CHAPTER VIII.

JAPANESE TRUCK GARDENERS ABOUT SACRAMENTO, CAL., WITH COMPARISONS WITH THE ITALIANS

[For General Tables see pp. 838 to 847.]

INTRODUCTION.

There are about 150 truck gardeners and berry growers who sell their products in the Sacramento market to be locally consumed. Eighty or more of these are Japanese, some 45 or 50 are Chinese, and between 20 and 25 are North Italians. Other races find practically no place in this small farming. These producers bring their produce to the free market and dispose of a good part of it to hucksters and peddlers. The peddlers in the city are largely Chinese; the hucksters, Japanese, Italians, and "white men." All told, they number about 70. Besides these there are three hucksters who serve the country communities and small villages near by. After these peddlers and hucksters obtain their supplies, the numerous growers sell to the many fruit stands and vegetable stalls and the large groceries of Sacramento.

A short distance south of Sacramento, along the Sacramento River, are two groups of gardeners. One is on the "Y street road," the other on the "Riverside road." The former group includes some 10 Japanese and 15 Chinese, the latter, 10 Japanese, 15 Chinese, and about 10 Italians. Between Sacramento and Brighton, 5 miles to the east, there are 8 Japanese, 3 Chinese, and several Italian gardeners. Among the latter, however, are three farmers who produce some truck along with grain and hay on large farms (100, 80, and 30 acres, respectively). Near Broderick, a village across the Sacramento River, there are some 15 Japanese and 10 Chinese gardeners. A few gardeners of these races are found also in other localities not specializing in the growing of truck. Finally, a large number of Japanese berry growers and gardeners come to the Sacramento market from Florin, a village some 10 miles south of the city.

The Chinese have long engaged in growing vegetables for the Sacramento market. Indeed for many years the vast majority of the gardeners were of that race. More recently, however, their numbers have diminished somewhat as an effect of the exclusion laws and with the growth of population and expansion of the market other races have entered this branch of production, so that they have become a less and less important element in the total number.

A small number of Italians have migrated directly to Sacramento since shortly after 1870, while others in recent years have moved there from other places-chiefly along the lower Sacramento. Toward 1890 they began to grow vegetables, and from 1890-1900 occupied a place in this industry as important as that occupied by the Chinese. The Chinese gardeners have always been tenants. So were most of the Italians to begin with. As a rule, after working for wages for a few years they have formed a partnership or purchased a share in one 48296°-VOL 24-11-30

453

already organized. After gardening as a member of one of these groups of from two to nine partners for a few years the typical Italian has purchased land and become an independent grower. As a result of this evolution, which usually takes place, perhaps one-half of the Italian gardens are owned by the single grower and contain from 5 to 20 acres, and are worth from $1,500 to $5,000. The other gardeners are cash tenants who have little property, who usually form partnerships, and in this way hold larger tracts of land.

The first Japanese came to Sacramento about thirty years ago, but their numbers did not amount to 100 until shortly after 1890. From that time, however, Sacramento has served as a distributing point for laborers for the orchards, vineyards. and gardens along the Sacramento and its tributaries and for the orchards about Newcastle. In fact, it has been the most important distributing point in California for agricultural laborers. Beginning about 1895, a few of these Japanese leased land and engaged in truck gardening, and since 1903 the number of such gardeners has rapidly increased until they now are the most important race engaged in that branch of production. As a result of their influx, it is asserted by growers of other races, the amount of produce has been increased more rapidly than the needs of the market warrant, and the Italians, who are not technically so efficient, are being forced to give up gardening because of the losses they have sustained. However this may be, it is true that few Italians have taken up the growing of vegetables for this market in recent years.

Agents of the Commission collected schedules for 7 of the Italian and 17 of the Japanese gardens. The former are too few for statistical use. Moreover, the data obtained for financial statements were inaccurate and untrustworthy. For these reasons the schedules collected are not used save for comparison here and there with the Japanese. The data obtained for the Japanese are presented in the following sections of this report.

THE SETTLEMENT, PROGRESS, AND PRESENT POSITION OF THE JAPANESE TRUCK GARDENERS.

The total acreage of these 17 Japanese truck gardens was 183. The smallest contained 4 acres, the largest 37 acres. The median was 10, the average 10.76 acres. (General Table 209.)

Of the 183 acres, 178 were leased for cash, while 5 were owned by one man, who leased 5 acres more. At the time they were leased, 9 of these truck farms were irrigated and devoted to the growing of vegetables, 5 were tracts of "hay land," 1 was a tract of pasture land, while 2 were covered with brush and had to be cleared and reduced to cultivation. About one-half of the land leased was of the first of the classes just mentioned, one-third of the second, a tenth of the third, and 12 acres of the fourth. In all probability these proportions would hold of all the land leased by the Japanese engaged in the growing of truck. The rents paid varied from $10 to $40 per acre. In half of the instances, however, the rent was either $25 or $26 and the average for all $24.03 per acre. (General Table 209.)

The land is leased without unusual restrictions as to its use, and the leases ordinarily cover a period of several years. Moreover, these farmers provide their own equipment, each having one or more horses and owning tools and implements. They are much more independent

than the vast majority of the berry growers and orchardists in other communities.

