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 Century 
 Colony 
 
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 ^m.^m^^^|^f^|t#####^ 
 
 Edward Everett Hale 
 
 on the "Colony Idea." 
 
 " Irrigation has interested me greatly since 
 I have known anything about it, and the organ- 
 ization of emigration, which was the earliest 
 public work I went into, as long ago as 1845, 
 seems to me to be our most important home 
 duty to this day. We ought to have some young 
 Raleigh, or John Smith, or Miltiades, or Themis- 
 tocles, who would start such a civilization as yoii 
 propose." — Extract from a letter of Dr. Hale 
 to 1 1 'illiain E. Smythc. 
 
 "Make this Valley full of Ditches." 
 
 " Thus saith the Lord, ' make this valley full 
 of ditches.' For thus saith the Lord, ' ye shall 
 not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that 
 valley shall be filled with water, that ye may 
 drink, both ye and your cattle and your beasts.' " 
 — //. Kings, jd chap., 16-17 verses. 
 
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 COPYRIGHTED 1895, BY W E SMYTHE 
 

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 HOW IT CAME ABOUT. 
 
 THE following pages speak for themselves. They tell 
 the whole story of the colony plans, of the location 
 selected for their application, of the results it is hoped 
 the new community may achieve. Nevertheless, a prefa- 
 tory word explaining how the matter has been brought to 
 its present stage, may have interest and value to the 
 reader. For behind every prospectus stand a man, an 
 idea, and a history. 
 
 For several years past the writer has devoted himself 
 assiduously to the study of the institutions of the western 
 half of this continent. To his mind the conviction has 
 come with irresistible and ever-growing force that this 
 broad but comparatively unoccupied domain will be the 
 scene of the twentieth century achievements of the 
 American people. The great East is largely made. Its 
 institutions are deeply rooted. But the masses of its peo- 
 ple have not yet fully realized the degree of industrial 
 independence, of social and civic equality, which they be- 
 lieve to be possible and desirable. It is the writer's con- 
 viction that their best aspirations will be realized first in 
 the new West, whose institutions so largely await the 
 creative touch of human genius. So believing, he has 
 labored through various channels of influence to assist in 
 arousing and organizing public opinion. 
 
 About two years ago it was determined to present some 
 living and breathing arguments, calculated to reduce 
 principles to visible facts. To this end the writer studied 
 the colonies of the past, including the early English col- 
 onies in America and the creations founded by public- 
 spirited men in various portions of the West during the 
 past half century. Among the latter were the wonder- 
 fully interesting Mormon colonies of Utah, the Union 
 colony of Colorado, founded in 1870 by Horace Greeley 
 and his friends, the charming communities of Riverside, 
 Anaheim, Pomona and Ontario in Southern California. 
 These latter studies were made on the ground and assisted 
 by the recollections — some verbal, some written, some 
 published — of the founders and pioneers themselves. 
 Foreign developments, notably those now in progress in 
 Prussian Poland and South Australia, were carefully fol- 
 lowed, so far as this was possible, through literature and 
 
;^w»«:^' 
 
 -.*£ 
 
 The First House at Plymouth. 
 
 The Idaho Colony, Inaugurated by Mr. Sniythe in winter 
 of 1K94-95. 
 
 correspondence. Thus informed by the various experi- 
 ence of localities widely separated as to time and place, 
 a colony suited to the average conditions of the arid region 
 of the West was planned and presented to the public just 
 one year ago. It was named " Plymouth Colony " and 
 was located in the Payette valley of Idaho. The press 
 and public treated the matter very generously, and the 
 enterprise prospered from the start. The writer remained 
 [n active control of the undertaking until — early in June, 
 1895 — it was turned over to a Board of Trustees chosen 
 from among the colonists themselves. 
 
 The successful inauguration of " Plymouth Colony " 
 brought the writer many invitations to engage in similar 
 work elsewhere. Probably it is withinbounds to say that 
 the necessary co-operation for such a colony could have 
 been obtained in any of the states and territories of the 
 far West. The various suggestions were all carefully 
 weighed, and the choice of a site in Northern California 
 arrived at only after mature consideration and faithful 
 study of the matter on the ground. 
 
 The natural question as to whether the new colony is a 
 philanthropic or a commercial enterprise may be antici- 
 pated and briefly answered here. It is neither, in the or- 
 dinary meaning of the terms. A very considerable 
 amount of capital was required to purchase the colony 
 tract, survey and construct canals, develop plans and 
 carry them into effect. It is not proposed to donate this 
 capital to the colonists, but to put a price on the land that 
 will return the capital, together with a reasonable com- 
 pensation for the risk, time and labor nivolved in the un- 
 dertaking. On the other hand, the enterprise is not com- 
 mercial in the sense that large profits are sought. The 
 prices are placed at the lowest safe figure, while the irri- 
 gation plant, village site, domestic water and electric 
 light and power franchises are to be transferred to the 
 people al)solutely, so that no one can exact perpetual 
 tribute from their use. It is the idea of the founders that 
 when capital is employed it should be paid for its serv- 
 ices, precisely as labor is paid, Init that it should not ex- 
 pect or receive speculative and exorbitant returns. 
 
 4 IJ'm. E. Sjuythe. 
 
I.— THE ASHURST INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM. 
 
 A Living and a Competence arc the twin olijects of 
 the iiulusiiy of averat'-e men. A living comprehends 
 food, shelter, raiment; a competence, a surplus for the 
 improvement of one's home, for the education of one's 
 children, for provision for old age. The industrial 
 system of the new colony aims to discover the means by 
 which this desideratum may be provided for its members 
 by a certainty as great as that of the processes of nature, 
 or the results of mathematics. 
 
 Individual Independence is the first object of the col- 
 ony on its industrial side. This can be secured by the 
 systematic production upon each farm of what the family 
 consumes. This policy lies at the base of the wonderful 
 economic structure reared by Brigham Young and his 
 followers in the valleys of Utah. Statistics show an av- 
 erage annual production of $1,357.25 upon each of the 
 Mormon farms, or a total of $562,900,000 in forty years. 
 Practically all the capital invested in the industries, 
 banks and other commercial enterprises of the Mormon 
 people, as well as in their church ])roperty, came from 
 their small, irrigated farms and is the fruit of this policy 
 of individual independence, secured by diversified pro- 
 duction. 
 
 A Bill of Fare, cut at random from a San Francisco 
 newspaper, follows. While it is not particularly elabor_ 
 ate or unusual in any other way, it represents a good 
 day's living for the average family. Here it is: 
 
 BREAKFAST. 
 
 Fresh Figs and Cream. 
 
 Oatmeal. Cream. 
 
 Fried Chickens. 
 
 Hashed Browned Potatoes. 
 
 Crumpets. Cucumbers. 
 
 Coffee. 
 
 DINNER. 
 
 Puree of Peas. 
 
 Olives. Celery. 
 
 Roast Turkey. Giblet Sauce. 
 
 Green Corn. Lima Beans. 
 
 Baked Stuffed Tomatoes. 
 
 Lettuce and Green Pepper Salad. 
 
 Oranges, Nuts and Raisins. 
 
 Wafers. Cheese. Coffee. 
 
 SUPPER. 
 
 Mushrooms and Sweetbreads in Chafing Dish. 
 Cucumber Sandwiches. 
 Compote of Pears. 
 Layer Cake. Cheese. Tea. 
 
 The pertinent fact about this bill of fare is that every 
 item it contains, excepting coffee and tea, can be syste- 
 matically and economically produced upon the smallest 
 irrigated farm in California. Indeed, the list can be 
 almost indefinitely varied and extended. The average 
 man spends between 70 and 80 per cent, of his total in- 
 
come for the bare necessities of life. The important 
 items of food and shelter are put beyond the possibility 
 of doubt, without regard to panic or drought, in the case 
 of the man who cultivates irrigated land under this 
 industrial system. 
 
 A surplus product is essential to provide for the 
 necessaries of life, beyond food and shelter, and to fur- 
 nish the hope of a reasonable competence as the reward 
 of years of labor. In planning surplus crops, as in pro- 
 viding the necessaries of life, the projectors of the new 
 colony favor diversified production. They believe the 
 best basis for a small, highly cultivated California farm 
 is not a fruit orchard alone, but an orchard in connection 
 with gardens of vegetables and small fruits, with fields of 
 alfalfa, with cattle, swine, poultry, bees, and all the 
 other elements of a general farm. The best market is the 
 home market, and in California, as in all other Western 
 States, these diversified productions are i)npo rit'd \.oda.y. 
 
