USA > California > Orange County > History of Orange County, California : with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its earliest growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 23
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The California Walnut Growers' Association quoted the following prices in 1918:
28
cents
No. 2 soft shell.
25
cents
Fancy budded
311/2 cents
Standard budded
29 cents
Jumbos
311/2 cents
The value of the 1919 crop for Orange County was estimated at $5,750,000.
The monthly bulletin of the State Commission of Horticulture for April, 1919, says: "More walnuts are raised in California than in any other state or country in the world." Table XI in the same bulletin gives the acreage and production of walnuts by counties in 1909 and 1918. The figures for the latter year only are quoted and for those counties only that produce a million or more pounds of nuts, as follows:
County
Acres in Bearing
Average Pounds
Production
per Acre
in Pounds
Los Angeles
15,572
757
11,794,000
Orange
12,350
1,283
15,849.000
Santa Barbara
4,500
789
3,551,000
Ventura
11,334
678
7,688,700
The State
48,520
829 40,230,680
Let the people of Orange County rejoice and be glad that California pro- duces more walnuts than any other state or country in the world, and that Orange County produces sixty-two per cent more of nuts per acre than Santa Barbara
No. 1 soft shell.
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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY
County, its nearest competitor, and thirty-four per cent larger crop than Los Angeles County, its nearest competitor in quantity, notwithstanding its twenty-six per cent less acres in bearing.
CHAPTER XXXIV FARM BUREAU REPORT By Harold E. Wahlberg
The Orange County Farm Bureau is just now closing its second year, which has been one of numerous activities and county-wide interest. Although located in a county of intensive agricultural industry, a county well supplied with numer- ous other organizations, marketing, political, social and others, this infant organ- ization has made noteworthy strides notwithstanding. At the time of the last annual report the membership of the County Farm Bureau of Orange County numbered 704. During the past year several have fallen out, and still more have been added, making a total at this writing of 827. This membership is dis- tributed throughout the county among thirteen Farm Centers, as follows:
Anaheim 73
La Habra 83
Buena Park 76
San Juan Capistrano. 23
El Modena
30 Tustin 65
Fullerton 108 Villa Park 61
Garden Grove 73 West Orange 39
Harper
66 Wintersburg
51
Yorba Linda. 79
During the early part of the present year a systematic membership cam- . paign was conducted under the leadership of the Farm Advisor, assisted by membership committees in each of the Centers. It is planned to have another membership drive in the early part of next year, with the end in view of doubling the present membership.
Owing to the fact that the Farm Bureau: has been a new organization in the county, and owing to the large number of other organizations and attrac- tions which exist in this highly developed community, the Farm Bureau found existence in its early history rather doubtful but, with the cooperation of a strong Board of Directors, who have encouraged the Farm Advisor from the very beginning. the institution has made great strides during the past year, and has established for itself a permanent home in the hearts and needs of the farmers of the county. There has been a continuous and untiring campaign of education to bring the farmer of this highly developed county to the appre- ciation of his need of such an organization as represented by the Farm Bureau. but now that it has established a firm foothold, there is no doubt in the minds of the officers of the organization that the Farm Bureau will become stronger year by year, and become the organization through which the farmers of the county will obtain their due representation and voice their sentiments as they have never been able to do before. Especially, with the organization of a State Farm Bureau Federation, do the Farm Bureau members feel that their organization in this county, as well as throughout the state, is going to help solve the large problems and issues facing agricultural interests, and it is this one step in the experience and development of the Farm Bureau work that we feel will insure the permanency of the organization. Its mission as far as Orange County is concerned will be to take up the larger issues of legislation and repre- sentation among the other great classes of the state and nation. It is on this strong argument, as well as the projection of local county projects, that the next campaign for membership will be based.
The average farmer of this county is a man of education and business ability. especially among the citrus growers, where we find a large percentage of doctors. 10
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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY
educators and professional men, and necessarily the Farm Bureau has been called upon to present highly specialized subjects in its monthly meetings, and for this reason it is most urgent that the University, the Experiment Station and the U. S. Department of Agriculture be called upon to meet this specialized demand. It is not possible for the County Agent to become so specialized in all the industries of the county, which include orange growing, lemon growing, sugar beet, bean and truck crop growing, besides the many other highly specialized minor industries which have developed in the county. In order to do justice to the work, therefore, the Farm Advisor deems it necessary to meet these special demands by calling upon experts of the various state and government depart- ments, which is a condition that has to be met by most of the southern counties of this state where the crops grown are so highly specialized.
Agriculturally speaking, Orange County may be divided into two main sections; the northern third specializes almost entirely on citrus fruits and walnuts, while the southern two-thirds is devoted to growing beans, sugar beets, grains, as well as dairying. As far as the Farm Bureau is concerned with relation of these two divisions, the interests and demands on the Farm Advisor of these respective parts are widely different, and it has been his aim to meet them accordingly.
