CALIFORNIA'S GARDEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1915, Page 12 (Supplement)

CALIFORNIA'S GARDEN.

TEE SANTA CLARA VALLEY. (By Mr. Robert Bell, of Asliburton). Thus was headed the invitation from the San Jose Chamber of Commerce to visit the Santa Clara Valley. The invitation reached itinerant pressmen, Exposition Commissioners, State Governors and other more or less lucky individuals, who, although only "deadheads" of the most pronounced type, are usually in luck's way when anything good is on.

The special train conveying the party ran out of the shady, cool station of San Francisco into the sunshine and warmth of a lovely day in June. Not that the weather specially favoured this particular party on this particular day; for it may as well be conceded at once that "sunshine" and "California" are synonvmous terms. The route to San Jose, some fifty miles from the city of the Golden Gate, runs on the bay front for some distance, then along the peninsula, through Redwood City, Palo Alto, which is the home of the great endowed university known as Leland Stanford Junior, and other flourishing centres of population. But of far more interest to the visitors than the grouped habitations of men, however beautiful and comfortable they may be, were the evidences of richness of soil in the abundant harvests which had just been reaped and the snug, well-to-do air of prosperity manifest in the hundreds of homes on the well tilled, closely settled lands. A little more than a hour's run and San Jose the Flower City and the chief town of Santa Clara County—is reached. Here the party transfer to motor-cars and begin the exploration of the Santa Clara Valley, which some ■writer has apporpriately name® "The Valley of Heart's Delight." The orchards and farms are worked as a rule by their owners, and the number of tenants occupying leased farms is small. It is claimed that, in the strictest sense, this is a valley of homes, and the ideal of rural agricultural life is more fully represented here than anywhere else in the world.

For the most part the land is held under freehold tenure, but in the comparatively few instances in wlii:h orchards are leased, the conditions usually are one-third of the crop to the cfrner of the orchard and two-thirds to the lessee. Leases are only from year to year, and not for any lengthy time. According to the statistical report of 1910 the number and size of farms in the country was as follows:—Under 3 acres, 68 farms; 3 to 10 acres, 773 farms; 10 to 20 acres, 1180 farms; 20 to 50 ncyes, 1317 farms; 50 to 100 acres, 562 farms; 100 to 175 acres, 376 farms; 175 to 260 acres, 141 farms; 260 to 500 acres, 147 farms; 500 to 1000 acres, 75 farms; 1000 acres and over, 86 farms; Since this Government report was issued, subdivisions for small orchards have been so numerous that at the persent time there are about 24,000 farms in the county, of which the great majority are probably from ten to forty acres. The total area of Santa Clara county is 867,200 acres. A LAND OP PLENTY. Unplanted land suitable for orchards sells at from 250 dollars to 1000 dollars an acre. In addition to fruits there is a large production here of all kinds of berries and vegetables, also dairy produce, for which markets are found chiefly in San Francisco, in addition to the local markets. The largest fruit canneries and drying grounds in the world are in this valley, and the vast output of sun-cured and canned fruits finds markets throughout the Eastern States of America and in all European countries. The orchard fruits ripen successively in about the following order:—Cherries, apricots, peaches, and various kinds of plums; then prunes, pears, apples, the fruit season beginning about the first of June, and continuing until December. Table grapes are shipped east as late as the middle of December. THE LABOUR SUPPLY In regard to labour, the fruit growers are frequently put to disadvantage, as the supply of white labour for picking cannot always be had, and the growers are compelled to hire Japanese to do the work, although they would greatly .prefer white labour. There is, however, an ample supply of intelligent white labour for drying, packing and canning fruits, and every summer thousands of women and school girls and boys engage in this work during school vacation months. The work is almost entirely piece work and the women have no trouble in making from one dollar to three dollars a day, according to theii experience and ability. Girls between the ages of twelve and sixteen years, according to the State Child Labour Law, must have the regular school permits to entitle them to work. Unfurnished houses iji the canning companies' camps are rented bv the companies to parties containing three women or girls at two dollars a month. The companies also maintain a boarding-house and sell food without board if desired. There is also a free kindergarten in connection with some and children over four years of age are taken care of ! there while their mothers are at work in the canneries. - IRRIGATION. For many years irrigation was not iesorted to in Santa Clara Valley, but two unusually dry seasons resulted in the sinking of wells and the use of water from the several streams that flow through the valley. Many orchards have never been irrigated, while others have been over-irrigated. With normal seasonable rain-fall, which averages 20i». or more, irrigation is useful here only for old trees or for trees that have been planted in a light gravelly or porous soil. Irrigation makes in size but loses in quality, and the finest flavoured fruit is that grown in the foothill section where irrigation cannot as a rule be obtained. There are many artesian wells in the lower, portion of the valley, and the subterranean water supply, carried in vast underground gravel beds, is abundant I have told you of the utilitarian the practical—part of the Santa Clara Valley, because for the mo3t part you are a practical pounds, shillings* and pence lot of people. I wii.h, however, that I could throw on the screen of your miftds a picture of this beautiful valley as it looked to me on that.warm, somewhat hazy day in June. Through highways bordered With orchards of apricots (golden, sun-kiss-ed, ripe unto harvest), peaches, pears, cherries, walnuts, prunes, we motored. Over the rolling downs of the foot-hills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, high tip the sides of which vineyards and crchards, like great draught-boards, grew; down into the heat and' haze of the valley and of the grateful shade of the fruit trees; thus for miles we sped along smooth, asphalted roads in this land of plenty and profusion—this garden spot of California—this "land of gunshiae, ' fruit and iiow«r». M '