 Preparing Fruit for Drying. 
 Ashurt Ranch scene. 
 
 ■while fruit is largely exported. Hence freight charges 
 operate like a protective tariff iti favor of the diversified 
 products and against the surplus shipped East and 
 abroad. And there is no danger that this sort of a pro- 
 tective tariff will ever be repealed. 
 
 Allied Industries are essential to consume the surplus 
 product of the farms and convert them into such salable 
 forms as the home market will readily absorb. The 
 business plan of the new colony, which is fully described 
 in the following pages, provides abundant capital for the 
 erection, equipment and operation of these allied indus- 
 tries. The plants which it is proposed to provide as soon 
 as the colony is organized and in a position to supply the 
 raw material requiretl for their successful operation are 
 the following: 
 
 1. A Ckeamkky to convert the surplus milk into but- 
 ter and cheese. 
 
 2. A Cannery to consume surplus fruit, small fruits 
 and vegetables. 
 
 6 
 
3- A Starch Factory to consume the surplus potato 
 crop. 
 
 4. A Packinc HoiSK for the iiroductiou of pork and 
 bacon. 
 
 Water Transportation to the great San Francisco 
 market is fortunately provided by the Sacramento River, 
 and freight rates are thus placed within the control of 
 the colonists themselves. With abundant crops assured 
 by irrigation, a market for all surplus products guar- 
 anteed by the presence of the various industrial plants, 
 and cheap water transportation furnished to the place of 
 final outlet in the San Francisco markets, it w(;uld seem, 
 that prosperous pecuniary returns must surely be added 
 to the certainty of a generous living. 
 
 II.— THE ASHURST SOCIAL SYSTEM. 
 
 The Social Instinct. If the first demand of each 
 human being is for the means of earning his living, the 
 second demand is for institutions which cater to his 
 social instinct. The recent startling growth of great 
 cities throughout the world bears convincing testin^ony 
 
 lk I- am \ \:\ 1'. I 1 1 niN. ,. 
 Ready for immediate use of .-Xshurst colonists. 
 
 to this fact. Men atid women crave neighbors and the 
 advantages of neighborhood association. It is the aim 
 of the new colony on its social side to combine, in the 
 highest possible degree, tfie best advantages of town life 
 with the independence and healthfulness of rural exist- 
 ence. -Such a social plan is not possible in a region of 
 large farms, but irrigation permits, if it does not compel, 
 a small farm unit. 
 
 The Farm Village. In many ])arts of Europe where 
 small farms are the rule the people have their homes in 
 central villages and till the outlying lands. This plan is 
 very generally adopted also in Utah, and has been used 
 in several very successful California colonies. The farm 
 village will be a feature of the new colony and the found- 
 ation of its social scheme. For this jnirpose a central 
 tract of 300 acres, which will be extended if necessary, 
 has been reserved in the center of the colony tract. The 
 7 
 
village site is mi high ground and enjoys splendid natural 
 drainage. It is abundantly wooded with magnificent 
 oaks, so that colonists will not generally have to wait 
 for their shade trees to grow. The portion reserved for 
 the park is completely covered with a growth of noble 
 trees. One extremity of the village site commands a 
 splendid view of the Coast Range, while from the oilur 
 the towering Sierras are seen to inter{)ose tlieir rugged 
 outlines, with the picturesque Lassen Buttes in the fore- 
 ground and the glistening dome of Shasta in the extreme 
 north. These conditions constitute the raw material^; of 
 
 one of the most beautiful and >.iusl\iii-; i^wns ever 
 created, even in golden California. It only remains tor 
 man to do his part. 
 
 The Home Acre. Those who purchase twenty-acre 
 farms will receive without extra charge an acre lot in 
 the village, and those who purchase ten acres will receive 
 a half acre lot. The accompanying map of the village 
 site indicates the location of these two classes of lots. 
 The acre lots will have a frontage of one hundred and 
 8 
 
fifty feet each and a depth of two hundred and ninety 
 feet, and the half-acre h)ts a frontage of seventy-five 
 feet and a depth of two hundred and ninety feet. Both 
 classes of lots will front on the broad circular boulevard 
 ■which will extend completely around the village site. 
 The territory inclosed by the boulevard will be reserved 
 for subdivision into business and residence lots with a 
 frontage of twenty-five feet and fifty feet, respectively. 
 This business and residence property will belong to the 
 colony company and be sold for the benefit of its treas- 
 ury. Large numbers of beautiful manzanita trees are 
 now being transplanted and placed along both sides of 
 the circular boulevard, so that this principal residence 
 street will innnediately take on an appearance of much 
 beauty. It is also proposed to lay out immediately a 
 central Ijoulevard of considerable width, running through 
 the middle of the village site, but dividing midway in its 
 course and forming a plaza in the shape of an ellipse. 
 The uses of the plaza will be presently described. It is 
 
 A \'isTA IN Colony Park. 
 
 hoped that each colonist will erect his dwelling upon his 
 home acre, conforming to a building line to be estab- 
 lished. In the Utah villages it is the custom of families 
 to produce all the vegetables, berries and orchard fruits 
 required for the family table on the home acre. In the 
 case of the new colony, families can raise around their 
 houses oranges, lemons, figs, olives, almonds, pomegran- 
 ates and other semi-tropical productions, in addition to 
 what is grown in Utah. It is also expected that colonists 
 will make the most of their phenomenal opportunities to 
 enjoy lawns and flowers throughout the year. 
 
 Schools and Churches, as well as stores and the post- 
 office, will, of course, be close to the homes of these 
 twentieth-century farmers. The school will be provided 
 by the school district in the ordinary way. Lots will be 
 given in the public park to societies desiring to erect 
 churches. The kindergarten has been exclusively en- 
 joyed heretofore by city children, but that is also an 
 advantage clearly within the reach of the new colonists. 
 
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The Village Hall. The social heart of the new colony 
 will be represented by the \'illage Hall, which it is pro- 
 posed to erect in the center of the plaza, on lines which 
 will suggest, if they do not du[)licate, the exterior archi- 
 tecture of the California building at the World's Fair. 
 The white walls and red-tiled roof will make a charming 
 picture in the midst of green lawns, flowering shrubs 
 and stately oaks. The capital required for the erection 
 of this building is provided for and described in the de- 
 partment of this pamphlet devoted to the business plan 
 of the colony. The Village Hall will serve not only for 
 meetings but for club purposes. On the tirst floor it will 
 have an audience room with a seating capacity for 500 
 peo])le. The upper floors will serve as club rooms, and it 
 is ])roposed to recognize the New Woman with a club 
 room of her own. During the early years these arrange- 
 ments may lack the elegancies which can only be bought 
 with money, but the essence of good-fellowship, which 
 springs from the human heart and flourishes wherever 
 the association of good men and women is possible, will 
 not be absent, even at the earliest hour in the colony's 
 history. 
 
 A Public Library will be developed and will find its 
 home in the Village Hall. The idea of the reading club 
 will be utilized and colonists will be able to read all the 
 best magazines and newspapers for less than the price of 
 one. 
 
 Musical and Dramatic Societies will be organized as 
 soon as a sufficient number of colonists shall have ar. 
 rived. This is another advantage which flows naturally 
 from small farms and association in the village commun- 
 ity. Few have realized the importance of this element 
 in the social economy of Utah. Brigham Young built a 
 splendid theater in Salt Lake City and maintained a good 
 stock company of actors. The Saturday night dance 
 for which he also provided, flourishes today in the remot- 
 est hamlet of his people, and, it may be added, it is 
 invariably led by the bishop. 
 
111.— THE ASHURST BUSINESS PLAN. 
 
 The Associative Principle is well recognized in busi- 
 ness throughout tlie world. It provides a means by 
 which a large number of people may combine their capi- 
 tal for specified objects and thus accomplish what it 
 would not be possible or practicable for one or two in- 
 dividuals to do alone. Every business corporation is 
 founded on the associative principle, and in the recent 
 economic development of the West the principle has 
 been successfully used by producers and small capital- 
 ists. Notable instances are the farmers' canals in many 
 western states, the fruit exchanges of Southern California, 
 and the stores, factories and banks throughout the Terri- 
 tory of Utah. None of these enterprises are co-operative 
 in the true sense. All of them represent collections of 
 capital subscribed by many small capitalists. The affairs 
 of these various incorporated companies are adminis- 
 tered by officers chosen from among the stockholders. 
 