The high values of farming lands of this county, ranging from $200 to $5,000 per acre, make intensive farming necessary. Double cropping is the general rule on most of the lands devoted to annual crops. The citrus sections present many highly specialized problems, including soil fertilizers, control of tree diseases, including gummosis, scaly bark, oak rot fungus: control of orchard insects and pests, irrigation, drainage, cover cropping, pruning, rejuvenation of old trees, bud selection and numerous other phases. The Farm Bureau is endeavoring to · meet these problems every day by educational meetings, field demonstrations and personal visits to the farm.
In the southern farming section a wide range of conditions and problems confronts the farmer, the most important of which are alkali reclamation, drain- age, irrigation, moisture conservation, soil and crop tests, seed selection and weed eradication. Like other counties in this portion of the state, Orange County presents agricultural problems of more or less local character. Projects which are proposed for general California conditions are not in main applicable to our local conditions. For example, our climatic and moisture conditions do not favor the growing of wheat; stock raising is carried on in a very limited way; sheep and hogs have not found much favor because of the scarcity of feed, as well as higher returns brought by other crops. On the other hand. any project relating to the increase of citrus yields, bean or beet crops, have received the heartiest reception.
The Farm Bureau and the Farm Advisor are endeavoring to cooperate with all the farm industries of the county, bringing to their attention the latest information on the various projects involved. This is being done by means of practical field demonstrations, showing the application of methods, or results brought about by scientific application. Excursions have been a popular means of bringing the Orange County farmer in touch with the best agricultural prac- tices. The Farm Bureau has conducted several excursions to the Citrus Experi- ment Station at Riverside, as well as local county excursions pointing out the best practices of practical farmers.
Another educational feature of the Farm Bureau work is the publication of a Farm Bureau Weekly, which is incorporated in the largest paper in the county. During the first year, the Farm Bureau issued a standard sized Farm Bureau Monthly, which reached only the membership of the Farm Bureau. In order to bring the purpose of this organization before a larger number of readers, the Board of Directors proposed a plan of supplying agricultural news items, Farm Bureau write-ups and other material of special interest to the farmers of the county, to the management of the Santa Ana Register, which has the largest
179
HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY
circulation of the county, approximately 6,000 subscribers. By incorporating the Farm Bureau news in this paper each Wednesday of the week, the Directors of the Farm Bureau feel that the Farm Bureau will get a much larger publicity for information which it can disseminate, which will be of greater influence throughout the county, resulting from the increased circulation.
From time to time the County Itinerants are called together by the Farm Advisor for the purpose of discussing the correlation of the various depart- ments. These conferences include the County Horticultural Commissioner, County Librarian, County School Superintendent, Forest Supervisor, County Sealer of Weights and the Farm Advisor. The County Horticultural Commis- sioner and the County Farm Advisor have cooperated very closely with the extension of their work throughout the county, inasmuch as a large portion of the work of the Farm Advisor is with the horticultural interests of the county.
When the Pacific Telephone Company raised its rates in March and May, 1919, and also discontinued the free toll service between nearby towns, the Farm Bureau initiated a movement to organize a county-wide mutual telephone associa- tion, through which they hoped to lower the rates, get more satisfactory service, and give a county-wide free toll exchange. After considerable agitation through the Farm Centers of the county, committees were appointed representing each district to work out a plan of organization. They soon got the business men of the county interested in this movement and, together with the Associated Cham- bers of Commerce, the Farm Bureau has appointed an Executive Committee and retained attorneys, who have obtained a state charter and county franchise for the organization of a county mutual telephone association. The name of this organization is known as the "Farmers and Merchants Association." The com- mittee has had to surmount many obstacles during the year in order to meet the opposition created by the telephone monopolists and the Railroad Commission, but it feels now that it has progressed far enough along to start actual construc- tion and operation. According to present plans the first unit of the exchange will be constructed at Garden Grove. The Farm Center of Garden Grove is raising funds for the construction of this unit. It is expected that this will be extended over the entire county. The committees have worked out a feasible plan of finance, which may be paid out in monthly installments by the telephone users. When the organization and construction have been completed there will be approximately 10,000 phones in the system.
As was reported in the last annual report of the Farm Advisor, considerable effort had been made by the Farm Bureau in proposing legislation for the con- servation of large quantities of water which are being annually wasted through the artesian belts of Orange County and other artesian sections of the state. The legislative committee of the Farm Bureau compiled a bill, with the assistance of its attorneys, which was presented by the assemblyman of this district, referred to the conservation committee of both the House and the Senate, and brought on the legislative floors several times during the session of the last legislature. The Farm Bureau sent delegations to Sacramento to work in the interests of this conservation law, Assembly Bill No. 6, but were met with a strong lobby from the opposing elements, backed by the wealthy gun clubs of the state. The bill met with a defcat of forty-two to twenty-five. This defeat, however, has only increased the determination of the Farm Bureau members of this county to see the same law through at the next legislature, and experience during the past year will give them better preparation for a continued fight. It is expected that this will be one of the issues taken up by the legislative committee of the State Federation of Farm Bureaus, as it is one of paramount importance in the arid regions of this state where water is of such high value and importance.
