating Company. The lack of 

 success of this scheme, though attributable to various causes, is in a measure due 

 to the lack of. appreciation of the value of irrigation on the part of the farmer.s. 

 Mr. Brandenstein .stated that as a rule men preferred to wait and take their chances 

 on possible rains to the doing of any work which might prove superfluous. The 



' Mean of 27 years. ' Mean of 12 years. ' Mean of 14 years. 