 The Colony Company will consist of those who pur- 
 chase the land. A share of stock will accompany each 
 acre, so that the purchaser of a twenty-acre farm will also 
 be required to purchase twenty shares of stock. As the 
 price of stock will be $20 per share, a total capital of s8o,- 
 000 will be available when the 4,000 acres are sold. This 
 stock will be paid for gradually, according to terms dis- 
 cussed on another page. 
 
 What the Company Will Own. As soon as the col- 
 ony is organized it will become ownerof the entire village 
 site and of the irrigation system. These two properties 
 go with the land, but the village site must be paid for at 
 the same rate as the farming land and upon the same 
 schedule of payments. The capital of the company will 
 thus be used for the acquirement of the village site, vil- 
 lage improvements, and industrial plants. Every colon- 
 ist will thus be a stockholder, in the same proportion 
 which his land-holding sustains to the total area of the 
 colony tract, in the various industries to be created, as 
 well as in the irrigation system, domestic water supply, 
 electric light and power plants and all other improve- 
 ments. 
 
 Use of Company Funds. Careful estimates have been 
 made in relation to the probable expenditure of the 
 funds of the colony company. It will remain for the col- 
 onists themselves to determine the precise order and ex- 
 tent of their expenditures. The following estimate is 
 made: 
 
 Capital available from the sale of 4,000 
 
 shares at $20 per share $ 80,000 
 
 Estimated receipts from sale of village 
 
 property in five years 20,000 
 
 Total $100,000 
 
PROKAHLK KXFKNDITIKES. 
 
 \'illage Site Siq,5oo 
 
 Public Hall 1 5.000 
 
 Electric Light Plant 5,000 
 
 Streets and Parks i ,000 
 
 Domestic Water Plant 10,000 
 
 Creamery 4,500 
 
 Cannery 2,500 
 
 Starch Factory i ,250 
 
 Packing House 5i5oo 
 
 Total $64,250 
 
 The above estimates are based on data that has been 
 carefully collected from reliable sources. 
 
 The Town Meeting Idea. The first residents of the 
 village will all be stocklu)lders in the colony company. 
 As the company will own and control all the improve- 
 ments, its meetings will resemble the town meetings of 
 New England, where all the public affairs are debated 
 and disposed of on a plane of democratic equality. It is 
 generally conceded that the New England town meeting 
 is the purest and simplest form of government yet de- 
 vised for small communities. It will be possible for the 
 stockholders, in formulating their by-laws, to reserve as 
 much power as they choose to themselves and to restrict 
 their officers and directors to purely administrative func- 
 tions. 
 
 The Advisory Board of the new colony will only at- 
 tempt to suggest such plans as seem to its members best 
 suited to assist in realizing the objects of the undertak- 
 ing. This Board has selected the site of the colony, has 
 considered and indorsed the plans here formulated, and 
 commends the statements concerning the country and 
 conditions as entirely reliable and trustworthy. Beyond 
 this the Board does not attempt to go as a body, although 
 certain members of it will render certain services in con- 
 nection with the work of the colony. Mr. Smythe has 
 undertaken the work of enlisting and organizing the col- 
 ony; Mr. W. T. Reid and Mr. Homer Wilson will give 
 personal attention to the business management of the en- 
 terprise until it passes into the hands of the colonists 
 themselves; Mr J. E. Reid will assist settlers in the prac- 
 tical work of establishing their homes and farms, and Mr. 
 Grunsky will have charge of the irrigation work and 
 other engineering. Prof. Hilgard, by his thorough analy- 
 sis of the soils of the colony, has already rendered a most 
 valuable service. At the earliest possible date the colo- 
 nists will be expected to organize and take the work into 
 their own hands. 
 
THE SITE OF THE COLONY. 
 
 The Ashurst Ranch lias l)een for forty years one of 
 the well-known [jlaces of the Sacramento valley in North- 
 ern California. Vina, the famous country estate of the 
 late Senator Stanford, is exactly oppcisite, on the eastern 
 bank of the river. Cam. B. Ashurst emigrated to Cali- 
 fornia from Kentucky during the exciting days of the 
 first gold era and found the broad acres of the great 
 northern valley more attractive than the mysterious pos- 
 sibilities of the mines. He selected what proved to be 
 one of the most fertile and valuable tracts of soil in all 
 California, and there he has pursued, for more than a gen- 
 eration, the extensive farming methods which have char- 
 acterized this portion of the State and have been alike 
 the source of its poverty and its wealth. 
 
 The Sacramento River. 
 Ashurst Colony on the left; Stanford Estate on the right. 
 
 The Passing of the Great Farm. The products 
 of these great farms of Xorthern California have 
 been principally confined to hay and grain, cattle, 
 sheep and hogs. But the glory of these things in 
 the old sense has passed away. The fall in the price of 
 wheat, which occurred simultaneously with the develop- 
 ment of great areas devoted to that cereal in India, 
 Egypt and South America, undermined the foundation of 
 the system of extensive farming, which made Northern 
 California a land of great ranches, sparsely peopled and 
 loosely farmed. 
 
 The Range of Production in the north is potentially 
 as wide and varied as in the southern counties of Cali- 
 fornia. It includes, of course, all that grows in the tem- 
 perate zone, and in addition such semi-tropical products 
 as oranges, lemons and limes, olives, figs and pomegran- 
 ates, almonds and English walnuts. Nowhere else can 
 the variety required for a generous table be more cer- 
 tainly produced from a small area. 
 
 The Soil has been the subject of the most careful analy- 
 sis at the hands of Prof. E. W. Hilgard of the Uni- 
 versity of California. For this purpose thirty samples 
 
 U 
 
were obtained liy l)i)riiii,fs in various jiarlsof tlie i)ro])erty. 
 Prof. Hil.i^ard's leptut forms a part of this prospectus. 
 
 Railroad and River. Freight rates and transporta- 
 tion facihties are intimately related to the prosperity of 
 all western communities. This matter was borne care- 
 fully in mind in selecting the location of the new colony. 
 The northern division of the Southern Pacific Railroad, 
 on its way from San Francisco to Portland, passes (at 
 Kirkwood) along the western boundary of the colony 
 tract. The Sacramento River, which is here navigable for 
 large river craft, forms the eastern boundary of the 
 tract. There are two steamboat landings on the property, 
 regularly used by established lines. The result is nat- 
 urally a freight rate nearly 50 per cent lower than that 
 enjoyed by places only half the distance from San Fran- 
 cisco. And even this low rate may be cut in two again if 
 the colony should find it feasible to own or lease a small 
 steamer or lighter for its own uses. 
 
 A Stretch of Ashikst Farms. 
 
 Comparative Cost of Land. The price placed upon 
 the colony land is lower than land of such quality, with 
 good water right and favorable location, has been offered 
 for sale in California in the last decade. Prevailing prices 
 for such land in this part of the State, without water 
 rights, are S75 and $150 an acre. Improved lands in the 
 same locality range from $200 to ;$5oo per acre. Choice 
 lands in the San Joaquin Valley are held at about the 
 same rate. But the only portion of the State which can 
 fairly be compared to the new colony, when the indus- 
 trial and social advantages to be provided are taken into 
 consideration, are the choicest districts in the San Ber- 
 nardino Valley of the South. The model colony of Ontario 
 was planned ten years ago. Neither the soil nor climate 
 are better than those of the new colony, while the water 
 supply is distinctly inferior. The Ontario plan of streets 
 and parks, while extremely attractive, is in no respect 
 better than that proposed for this colony, yet the original 
 price of unimproved lands in Ontario was Si5otoS200 
 
 15 
 
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 Fig Trees on Ashurst Ranch. 
 