A movement is on foot at the present time by agricultural interests of the southern counties for the conservation of winter precipitation and the protec- ·tion of the watersheds from which the irrigation water from our rivers and the underground strata originate. The Farm Bureau is lending its moral and finan-
180
HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY
cial assistance with the other organizations of the county in bringing about a practical plan of conserving and storing the winter waters by means of retaining dams and reforestation. This is one of the vital issues before the county at the present time.
Realizing the need of better transportation facilities, and the great demand that the future will make on eastern shipments, the farmers of the county, includ- ing the membership of the Farm Bureau, have assisted materially in passing the recent County Bond Issue for the purpose of developing Newport Harbor, the water shipping point of Orange County. Citrus associations and other marketing associations of the county are planning an immense development in eastern ship- ments of fruits, walnuts, beans and other products. With the development of the local harbor, direct steamer shipments can be made from this county to eastern points through the Panama Canal.
Considerable educational work through the Farm Centers of the fruit sections has been given for the purpose of acquainting the producer with the require- ments of the new standardization fruit law which specifies the quality of all fruits as to color, ripeness, blemishes, size, etc. This law was created for the purpose of putting a better quality of fruit on the market, and protecting the consumer. The grower is given a standard to go by, and in most cases he will get a better price for his product, although there will be more waste than under the old system. However, this waste may be utilized for by-products.
During the year a systematic Rodent Control campaign was carried on by the Horticultural Commissioner, cooperating with the Farm Centers located in the general farming and grain sections. Considerable publicity work was carried on by the Farm Bureau, and quantities of poison sold through this office. As a result the squirrel pest has been greatly decreased. The campaign has been very efficient and many thousands of dollars' worth of crops saved as a result.
There are now about ten boys' clubs in the county under the direct supervision of Smith-Lever Agricultural teachers of the high schools. Several more clubs are contemplated for the coming year. These clitbs are located at Huntington Beach and Fullerton. During the past year the Huntington Beach club boys have been raising pure-bred hogs very successfully. In some instances they have taken the lead in hog raising in the neighborhood. The Fullerton clubs have just been organized, and it is expected that they will take up pure-bred hog raising and home gardens. Two boys were sent to the State Conference of Agricultural Clubs at Davis in October. We have found that parents have become interested in Farm Bureau work through the boys who participated in agricultural club work. By extension of agricultural club work in the county it is hoped to influ- ence a larger Farm Bureau membership. The club boys, during the year, have participated in a number of agricultural exhibits, showing the products of their work. The future for the club work in Orange County looks very bright.
The Farm Advisor has assisted seventy-two boys in growing home gardens. A Home Garden Campaign was started through the schools in the county in the early part of this year. The agricultural teachers in charge have asked the direct cooperation of the Farm Advisor. Seventy-two gardens were carried through the year. In some cases the boys or girls keeping these gardens realized fair profits, which have encouraged the work more than any other feature in its connection. Another Home Garden Campaign is being outlined by the Farm Advisor and the agricultural teachers in the county for the ensuing year.
During the year the Farm Bureau has participated in two fairs, the Orange County Fair at Huntington Beach and the Southern California Fair at River- side. At both of these fairs, booths were maintained by the Farm Bureau, giving information concerning the agricultural extension work in the county and offering information to the many farmers calling at the booth. This feature has proven to be not only of educational value to the farmer, but also has meant consider- able publicity for the Farm Bureau. The Directors have approved of making this a permanent, annual event.
181
HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY
A large area of the agricultural lands of the southern and western part of the county is subject to the rise of alkaline salts and high water table. The Farm Bureau has pointed out the best methods of meeting this situation through the installation of drainage systems. Numerous Center meetings have been de- voted to the discussion of drainage, special meetings have been called, commit- tees appointed, and as a result four districts are in process of organization, namely : Buena Park, Cypress, Buaro and Garden Grove. The Farm Advisor has called upon the Division of Soil Technology of the University for informa- tion and assistance in the organization of these districts, to which this department very nicely responded. The acreages involved in the above districts are as follows: Buena Park, 8,000 acres; Cypress, 4,000 acres; Buaro, 1,000 acres; Garden Grove, 4,000 acres.
