332 Adventures in Scenery 



Aiken clay loam are the outstanding crop. On the lava soils 

 of the far north, in the Big Valley district of Lassen and Modoc 

 counties, the livestock industry predominates, cattle leading and 

 sheep next, based on the production of alfalfa and other forage 

 feed crops. The farms are large, ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 



Courtesy Salinas Chamber of Commerce 



FIG. 101. Lettuce field in Salinas Valley. Gabilan Range in background. 



acres. This contrasts with the one to five-acre farms or 

 "ranches" of many valleys farther south. 



Climate and Character of Soil 

 Must be Recognized 



In imagination change places with these crops, and it is 

 plain that the results would be disastrous. The two factors, 

 soil and climate, determine what may and may not be grown. 

 The farmer who brings with him the methods, and plans to use 

 the crops, with which he was familiar, and which he found sue- 