 per acre. The lands were worth it. They have returned 
 a good interest upon the investment and have steadily 
 advanced in value. At $65 per acre the lands in the new 
 colony are from three to four times as good a bargain as 
 those in the beautiful and prosperous colony of Ontario. 
 The Irrigation System is supplied from the waters of 
 Stony Creek and the canal has been constructed by the 
 well-known San Francisco engineer, Mr. C. E. Grunsky. 
 Title to the water appropriation and canal system will be 
 transferred to the Colony Company without charge, and 
 thus the water supply will be the property of the land- 
 owners, who will administer it. This is the only satis- 
 factory method, although in many instances the irriga- 
 tion system is privately owned and water supplied upon 
 payment of an annual rental. Irrigation has not yet 
 come into general vogue in the Sacramento Valley. The 
 rainfall suffices usually for the pjroduction of a wheat 
 crop, as well as for an early crop of vegetables and ber- 
 ries, and for very good orchards of deciduous fruits. But 
 for the scheme of diversified farming and intensive culti- 
 vation which forms the basis of the industrial system of 
 the new colony irrigation is absolutely essential. It is 
 also unquestionable that irrigation will largely increase 
 the product of the orchards, although it should be skill- 
 fully ajiplied to give the best result. It must be dis- 
 tinctly understood that a continuous supply of water 
 for irrigation is not guaranteed in connection with the 
 present canal system. At the jioint where the water is 
 diverted a sufficient flow is certain only until July 15, 
 although in ordinary years it continues from August i to 
 15. By a further expenditure sufficient to extend the 
 canal to a point of perennial flow the colonists can, if 
 they desire, have water throughout the year. It must be 
 remembered, however, that in California the agricultural 
 season begins in January and that reliable irrigation up 
 to the middle of July or August will bring all crops to 
 maturity. Alfalfa requires more water than any other 
 product of the valley. Irrigation to July 15 will enable 
 the farmer to cut alfalfa three times and to have a fourth 
 16 
 
cro]) sufficient lorgood pasturage. It will also be sul'ticieiit 
 to produce successive crops of vegetables and berries and 
 to give the highest results in the orchards. But in order 
 that the tables of the colony may be continuously sup- 
 plied with garden products, and that their lawns and 
 flower beds may be perennially beautiful, water must 
 be constantly available for irrigation in the village site. 
 This will be supplied, in connection with the domestic 
 water system, by a jiumping [jlant. 
 
 The Small Farm Unit i)revails throughout the colonies 
 of the West. In I'tah the census showed the average 
 size of ten thousand irrigated farms to be twenty-seven 
 acres. In California twenty acres are amply sufficient, 
 and E. P. Roe's dictum of "ten acres enough" applies 
 here much better than it did to his home on the Hudson. 
 The measure of the farm should be what the family, by 
 its own labor, can cultivate intensively. 
 
 Colony Park. Most of the colonies established in 
 the West have begun in the midst of sage brush desert, 
 and for many years their people have been obliged to 
 forego the comfort of shade trees and beautiful drives. 
 The profusion of oaks on the site of this colony enables 
 the people to have shade trees almost as they want 
 them. In addition there is a beautiful natural park at 
 the foot of the property, bordering the Sacramento 
 River, which will be reserved for pleasure purposes. 
 Here the shade is dense and in every direction scenes of 
 beauty meet the eye. Colony Park is two miles from the 
 village. 
 
 Entrance lo Colony Park. 
 Wild grapevines overhang the road like a great portiere. 
 
 17 
 
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. 
 
 The Fameof California is world-wide. An Englisliman 
 recently told the writer that California is about the only 
 State with which the European public is at all familiar. 
 If it is well known abroad, it is still more so at home. 
 The climate, scenery and products of California differ so 
 materially from those of Massachusetts, New York, and 
 Illinois that every schoolboy is acquainted with them in 
 a general way. It is therefore quite unnecessary to de- 
 scribe these features at length. But when we pass from 
 the consideration of California in general to its great 
 northern valley in particular, there is something to be 
 said. Recent eastern emigration has centered in the 
 southern counties. Los Angeles is the fair ca])ital of the 
 
 I'm-; Manzanita I;\ ergreen. 
 
 section of California which has been most vividly im- 
 pressed on our eastern imagination. And Southern Cali- 
 fornia is worthy of all the praise it has received. No- 
 where else in the world are the rewards of industry more 
 evenly distributed. Nowhere else are social institutions 
 more nearly ideal. But these things are not due to 
 natural conditions of which Southern California has a 
 monopoly. They are due to the superior men and women 
 who have made their homes in that part of the State. If 
 the wheat ranches had been in the South, and the enter- 
 prise, culture and public spirit in the North, the results 
 which we see today in these two localities would have 
 been precisely reversed. If natural resources counted for 
 more than human genius, New Mexico would be tar great- 
 er today than Massachusetts. But — it isn't I 
 
 An Undiscovered Country. It can almost be said 
 that the Sacramento \ailey vi Northern California has 
 not yet been discovered by the empire builders who have 
 been making new states and communities for the last 
 half century in the West. It is literally true that it does 
 not possess today a single community which begins to 
 
 iS 
 
realize its best possibilities. Southern California, on the 
 other hand, has a score of such communities, as Pasade- 
 na, Ontario, Redlands and Riverside. There is not a 
 flower-bed, an orchard or a lawn in these charming com- 
 munities which cannot be duplicated in many favored 
 spots in the northern valley. The difference lietween the 
 beautiful avenues and parks of Ontario, and the bare un 
 shaded highways of many a nortliern town, represents 
 not a difference of soil and climate, l)ut of men and their 
 'deals. The Magnolia avenue of Riverside, and the glo- 
 rious gardens on Smiley's Heights at Redlands, could be 
 transplanted to the valley of the Sacramento and never 
 know the change. Thus, those who know Southern Cali- 
 fornia as it is may also know Northern California as it 
 shall be. 
 
 A Red Bluff Home. Near Ashurst. 
 Trees are Peppers. Palms, Oranges, Figs and Oleanders. 
 
 Climate. The climate of the Sacramento Valley is 
 semi-tropical. Speaking in the eastern sense, there is no 
 winter. That is, there are neither killing frosts, ice nor 
 snow. In the locality of Ashurst Colony the rainy season 
 begins usually about November i, and continues until 
 late in April. This does not mean that there are contin- 
 uous rains, but only that nearly all of the year's precipita- 
 tion comes during this period. It rains on an average 
 about once in two weeks during that time. Plowing be- 
 gins in January, but there is no month in the year when 
 the farmer does not work in his field. The three summer 
 months — from the middle of June to the middle of Sep- 
 tember — are very warm. The heat is not oppressive, 
 because humidity is so largely lacking, and generally the 
 nights are very comfortable. There are no sunstrokes, 
 no thunderstorms or cyclones, therefore the worst ef- 
 fects of hot weather are not felt. 
 
 But while this is true, common sense teaches us that a 
 country which produces oranges in January, and straw- 
 berries all the year around, is not as cool as the northeast 
 coast of Maine in midsummer. Land agents who rep- 
 
Map of Northern Calii-hrma. 
 resent the reverse are not telling the truth. Thousands 
 of people leave New York city and Chicago during the 
 heated term to seek cooler places, and many farmers in 
 the Sacramento Valley spend a few weeks in camping 
 among the neighboring mountains. Hut under the noble 
 oaks which shade the village lots of Ashurst, and among 
 the dense foliage of Colony Park, which is at the dispos- 
 al of the settlers, it is comfortable at the hottest noon- 
 day. During the other nine months of the year the climate 
 is perfectly charming, except on the occasional dayswhen 
 the north wind blows. The wind is less disagreeable 
 here than in most other portions of the West, but it would 
 be untruthful to say that it never blows. It can be said, 
 however, that there are no sandstorms and that the winds 
 are never destructive. The summers are also hot in 
 Southern California, and there also the norther is occa- 
 
sionally in evidence. So that it may inithluliy he said that 
 the climate of tlie upper Sacramento \'alley is fully 
 e<[ual to that of any portion of the State, with the excep- 
 tion of the seacoast. And even there, if one weighs the 
 coast fog against the heat of the interior, it will be found 
 a " stand-off ." On the score of health the climate is ad- 
 mirable and is especially adapted to those suffering from 
 lunff or throat troubles. 
 
 An Okangk Tree Near Asm rm. 
 It is loaded with perfect (ruit wliich does not show in small cut. 
 