Orange County is one of the pioneers in the state for drainage work, there being already six or seven drainage districts in operation. With the intensive use of irrigation waters over the large areas in this county, the need of drainage would become more and more imperative. Investigational data taken in several districts of the county show that the surface water table is gradually rising, and as a consequence the alkaline salts are accumulating in great quantities year by year. In order to establish a permanent form of agriculture in the irrigated dis- tricts, the Farm Bureau is endeavoring to emphasize the use of drains for the carrying off of excessive waters and carrying away the alkaline salts in solution. Drainage has been one of the strong projects of the Farm Bureau, which is justi- fying its existence and showing the farmer the benefits which might be derived from such an organization. It is the accomplishment of practical projects of this kind that will bring the Farm Bureau closer to the practical farmer.
With the rising values of land in the Huntington Beach Mesa District, the farmers and property owners there have come to see the need of more intensive farming operations, but in order to bring this about they see the necessity of a better irrigation system and more water. At their request the Farm Bureau has called several meetings for the purpose of getting the sentiments of the people on the formation of an Irrigation District. A splendid source of water has been located in the near vicinity, the water rights of which have been filed on by a Farm Bureau Committee. The district is in the process of organization. There has been considerable opposition to the expense involved in the construction of an efficient distributing system, but it will be only a matter of time, after a number of educational meetings, when the farmer of this district will come to realize that a nominal expenditure per acre for the development of water on his land will pay interest in large returns, which he is not now enjoying. This district comprises approximately 3,000 acres. There is a supply of 500 miner's inches that can be used for distributing over this system. The approximate cost of construction will be about $100 per acre.
Although the grain industry is small in Orange County, there is some hazard from fire during the dry season. There are about 20,000 acres of barley and wheat, not to mention the thousands of acres of grazing land, that need fire protection. The Farm Bureau is trying to emphasize the importance of diminish- ing this hazard by providing efficient rural fire fighting apparatus and establishing them at strategic points.
Besides the regular monthly Center meetings held at each Center. other special courses of meetings are planned for the edification of certain special sub- jects. In February, 1919, the Farm Bureau cooperated with the State Depart- ment of Education in staging a tractor school which operated three weeks. The first two weeks were devoted to class and shop instruction, the last week to field operations. An attendance of 250 enrolled. A citrus and walnut growers' insti- tute was arranged for December, to occupy a week, and was held at the Fullerton Union high school.
The Farm Advisor calls upon experts from the various government and state institutions to meet the demands of the growers of these specialized crops. Dur-
.
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HISTORY OF ORANGE COUNTY
ing the year 213 meetings and demonstrations were held, at which 11,573 persons attended. Men from the College of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture assisted in seventy-three of these meetings.
Seeing is believing. Never was this truer than in its application to Farm Bureau work. The success of agricultural extension is in proportion to the number of practical field demonstrations which carry the message home to the farmer. With this in view the Farm Advisor planned and conducted eighty-nine field demonstrations during the past year. Five thousand seven hundred sixty- four farmers came to these field meetings. As the work progresses these meetings are becoming more popular, as is shown by the larger average attendance at dem- onstrations this year than last. Among the subjects taken up during the year were :
Eight cover crop demonstration plots were located in the citrus belt, covering 275 acres. Five meetings were held with an attendance of 129. These plots show the effect of cover crops on the physical condition of the soil, the relation of time of seeding. amount of seed and amount of water used, to the yield.
The Bureau of Plant Industry has given assistance in diseases of the potato and tomato. Demonstrations, showing the nature of various diseases, especially the Mosaic, Rhizactonia and other fungus diseases in both crops have been held. The potato industry is very small in the county, but tomato growing for seed is reaching large proportions.
Fusarium in peppers has been shown to be a soil disease requiring rotation of crops. This disease is becoming more serious each year. The pepper acreage is growing-about 6,000 acres this year.
Bean seed selection is one of our most important projects. Growers in the past have given too little attention to the quality and pedigree of the seed from which they expect large returns. The attention of the farmer is being brought to the need of better seed. and selection from vigorous, prolific plants.
A cow testing department of the Bureau has been organized. There are fourteen members with 502 cows. The cow tester visits and tests each herd once a month. The County Agent is planning a series of dairymen's meetings to bring about a closer relationship between the dairies of the county and encourage the industry as much as possible. The expansion of the dairy industry is one of the solutions of the fertilizer problems in the citrus belt. The time is coming when the farmer will consider the stock farm a necessary adjunct to fruit growing more than he appreciates now.
Five commercial poultry plants have been located for demonstration pur- poses in the county to cooperate with the Poultry Department of the University in keeping data as to egg production, feeds, etc. During the year there have been thirteen culling demonstrations. There are 11,000 birds included in the five demonstration plants. The poultry industry in the county is growing and is deserving of considerable attention in the way of flock improvement. The farmers are showing considerable interest in these culling demonstrations, and as a result we expect to improve the average flock considerably. Three poultry disease demonstrations were held at which an expert from the Pathological Department of the State College of Agriculture demonstrated the treatment for chicken pox.
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