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" where the product pays for it, but generally speaking, all depends on 

 " the heavy winter rains. To grow grain and hay, the farmer must 

 " have rain at least during a couple of months in the year. The com- 

 " ing year threatens to be a dry one, and the effects are already being 

 " felt. I am told here, that if we get no rain in another month or so, 

 " people will be sleeping on blankets in the streets of the cities and 

 " stealing away on trains going north. A lively prospect isn't it ? 



" At present, however, irrigation is going on full speed ; furrows 

 " are ploughed winding down the hill sides and circling about on the 

 " flats, and water is led about everywhere from wooden or cemented 

 " drains built on the higher levels. There are men going about with 

 " hoes all day, re-directing the water where it overflows and it runs 

 " day and night. 



" An enormous amount of water is expended, yet it is not like 

 " rain. You only see streaks of water wet the soil on both sides of 

 " them ; in between there are wide belts of dry, dusty earth. I sup- 

 " pose the water soaks better through below the surface and reaches 

 " the roots somehow. 



" The ranch I am working on employs 20 Europeans and Americans 

 " and as many Japs. The latter make good workmen and are employ- 

 " ed at pruning and picking. They get $1.60 a day. The white hands 

 "get $1.75. 



" No grass or weeds are allowed about the estate : the soil is being 

 " cultivated and harrowed continually. It is a peculiar soil called 

 " adobe (accent on o and the e pronounced as French i), which is found 

 "in places all over California. It is a brown mineral earth very fine 

 " and sticky when wet : it bakes in the sun and in nurseries the beds 

 " are often covered with shavings or sawdust until the young plants 

 " are well up into the air. If left without water it hardens and cracks. 



" I am disappointed to find so little really good soil here, it seems 

 " to be either adobe, granitic loam, gravel or sand. 



" People use little manure hereabouts. Everybody is grabbing, 

 " but in the long run they will find out their mistake. It is nonsense 

 " to say, as some people do, that California soil needs no manure. It 

 " cannot do without it. 



" On our ranch straw and spoilt cattle fodder has been used for 

 " improving the soil. They grow also a small leaved plant, alfalfa, 

 " part of which they sell. The rest is given as fodder to the horses. 

 " Some plantations are manured now and again by sowing peas or 

 " other leguminous plants, and ploughing them under, when they have 

 " grown to a certain maturity. 



" On this ranch we are also using a kind of seed, indigenous to 

 " South Africa which produces a tuber that acts as excellent manure. 



The seed was sown all over the orchards last year and it paid so well 

 " that it has just been done again forthesecond time. I shall send you 

 a sample of the seed when a fresh lot comes, in September. It is 

 ■ called fenugreek. 



April 8th. Since I wrote you last I have sat at a watchmakers' bench 

 ' for 3 months and have not felt particularly well. I was sacked from 

 the old ranch because I could not run fast enough to please the owner. 

 " People all say I am too particular in my work. They want a lot of 