 Products. The products which can be raised in 
 Ashurst Colony have been incidentally referred to else- 
 where. They include all the grains, berries, vegetables 
 and fruits. It is not generally known that semi-tropical 
 products, such as oranges, lemons, limes, pomegranates, 
 olives and figs, can profitably be grown in the Sacramen- 
 to Valley. The writer has been skeptical on the subject 
 for years, just as everybody was skeptical about the same 
 thing in Southern California until the case was actually 
 ]iroven. But he has made a most careful investigation 
 of the subject on the ground. He' has talked with many 
 fruit-growers, scientific experts, and old residents of the 
 locality. He has examined scores of citrus trees and 
 gone everywhere that information could be obtained. He 
 is thoroughly satisfied that oranges and lemons of the 
 finest quality, as well as olives, figs and all the deciduous 
 fruits, can be grown with certainty and profit. The in- 
 dustrial scheme proposed for this colony does not rest 
 upon the production of fruit alone, still less upon the pro- 
 duction of any single variety of fruit. On the other hand, 
 it is proposed to have diversified production in its most 
 varied form, and it was therefore desired to select a place 
 where e\'erytliing would grow. 
 
 Transportation Facilities. The farmer's first duty is 
 to supi)l\' his home table. Beyond this, production is 
 
 21 
 
vain without a niarkel. And the vahie of that market 
 very largely depends upon transportation facilities. 
 There is but one railroad system in California from the 
 Tehachapi Mountains on the south to Shasta on the 
 north. This is not a healthful commercial condition for 
 any country. The projectors of Ashurst Colony were 
 therefore very particular to select a location where water 
 transportation would minimize the cost of freight. The 
 Sacramento River is navigable to Ashurst and twenty-five 
 miles beyond. There is a regular line of freight steam- 
 ers in actual operation and it has two landings on the 
 property. The natural result is that railroad charges are 
 less by nearly one-halt from Ashurst to San Francisco 
 than from points one-hundred miles farther south, where 
 there are no water facilities. River freights are even 
 lower, and yet these can be reduced very much indeeil 
 if the colonists desire to lease or purchase a steamer of 
 their own. It is proposed to produce, as far as possible, 
 surplus products that can be disposed of in San Francis- 
 co market, so that the high eastern freight may be 
 avoided. 
 
 This Land Is Cheap. At §65 per acre Ashurst 
 Colony offers the cheapest irrigated land in California. 
 Every man who has made the slightest investigation of 
 the subject is aware of the truth of this statement. Sim- 
 ilar lands in Southern California range from Sioo to S400 
 per acre. Similar lands in this portion of California are 
 generally held at $100 to §200 per acre. When sold at 
 these prices there is usually an extra charge for water 
 right, besides an annual water tax of §2 to Sio per 
 acre. The low jirices in the case of Ashurst are due 
 solely to the fact that the interested parties are satisfied 
 to receive a very reasonable return upon their invest- 
 ment, and feel an interest in the industrial and social 
 plan, which far outweighs the commercial consideration. 
 
 Atias. 
 
 Castle Crac.s. 
 Copyrighted by R. J. Waters. Pliotogiaphcr. 
 
Mdss BuAii Falls. 
 Copyrighted by R. J. Waters. Photographer. 
 
 The total investment retiuired at Ashurst, however, is 
 S85 per acre, the additional $20 being the subscrip- 
 tion for stock in the Colony Company. The capital thus 
 raised, together with the receipts from the sale of town 
 property, will be invested in the improvements and 
 industries. It may safely be said that the lowest price 
 at which similar land can be obtained m California, not 
 including a water right, is $100 per acre. Thus the 
 price for land and stock together in Ashurst Colony is 
 $15 per acre less than the price for the bare land on 
 the cheapest terms usually obtainable. Read the list 
 of advantages which the Ashurst colonists will enjoy in 
 comparison with what is offered elsewhere. 
 
 Scenery. Northern California is framed in noble 
 scenery. At Ashurst the Sacramento \'alley is about forty 
 miles wide, but the Sierras are plainly visible to the east,, 
 and the Coast Range to the west. The highest visible 
 points of the Sierra Range are the Lassen Buttes and the 
 giant Shasta in the extreme north. Shasta is distant 
 more than 100 miles, but is generally visible, sometimes, 
 standing out bright and clear, blushing in the evening 
 sun, and sometimes seen but dimly through the blue haze, 
 like the grim specter of the vast mountain it is. 
 
 The immediate surroundings of Ashurst Colony are 
 very beautiful. It must be remembered that the country 
 is not in a desert state, but that it has been cultivated 
 for grain crops and that there is a sufficient rainfall to 
 produce some vegetation everywhere. There is a beau- 
 tiful growth of white oaks scattered over the colony tract, 
 and the spot chosen for the village is especially favored 
 in this way. The Sacramento River, which bounds one 
 side of the colony, is a wide, deep stream, and ranks 
 among the most beautiful rivers in the West. Indeed, it 
 is comparable with such rivers as the Merrimac, Con- 
 necticut and Susquehanna in our Eastern States. At this 
 point the river is lined with a beautiful forest, which it is 
 proposed to transform into a park for the benefit of the 
 colonists. 
 
Game, Fish, Near=by Resorts. There is good fishing 
 in the river and the best of opportunities for hunting 
 during the season. Besides a variety of small fish, the 
 salmon is snared here in sufficient quantities to supply 
 the home demand. Quail, prairie chickens an^ water 
 fowl are very abundant. In a word, the vicinity abounds 
 in opportunity for sport, which is at once pleasant and 
 profitable. Such famous mountain resorts as Uunsmuir, 
 Castle Crag, Shasta Springs, and others, are from loo to 
 150 miles north of Ashurst, andare thus reached in three 
 to five hours by rail and in two or three days by wagon. 
 There are also nearer camping grounds in the foothills 
 directly east and west of the colony. These are only 
 twenty-five miles distant — an easy day's journey by 
 wagon. There probably is no place in the country where 
 the people are more in the habit of taking advantage of 
 the near-by resorts than in Northern California. Every 
 summer the mountains are full of camps and a large 
 portion of the population enjoy the outdoor life. 
 
 The Average Man will find in Northern California the 
 most inviting field for home-making in all the broad West. 
 Institutions have been created in Southern California 
 which will always make that section attractive to people 
 of large means. But because land is cheap in the north, 
 because the water supply is abundant and does not, 
 therefore, involve a heavy tax, because the long seasons 
 and fertile soil enable a family to support itself upon a 
 very small farm, and because so great a variety of pro- 
 ducts can be raised, the North, rather than the South, will 
 be the land of the common people. It may be predicted 
 that another great era of development in California is 
 close at hand, and that its scene will be the Sacramento 
 Valley. 
 
 THE QUESTION OF PROFITS. 
 
 The profits in any business depend very much 
 upon individual industry and skill, and somewhat upon 
 the varying conditions of the market from year to year. 
 It is frequently represented that a yearly profit of from 
 $500 to Si, 000 per acre can be realized from California 
 orchards. These statements are essentially dishonest, 
 because a fair average of returns cannot show such 
 results. First of all, the colonist is sure of his living, 
 because he collects it directly from his farm. Beyond 
 that, he ought to realize, even when prices are low, from 
 $50 to $100 net per acre above his living. This means 
 $500 to $1,000 on ten acres and Si, 000 to S2,ooo on twenty 
 acres. There will always be some men who will realize 
 higher returns, and some years when everybody will reap 
 phenomenal profits on account of unusual market condi- 
 tions. It can truthfully be said that the rewards of 
 intelligent industry in the colonial life of Arid America 
 are surer and better, upon the average, than in any other 
 form of industry that can be named. 
 ■^4 
 
SPECIAL ADVANTAGES AT ASHURST. 
 
 For peculiar reasons it is believed that imlustrioiis fam- 
 ilies can start in Ashurst Colony with a smaller cash 
 capital than can be clone anywhere else in California. It 
 must be remembered that the colony tract has been con- 
 ducted as a large farm for nearly forty years. It is 
 therefore fully stocked with horses, mules, fine Holstein 
 
 n 'n 
 
 a-M 
 
 O H 
 
 Ox 
 
 x'z 
 
 o > 
 
 cattle, hogs, chickens and turkeys. Mr. Ashurst has dis- 
 posed of the ranch to the colony syndicate and must of 
 course dispose of the live stock. He desires to sell it to 
 the colonists who are to live where he has made his home 
 for more than a generation. He wants these colonists to 
 succeed and he is willing to do all in his power to help 
 them get a good start. He will supply them with every- 
 thing they need in the way of live stock on very favor- 
 able terms. He will put low prices upon the stock and 
 sell it on long-time payments if desired. He will go fur- 
 ther, and take his pay for these things in labor or 
 
products of the farms. For these reasons horses, cows, 
 swine and pouhry were left out of the following list of 
 thiiii^s to be supplied by cash. There are other ways in 
 which colonists can economize: For instance, it is not 
 absolutely necessary to have a brand new wagon of the 
 latest style. There are quantities of old wagons in the 
 neighborhood which can be obtained for almost nothing. 
 
