TABLE 60.-Ability to speak English of foreign-born employees, by sex and race or race group-Continued,

CHAPTER IV.

IMMIGRANT LABOR IN THE DECIDUOUS FRUIT INDUSTRY OF THE VACA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA.

INTRODUCTION.

The Vaca Valley, in Vacaville Township, Solano County, presents perhaps the best opportunity for a study of immigrant labor in the seasonal horticultural industries of California. The agents of the Commission made an investigation of the situation in that locality during July, 1908. Some thirty ranches were visited in different parts of the valley, and data relating to race changes, and wages, and other conditions of employment were collected from nineteen of these. General data also were collected from the shippers and other persons familiar with the deciduous fruit industry of the locality.

The Vaca Valley is some 8 miles long and from 3 to 6 miles wide. At the north it is separated by hills from the "Winters district," a on the west by a mountain range from the Napa Valley. At the south it spreads out to Suisun and Elmira, while on the east it is somewhat cut off from a grain-growing country by a low range of hills. Its climate is almost ideal for growing deciduous fruits and preparing them for market. Snow seldom falls, and the early spring months are warm, thus permitting of the early ripening of all kinds of deciduous fruit. Very hot weather follows during the months of June and July, which, with the dry weather and the almost entire absence of fogs, makes the valley an ideal one for the drying of fruit. It is too hot and dry for the most successful gardening. Consequently, as the transportation facilities for shipping green fruit have improved and as the markets for California's green and dried fruits have expanded, the fruit industry has developed until to-day the valley is almost entirely devoted to it. The orchards embrace some 15,000 acres. The growth and character of the population of the community have been intimately connected with this development.

This intensive use of the land gives rise to a great demand for labor during the summer months when the cherries, apricots, peaches, pears, and plums ripen. The population of the township is about 5,000. Of these some 1,500 reside in the town of Vacaville. Most of

a The "Winters District" is a somewhat less important locality specializing in the production of deciduous fruits. The labor conditions there are practically the same as about Vacaville.

the others during the busy summer months are engaged in harvesting the fruit and hauling it to market. To these during the months of May, June, and July some 4,000 more are added to assist with the work. The necessity for this and the nature of the labor problem to be solved are indicated by the following table, which shows the number of persons employed on the nineteen ranches from which data were obtained at the time of the investigation, the number of persons employed regularly throughout the year, and the number temporarily and irregularly employed to pick and pack or to cut and dry the fruit.

TABLE 61.-Number of laborers employed regularly and irregularly on nineteen ranches.

A certain number of laborers are employed on the fruit ranches throughout the year to do the general work of the ranch, plow and cultivate the orchards, repair the packing boxes and other parts of the equipment, do teaming, etc. With the thinning of the crops more men may be employed. With the ripening of cherries and of apricots in May and June, however, a large force is required to pick and pack the former for shipment, and to pick, cut, and dry the latter. In July the harvesting of the peaches, plums, and pears begins, all of the plums and pears and a part of the peaches being shipped "green.' green." Fewer laborers are required than for the apricot harvest. From August until the last of the "late" peaches are marketed in the autumn a much smaller number of men is required than earlier in the season. As each crop is harvested the trees are pruned and the orchards cleared of waste branches for the coming year.

At a time when the number of persons employed was somewhat smaller than the maximum required to harvest the apricot crop when the yield is large, the ratio of laborers regularly employed to those temporarily employed was as indicated by the table presented above. Taking the 19 farms collectively the ratio was found to be 1 to a little more than 7.5.

RACES EMPLOYED AND THEIR OCCUPATIONS.

The races employed on the 19 farms from which data were collected are shown in the following table:

TABLE 62.-Number of employees working regularly and irregularly, by sex and race of individual.

EMPLOYEES IN ORCHARDS CONDUCTED BY WHITE OWNERS.

Ranch.

8.

9.

Total...

17

18.

19.

Total...

The total number of persons employed was 1,143. Of these 583, or 51 per cent, were of the miscellaneous white races, largely nativeborn, known as "American" or as "whites." Of the 583, approximately one-half were men, 38 per cent women, and the others children under 16 years of age. Eight were Chinese; 316 (315 men and one woman), or 27.6 per cent of the entire number, were Japanese; 132 (all men), or 11.55 per cent, were East Indians; 53 (all men), or 4.6 per cent, were Spaniards; 16 (14 men and 2 women), or 1.4 per cent, were Italians; 20 (all men), or 1.8 per cent, were Greeks; and finally 15 (3 men, 6 women, and 6 children) were French. As shown by the table, from two to six of these races (considering "Miscellaneous white persons as one race) were employed on these

ranches.

The ranches are grouped into those conducted by the white owners and those leased to Japanese. This grouping brings out two significant facts: (1) That 779, or 68.2 per cent of the total number, were