CHAPTER XXVI. 217 



and in seasons of drouth would be destitute of water. Tlius nature 

 has again demonstrated her superiority to the works of man. 



Every inhabitant of Southern California is conscious of the fact 

 that all of her productiveness and capacity of supporting population 

 rests upon her resources for irrigation by some one of the many 

 systems of development described in the foregoing sketch, and that 

 without irrigation the country would be practically uninhabitable, 

 except in seasons of abundant rainfall, when grain crops are produced. 

 The natural rainfall would not, however, sustain her prolific orchards, 

 from which comes her chief source of wealth. They are equally 

 conscious and alive to the fact that our water sources depend in large 

 measure upon the preservation of our mountain forests, and in this con- 

 viction there is no division of opinion. 