 Here are some other special advantages offered at 
 Ashurst Colony and not likely t<j be duplicated else- 
 where: 
 
 Free luood for fuel for fitst three years. 
 
 Free pasturage for stock for the first year. 
 
 Feed at San Francisco prices, less freights. 
 
 Meat, lard, etc., at less than San Francisco prices. 
 
 Lumber for building at cost on the land, guaranteed to 
 be less than San Francisco or Sacramento prices. 
 
 Employment at current wages most of the time, ivhich 
 may be paid for in cash or in feed, lumber or other Jieces- 
 saries. 
 
 The above are extraordinary offers and it is possible to 
 make them only for these reasons: First, the colony tract 
 has been a great farm and all these things are produced 
 there. Second, the owner has a sentimental interest 
 in seeing his property divided among a class of indus- 
 trious, successful, small farmers, and is willing to make 
 special inducements in order that this may be speedily 
 accomplished. 
 
 COST OF STARTING A HOME. 
 
 It is difficult to lay down a rule which will apply to 
 everybody in estimating the amount of capital required 
 to make a good start in the new colonial life. The matter 
 depends very largely upon individuals. Some of the 
 most successful settlers in the West have started with 
 almost nothing. There are other instances of people who 
 have started with considerable and failed. In the case 
 of Ashurst Colony it is imperative that a family shall be 
 able to make the first payments on land and stock. Be- 
 yond this the expenditures will be determined by indi- 
 vidual taste and thrift. The following is a careful esti- 
 mate of the necessary expenditures : 
 
 20 Acres. lo Acres. 
 
 First payment on land S325.00 S162.50 
 
 First payment on stock 100.00 50.00 
 
 House 100.00 100.00 
 
 Fencing 20.00 10.00 
 
 Stable 25.00 25.00 
 
 Implements 100.00 100.00 
 
 Total, S670.00 S447.50 
 
 The above covers only expenses which must necessa- 
 rily be paid in cash. It will be noticed that there is no 
 mention of horses, cows, hogs, or poultry in the above list. 
 26 
 
COMPARE THIS WITH OTHER CALI- 
 FORNIA PROPOSITIONS. 
 
 Il is hardly necessary to urge people who are thinking' 
 of moving to California to make the closest comparison 
 between what is offered by Ashurst Colony and by other 
 California propositions. People will do this any way 
 because it is a serious matter to move one's home, espe- 
 cially if one's capital is small, and no prudent colonist 
 will do so until he has made the most careful study of 
 the various opportunities open to him. Here are some 
 of the things Ashurst offers which are worthy of special 
 consideration: 
 
 The easiest tcr»is of payment. 
 
 The lowest interest on deferred payments. 
 
 An irrigation system given with the land. 
 
 Gotiernment of the colony by the colonists themselves^. 
 
 Absolute freedom from the control of water and land 
 corporations. 
 
 IVater transportation frojn the farm gate to the greaf 
 San Fraticisco market. 
 
 The lowest prices at which good general fruit land is 
 offered on the Pacific Coast. 
 
 No annual water taxes, except as the land-owners 
 themselves may make assessment for repairs. 
 
 All the allied industries required for the consumption 
 of the surplus crop, and ownership of these itidus tries by 
 the prot/uccrs themselves. 
 
 :ia*5«^^s^<i^r -•r,i 
 
 )I)-CllOPI'ERS AT ASHLRST. 
 
THE SETTLER'S FIRST YEAR. 
 
 KiKKWOOD, Oct. 28, 1895. 
 
 :\lr. W". 1:. Smythe, 
 
 Chicago, 111. 
 
 De.ak Sik : — Your letter of the 21st inst., received. In 
 answer to your questions of what a man could exjiect to 
 acquire from a 20-acre irrigated farm in our colony the 
 first year, I would say that he could only expect such in- 
 come as he could realize out of his vegetables which he 
 Avould raise. 
 
 He could probably sell enough vegetables to pay the 
 expenses of a small family and plenty for the family use 
 Toesides. He could also realize Sioo.oo or $200.00 on 
 poultry. 
 
 But the second year he would have a larger income as 
 he could have his alfalfa from which he could either sell 
 the hay or feed it to cows, hogs and poultry and realize 
 from the products of the stock. 
 
 The second year he might also raise strawberries, which 
 yield wonderfully well in this country and most always 
 find a ready market. 
 
 The third year his fruit would probably commence 
 tearing, then he might realize a very good income. 
 
 He would realize, say, $250.00 from alfalfa, $100.00 on 
 
 fruit. Si 50.00 on poultry, and if he kept swine and cows, 
 
 he might realize more, and as his fruit trees and alfalfa 
 
 iields grow older he could expect a much larger income. 
 
 Respectfullv vours, 
 
 J. E. Reid. 
 
 TERMS OF PAYMENT. 
 
 Price of land, with perpetual water right, $65.00 per acre. 
 Price of stock (one share of stock to each 
 
 acre imperative) 20.00 per share. 
 
 LAND PAYMENT. 
 
 One quarter on signing contract $16.25 
 
 One quarter April i, 1898 16.25 
 
 ■One quarter April i, 1900 16.25 
 
 One quarter April i, 1901 , 16.25 
 
 Total $65 .00 
 
 STOCK PAYMENTS. 
 
 A share. 
 
 Cash on signing contract S 5.00 
 
 January i, 1897 5.00 
 
 January i , 1 898 5.00 
 
 January i, 1899 5.00 
 
 Total S20.00 
 
 Interest on deferred Land Payments, 5 PEK CENT. 
 Interest on deferred Stock Payments, NOTHING. 
 
 GOOD FAITH. 
 
 We foiiiHl tlu' coiulitiou of soil, climate ami 
 ^vater supply more IVivorable than repre-sent- 
 4^(1. — From report of Chiraijo Couimittee to 
 last jjenr's PUjmotith Colonists. 
 
 28 
 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
 
 1. Is the map of the cohiny tract ready, so that selec- 
 tions of farms and village lots can be made at once? 
 
 .ifis. Yes. The map can be seen on application to J. 
 E. Reid, at Kirkwood, California, or at the Sherman 
 House, Chicago. 
 
 2. Is the colony to be co-operative? 
 
 Ans. This question requires two answers: i. — Each 
 colonist will be sole proprietor of his own farm and resi- 
 dence property and can conduct them with absolute in- 
 dependence. 2. — The public utilities, such as irrigation 
 canal, electric light and domestic water supply, and also 
 the several small industries, such as creamery, cannery, 
 starch factory and packing house, will be jointly owned 
 by the colonists by virtue of the stock they will have pur- 
 chased in the colony company. The disposition and 
 management of these properties will rest entirely with 
 them. They can sell them, lease them, or operate them 
 through superintendents, as they think best. This is not 
 co-operation in its true sense, but the familiar association 
 of stockholders in a corporation. 
 
 3. Will abstract of title be furnished free? 
 Ans. Yes. 
 
 4. Are there any buildings on the colony tract now? 
 Ans. Only the farm buildings of the old ranch. 
 
 5. Are there any settlers there now? 
 
 Ans. There is a small community at Kirkwood, which 
 adjoins the colony on the west and is two miles from the 
 Ashurst village site. Settlers are just beginning to ar- 
 rive at the new colony. 
 
 6. Can colonists obtain any employment in the neigh- 
 borhood ? 
 
 .his. Yes, Mr. Ashurst will furnish employment at 
 wood-chopping and other ranch work and pay in provi- 
 sions, live stock, or cash, as the colonist prefers. 
 
 7. How small a tract will be sold? 
 Ans. Five acres. 
 
 8. How far is the colony site from San Francisco? 
 Ans. 175 miles. 
 
 g. What is the price of alfalfa? 
 Ans. $4.00 per ton in the stack. 
 
