INTENSIVE FARMING IN CALIFORNIA 
A L I HOUGH the following article is ad¬ 
dressed by the California Promotion Com¬ 
mittee to intending emigrants for that State, the 
principles involved are of universal application, 
and may be utili/ed by any man, or woman for 
that matter, who has even a quarter-acre for the 
purpose. We feel it due therefore to our readers 
to reproduce it in full, in the hope that it may 
show the way to independence to many who have 
not attained that condition, through lack of sug¬ 
gestion. 
{here is no land on earth where intensive 
farming is more profitable than in California. 
In those countries where vast populations, 
on small areas of cultivable lands, are com¬ 
pelled to farm on the intensive plan is found the 
most comfort in the home, while in those countries 
where great tracts are held under one ownership 
is found the greatest poverty. But the intensive 
farming of other lands than California is not at its 
best, for neither climate nor soil is found at its 
best there, and the intensive farmer requires the 
best of both for the greatest success, and in ad¬ 
dition to this he must use his brain as well as his 
hands, and cultivate his land to its highest degree, 
and so arrange his crops that the diversity will 
insure him an income. 
1 he future of California agriculture depends 
on intensive and diversified farming. To the 
superficial cultivation of large tracts of land is due 
California’s lack of progress along agricultural 
lines in the past. Great stretches of land in 
California were granted by the Spanish and Mexi¬ 
can governments to favorites, and millions of 
acres were given over to loose farming and to the 
pasturage of cattle, horses and sheep. IT such 
an extent was this done in the past that at times, 
when owing to lack of water the pasturage was 
insufficient, great herds of horses which ran wild 
over the land, were rounded up and driven over 
precipices into the sea in order that the cattle and 
sheep might have more feed. What cultivation 
came to these enormous estates was in a compar¬ 
atively small part of the land. I he owners re¬ 
ceived such princely incomes because of their 
vast holdings that they paid no attention to the 
details of farming, hut preferred to live in the 
cities or in their magnificent haciendas in a style 
the magnificence of which rivaled that of many of 
the princes of the old world. This was the reason 
the possibilities of California’s incalculably rich 
sod was as a closed book to the world for so many 
years. 
But, as those same Spaniards say, Otra 4 ias, 
otra cosas. Other days have come and with them 
have come other things. The people of California 
are awakening to the wonderful possibilities of 
the sod and climate of the State and with this 
knowledge comes the doom of the large holding 
of land. Where at one time great tracts main¬ 
tained at most one hundred people, now thousands 
are provided with homes on the same area. 
Thousands of acres of the richest soil in the world 
still lie waiting the coming of the small farmer to 
California. It is only through intensive farming 
that these lands will give all their best, and when 
the land is w'orked to Its utmost that best is some¬ 
thing never dreamed of by farmers of the older 
States. Such thorough farming, without exhaust¬ 
ing the resources of the soil, requires an intelligence 
scientifically educated, to constantly supervise the 
work. 
It will be seen from this fact that the 
The Area Must r i j i • i 
Be Small land wliich one man can care 
for and supervise to its fullest ad¬ 
vantage, must of necessity be small. Hence it is 
that intensive farming re(|ulres a small farm. 
But wdth intensive work on a farm diversity goes 
hand in hand. It is a dangerous condition to 
have but one product on a small farm. In good 
seasons and in average seasons the crop wdll pay 
wonderfully well, but when there comes a bad 
season, a poor market, or any of the many things 
that are adverse, then the small farmer finds him¬ 
self without returns for his labor, without means 
of sustenance, and obliged to wait an entire year 
before he can hope to recover from the mishap. 
The small farm, intensively cultivated with diver¬ 
sified crops. Is the boon of the farmer and the 
hope of the State. In the small farm there must 
be no waste places. No weed-grown corners nor 
weed-lined fences must deface the farm and draw 
life which should go to the crops. Between tree 
rows neither grass nor weed should find room to 
absorb irrigating water, and draw sustenance 
from the soil which belongs to the crop. 
The small, diversified farm is especially al¬ 
luring to the man of small means, who, while he 
can buy but a few acres, can feel assured that he 
will not only provide for his family, but will also 
be able to lay aside something each year which will 
go for future comfort. His returns are sure, and 
if properly managed his little farm is bringing 
in cash every month with the regularity of a salary. 
The expenses of a small diversified 
Exp^^^e^^Are faj-,.,., ^re Small and one is always 
certain of having the table neces¬ 
sities. The farmer must have average intelligence 
and the faculty of application. California is not 
a shiftless man’s country, and to succeed on a 
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