 10. Will there be any facilities for instructing settlers 
 in methods of irrigation and horticulture? 
 
 .his. Yes. It is proposed to employ an expert super- 
 intendent and to illustrate by experimental farms the 
 highest methods adapted to the conditions of Northern 
 California. J. E. Reid is a notably successful horticult- 
 urist and will give settlers the advantage of his knowl- 
 edge and experience. 
 
 11. What about fuel for heating and cooking j)ur- 
 poses? 
 
 Ans. Fuel will be furnished free for three years, or 
 can be obtained in exchange for labor, or can be had 
 from the colonist's own place if he chooses the wooded 
 land. 
 
 29 
 
Q'JESTIHNS AND ANSWERS. 
 
 12. When will the colony start? 
 
 .his. Everything is ready for individuals to begin 
 their work at once. The campaign for colonists is now 
 under way in Chicago, New York and Boston, and it is 
 jirobable that the colony organization will be effected by 
 March or April. It is hoped to formally dedicate the 
 colony in the autumn of 1896. Plowing begins in Cali- 
 fornia during January, and perhaps the fall of the year is- 
 the best time for a family to go there. 
 
 13. Are there any railroads? 
 
 Ans. The Oregon & California R. R. (Southern Pa- 
 cific System) runs through the western edge of the colony 
 tract, about two miles from the village site. Freight 
 steamers touch regularly at two landings on the colony 
 property and this competition gives low freight rates. 
 
 14. Do purchasers have to pay for irrigating water? 
 Ams. The irrigation system will be deeded outright to 
 
 the colony company. Hence there will be no charge for 
 water rights and only the small annual cost for repairs 
 and administration, to be determined by the colonists 
 themselves. 
 
 15. Are there any houses to be rented. 
 
 A/is. No, but a house that will answer very well for 
 the early years can be built for less than the annual rent 
 of a respectable city tenement. 
 
 16. What kind of people will compose the colony? 
 Ans. As a rule, thrifty people from the commercial, 
 
 professional and skilled trade classes — people having a 
 capital of Si, 000 per family and upwards — are attracted 
 into colonies of this sort. There is always a sprinkling of 
 people from the farms and a certain percentage who go 
 on account of their health. The undesirable elements of 
 city population are nei'er attracted by these plans. 
 
 17. How far is the land from the Sacramento River? 
 Atts. It begins five miles west and runs to the river 
 
 bank. 
 
 18. Is land ready for irrigation, or is considerable ex- 
 pense necessary to get it under cultivation? 
 
 .Ins. Most of the land has been farmed in grain. 
 Hence there is no sage brush to be cleared. The land 
 lies well for irrigation. Some portions of the tract are 
 covered with oak and other trees which must be cleared. 
 The owners will undertake to clear such land for one- 
 half the wood, or the colonist may clear it himself as he 
 prefers. 
 
 K). To what extent is alkali found? 
 
 .Ins. There is none. 
 
 20. What is the cost of obtaining well water? 
 
 Ans. About $50.00 if the labor is hired, but if a suffi- 
 cient number of colonists go together to provide for the 
 domestic water supjily at the beginning there will be no 
 need of wells. 
 
 21. Is the country subject to sand storms? 
 
 .Ins. It is not. See paragraph on climate in page 20. 
 
 30 
 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
 
 22. Can a t)icycle be used? 
 
 Ans. Yes, you can bring your precious wheel. The 
 roads are good and in three hours you can ride to the 
 piney woods in the foothills of the Coast Range, or of the 
 Sierra Nevada. 
 
 23. How deej) is it to water? 
 Ans. Twenty feet. 
 
 24. What is the name of the county? 
 Ans. Tehama. 
 
 25. What is the source of supply for irrigation? 
 Ans. Stony Creek, one of the tributaries of the Sacra- 
 mento. 
 
 26. Is it healthy? 
 
 Ans. It is the warm, dry climate of semi-tropical Cali- 
 fornia to which thousands of invalids are sent every year 
 by their physicians. 
 
 27. How about fleas and mosquitos? 
 
 Afis. There are practically none of either, according 
 to the testimony of the residents. During a considerable 
 stay the writer tried hard to discover these insects, but 
 failed. Even in the dense woods along the river there 
 are practically no mosquitos. The locality seems to be 
 outside the mosquito belt. 
 
 PROF. HILGARD'S REPORT ON THE 
 SOIL. 
 
 The Sacramento X'alley covers many thousands of miles 
 of level alluvial lands drained by the Sacramento River 
 and bordered on the east, north and west by broad and 
 somewhat higher bench and undulating and rolling red 
 and yellow clay lands; the so-called foothills lying against 
 the mountain slopes. The respective foothill lands of the 
 Sierra on the east and the Coast Range on the west, 
 differ from each other in some respects, because of the 
 different rock strata from which they were derived; but 
 both are highly esteemed for the production of fruit, and 
 in the lower portions, of grain. 
 
 On the west side of the Sacramento River the Coast 
 Range foothill lands cover nearly the entire valley, 
 reaching north from Stony Creek to Redding. 
 
 The Colony Tract lies within this region at Kirkwood, 
 Tehama county, reaching eastward from this village to 
 the Sacramento River; and embraces undulating uji- 
 lands, level bench lands and a belt of rich alluvial loam 
 along the river. 
 
 The banks of the river, consisting of alluvial silt, are 
 for the most part quite precipitous because of the wash- 
 ing of the current, and rise generally some fifteen or 
 twenty feet above low water. The bed of the river is 
 firm with masses of gravel and cobble stones, the water 
 ■clear and deep and the curreiit moderately rapid. The 
 banks afford good steamboat landings in high and low 
 water seasons, and thus easy transportation facilities are 
 afforded either by water from this point, or by rail from 
 Kirkwood, to Sacramento and San Francisco. 
 
 A general view of the Tract presents a broad and level 
 central plain or bench land, timbered with oaks, and 
 reaching from Kirkwood to the broad belt of river bottom 
 land already mentioned ; on the north and south this 
 bench land is bordered by undulating ujjlands. 
 
 The Tract is therefore conveniently described under 
 these regional divisions : River allm'ial lands. Bench or 
 
 31 
 
sedi))ient lavds, and Undulatins: uplands \\\\\\ its subdi- 
 visions. The whole tract is susceptible to cultivation. 
 Many representative samples of the soil of each region 
 were taken to a depth of one foot, and the subsoil to two 
 feet, and submitted to an examination in the chemical 
 laboratory; the results are given in the following special 
 descriptions. 
 
 THE BENCH-LAND OR SEDIMENT LAND. 
 
 The central portion of the Colony Tract is, as has 
 already been said, a broad and level region covering 
 about 3,000 acres, or about one-half of the entire area; it 
 has a gentle slope from Kirk wood toward the river, and 
 Dry Creek (dry throughout most of the year) has cut a 
 narrow channel from four to six feet below the general 
 level. The land in general is above any overflow and is 
 covered with a fairly thick growth of white oaks, some of 
 them having diameters of from two to four feet, and 
 interspersed with much smaller oak growth and with 
 some manzanita bushes on the northwest. The soil is a 
 yellowish loam or sediment varying but little in character 
 to a depth of many feet. Sections of wells dug in this land 
 to a depth of eighteen feet to water show this soil alternat- 
 ing with thin beds of gravel at intervals of a few feet. 
 The soil itself is more or less gravelly, and in places the 
 gravel has accumulated by washings sufficiently to cover 
 the surface. 
 
 The soil is easily tilled and should be very productive 
 in crops suitable to it and the climate, for an examina- 
 tion of the samples taken show it to be well supplied 
 with potash and phosphoric acid (two of the chief ele- 
 ments of plant-food) together with a moderate percentage 
 of lime. A portion of the land has been under cultiva- 
 tion in wheat and is said to have yielded finely. A small 
 orchard of several varieties of figs, apples, etc., on the 
 place of Mr. Ashurst is doing well. The figs especially 
 have a luxuriant growth. 
 
 THE UNDULATING UPLANDS. 
 
 On the north and south sides the bench-lands are un- 
 dulating or slightly rolling, entirely treeless and all sur- 
 face rises some fifteen or twenty feet to uplands which are 
 under cultivation. They cover an area within the Col- 
 ony Tract of about qoo acres on the north and 100 on the 
 south. The lands embrace three distinct classes of soil, 
 viz., a yellow, calcareous clay loam adjoining the bench 
 land, black adobe or stiff clay in the swales of the north- 
 ern tract, and red clays of the higher lands in the extreme 
 northwestern part of the Tract. 
 
 The calcareous clay loams cover the southern up- 
 lands and about 500 acres on the north, and lie from five 
 to fifteen feet above the bench-lands. The soil is grav- 
 elly, but not enough so to affect its tillage or productive- 
 ness. It is calcareous and well supplied with lime and 
 potash; it has also one-tenth of one per cent of phosphoric 
 acid, which is a good average. The land is therefore 
 rich in all the elements of plant-food and highly produc- 
 tive, [irobably next to the alluvial land. It is easily 
 tilled and apparently suited to both orchard and vine- 
 yard growths as well as cereals. Oranges should do well 
 on this and the red clay soils. 
 
 The black adobe appears in the swales or depressions 
 between the u])land ridges and covers many acres. It is 
 perhajis the most northerly occurrence of that class of 
 l)lack adobe soils that cover large areas in the counties 
 to the south. It is very stiff, black in color, cracks open 
 in dry seasons and is rather difficult to till. It has a 
 depth of about four feet and is underlaid by the clay 
 loam described above. It is impervious to water and 
 springs of water issue from the western hillsides just 
 
 32 
 
potash, lime and ]iliosph()ric acid and very productive in 
 certain crops, adapted to such soil. 
 
 The red clay lands lie in the extreme northwestern 
 part of the Tract and cover about 300 acres. They 
 reach further north toward tiie mountains and probably 
 represent the true red clay lands of the western foothills, 
 thoutjh the latter are often very much more clayey. 
 
 The soil is more or less filled with gravel and is very 
 deep. It doubtless underlies the clay loams and the 
 lower bench-lands, as clays said to be similar to it were 
 struck at eighteen feet in the well on the place of Mr,. 
 Ashurst near the river, and penetrated forty feet to 
 water-bearing gravel. 
 
 The soil is a reddish sandy clay, more clayey than the 
 calcareous loam described above, and is rather stiff, 
 becoming plastic on wetting; it is, however, easily tilled. 
 Examination shows it to contain about one-tenth of one 
 per cent of phosphoric acid, while lime and potash are 
 also abundant. It is, therefore, well supplied with nec- 
 essary plant-food for the [iresent and should be highly 
 productive. 
 
 CONCLUSIONS. 
 
 Considering, then, the Tract as a whole, I would say 
 that I regard it as presenting very favorable features for 
 the location and supj)ort of an agricultural colony. With 
 very few minor exceptions it is all cultivable, easily 
 tilled (excepting, perhaps, the adobe) and deep. It is 
 easily drained and ground water is apparently more than 
 fifteen feet below the surface. 
 
 Then, too, the soils are well supplied with those 
 elements which we regard as of vital importance to the 
 growth and productiveness of plants, except perhaps 
 nitrogen, which can be supplied by green-manuring or 
 otherwise. R. H. Loighbkidge, 
 
 Asst. Prof. Agricultural Chemistry, 
 University of California. 
 
 I have examined the soil samples taken by Dr. Lough- 
 bridge on the Colony Tract; and having full confidence 
 in the correctness of his observations, I fully concur in 
 the opinions expressed in the above rejKirt regarding the 
 agricultural value of the lands in cjuestion. 
 
 E. W. HiLGARD, 
 
 Prof, of Agriculture and Director of California 
 Experiment Stations. 
 
 An Ai.i.-the-Vuar-.'Xrolnd Lawn. 
 
 33 
 
THE ASHURST ADVISORY BOARD. 
 
 William E. Smythe, Chainnan, has been identified 
 with the championshii) of irrii^ation and colonization for 
 a number of years, and has, perhaps, contributed more 
 than any other man to the popular literature of the sub- 
 ject. His work on the platform, and through the medium 
 of the National Irrigation Congress, has been widely ac- 
 knowledged, and the New Plymouth Colony, which he 
 inaugurated in Idaho during the winter of 1894-95, at- 
 tracted more attention than any similar effort since the 
 founding of Greeley, Colorado, in 1870. 
 
 William T. Reid, formerly president of the University 
 ■oi California, at Berkeley, founder and present head of the 
 famous Belmont School for boys at Belmont, California, 
 ranks among the first educators in the country. Few men 
 have studied the conditions of home-making in Califor- 
 nia with higher or better trained intelligence than Presi- 
 dent Reid. In giving his approval to the plan of Ashurst 
 Colony he has studied the matter not simply from indus- 
 trial and ethical standpoints, but practically as well, and 
 with a view to actual contlitions on this particular tract, 
 which he has conscientiously examined. 
 
 E. W. Hilgard fills the chair of Agriculture at the Uni- 
 versity of California and is also director of the Agricul- 
 tural experimeni stations. He is universally recognized 
 as the highest authority on the soils of the Pacific Coast. 
 The name of Professor Hilgard stands for the best and 
 highest ideals in agriculture and horticulture. His com- 
 prehensive report on the soils of Ashurst Colony is printed 
 elsewhere. 
 
 Homer Wilson, a successful business man, has made 
 a special study of the industries related to the products 
 •of the soil of the Pacific Coast. He is manager of an im- 
 portant group of creameries, and has extended his studies 
 to the practical details of operating and managing can- 
 neries, packing houses, and beet sugar factories. His 
 knowledge and experience in these lines will be of the 
 highest value in developing the allied industries of 
 Ashurst. 
 
 J. E. Reid has been engaged for years in the business 
 of raising and shipping California fruits. He has been 
 jiotably successful in this line of business, and for this 
 reason his service to the colonists as a member of their 
 Advisory Board ought to be of the highest value. He 
 has arranged to devote his time to this work exclusively 
 ■during the first few years of the colony development, 
 and is now at Ashurst, prepared to assist settlers in 
 selecting and planting trees and developing their farms. 
 
 C. E. Grunsky ranks among the first irrigation engi- 
 neers on the Pacific Coast. He is in charge of the con- 
 struction of the irrigation system at Ashurst, and also of 
 the work of subdividing the property. He will advise 
 •concerning the development of the village tract, domes- 
 above it. Analyses show these adobes to be rich in 
 
 34 
 
tic water supply and electrical plant. In the practical 
 \vi)rk he has the assistance of Otto \'on Geldern, who also 
 ranks high as a civil engineer. 
 
 Cam. B. Ashurst was one of the early pioneers of 
 Northern California. Me has lived for forty years on 
 the place which has now become the site of the most 
 notable colonial effort in California. He knows every 
 foot of the ground, and his knowledge and long expe- 
 rience will serve as a ready fund of information for 
 settlers. Deeply attached to the place which has been 
 his home for forty years — the place where his children 
 were born, and which has been the scene of his success- 
 ful business career — Mr. Ashurst not unnaturally desires 
 that every colonist shall be successful, and is ready to 
 devote his time freely to this end. 
 
 STANFORD'S CHOICE. 
 
 Senator Leland Staiil*or<l had all California 
 to choose from in .selecting- his country estate. 
 He chose a place in Northern California on the 
 Sacramento Kiver, exactly opposite Ashurst 
 Colony. 
 
 
 '^m^ ' 
 
 
 A Glimpse of Colony P.ark, Ashurst. 
 
 35 
 
THE 
 
 Colonial 
 Lectures 
 
 CHICAGO NEW YORK BOSTON 
 riR. ShYTHE ^'l*^ lecture 
 
 IN 
 
 Willard Hall^ Chicago 
 
 On the followint( Dates and Subjects: 
 
 November 26th, 
 
 "A Living and a Competence." 
 
 December 3d, 
 
 " Social Side of Colony Life." 
 
 December loth, 
 
 "California and the Average Man." 
 
 December 17th, 
 
 "A Twentieth Century Colony." 
 
 Lectures on four successive Tuesdays at 8 p. m. 
 Admission FREE. Public Cordially- 
 Invited. 
 
 The Colonists Dessert. 
 
 ASHURST COLONY. 
 
 For additional copies of Ashurst Colony lit- 
 erature, and further information concerning the 
 work, call upon or address, 
 
 WILLIAM E. SMYTHE 
 
 Sherman House, CHICAGO. 
 
 36 
 
 H 65 78 "i 
 

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