These gardeners have no live stock other than their horses, and engage in truck gardening only. Last year the value of products sold varied from $640 from 5 acres to $9,000 from 37 acres conducted by 9 partners. The total receipts from sales amounted to $42.445, an average of $2,496.76 per farm and of a little more than $238 for each of the 178 acres cultivated. A few grow one crop only, say tomatoes, but the majority grow a great variety of crops, including tomatoes, beans, peas, early potatoes, sweet corn, cucumbers, and cantaloupes. The Japanese are excellent gardeners and succeed in producing more per acre than the Italian gardeners in the same neighborhoods."

Thirteen of these truck farms are conducted as individual, the remaining four as partnership enterprises. In two cases there were two partners, in one four, and in the other nine. Most of the work is done by these farmers and their wives, except during two of the summer months when additional help is required.

Some of the gardeners must hire laborers throughout the year, however. At the time of the agent's visit 20 Japanese all told were employed for wages. Fourteen of these were paid from $1.10 to $1.60 per day and provided with board at actual cost, the average wage being $1.37 per day. The remaining 6 were paid from $1.10 to $1.50 with board, the average wage being $1.31. This is somewhat more than the Italians pay their countrymen who work for them. The customary wage among them is $1 per day with board.

Of the 30 individual farmers and partners, 16 had been in the United States less than five years; 8 between five and ten years; 2 ten years; an equal number eleven years; and 2 thirteen and sixteen years, respectively. Nine of them had immigrated to the United States upon leaving school and when under 20 years of age, and 5 more when 20 or over, but under 25. On the other hand, a comparatively large number bad already reached their prime before leaving their native land in search of better opportunities. No fewer than 14 had reached the age of 30 or more, and 5 of these were between 35 and 40, 3 between 40 and 45, and 1 more than 45 years of age, at the time of coming to the continental United States. (General Table 213.) The unusual number of older men among these immigrants is accounted for largely by the fact that 14 had migrated first to Hawaii, where they had been employed on the sugar plantations, while another came to the United States from Mexico. The other half immigrated directly to the continental United States.

A large percentage of the older men among them had been engaged in farming or in business on their own account but not with the desired success. Most of the others had been assisting with the work on their fathers' farms. Of 17 individual farmers and head partners from whom complete data were obtained, 6 had been farmers, 5 had been farming for their fathers, 4 had been in business, 1 had been

The value of the crops sold from seven Italian gardens, containing 97 acres, was $12,150, or a little more than $125 per acre. This striking difference between the Italian and Japanese returns is explained, partly, however, by the fact that one or two of the small Italian gardens were not successful.

a city wage-earner, and 1 had been a plantation laborer in Hawaii before coming to the United States. (General Table 210.)

Eleven of the 17 brought less than $100 upon coming to the United States, and the largest sum brought was less than $300. All found their first employment as wage laborers, 13 as farm hands in various parts of California, 3 as railroad laborers, and 1 as a domestic. (General Table 211.) Some were attracted to Sacramento in search of work, 5 came there to engage in independent farming for the first time, while 2 came there after having been tenant farmers in other localities. In the majority of cases, they were able to become tenant farmers within a few years of their arrival in the United States. Of 15, 2 began to lease the first, 2 the second, 1 the third, 3 the fourth, 1 the fifth, 3 the sixth, 2 the tenth, and 1 the twelfth year after their arrival in this country. Though practically all began as cash tenants, many had little or no capital. In fact half of them had less than $300 of property, and a few had no property. These men usually formed partnerships or made extensive use of credit. About half purchased their supplies on credit and 6 of the 17 reported that they still obtain advances in this form, the aggregate amount received during 1908 being $1.000. Moreover, a large percentage of them borrowed money from friends to obtain the small amounts of capital necessary to begin truck farming, and 5 of the 17 report small personal debts of this character still owing by them.

With two or three exceptions, these men have been farming only a few years and have not succeeded in accumulating much property. The net value of all property owned, except furniture and growing crops, was reported by 2 as being less than $100, by 6 (including these 2) as less than $500, by 11 as less than $1,000. Of the remaining 6, 4 had $1,000 but less than $1,500, and 2 $1,500 but less than $2,500. The gross value of all property in their possession was $14,345.33, or an average of $843.84 per farmer. The indebtedness to be offset against this sum amounted to $1,415, of which $1.000 was of mortgage indebtedness on a 5-acre tract of land purchased by one gardener in 1907 for $1,500. It is clear that these farmers are not well to do, practically all of their property consisting of a few horses and implements required for cultivating the land and hauling the produce to the market, and household furniture.

Most of these truck farmers have not been very successful in making money. Fourteen have made some money, while 3 have lost. The former, by their labor and industry, have succeeded since coming to this community in increasing the total of their property from $3,170 to $9,842.83, while the latter, bringing $4,000, have now only $3,087.50. None has been strikingly successful, nor has anyone conspicuously failed. In connection with these financial statements, it must be remembered, however, that most of these men had recently begun farming and that all of the tenants had improved the land with reference to securing good results in later years and that the value of these improvements is not included in their statements of property owned.

Inasmuch as most of these men have been farming for only a short time, the profits realized over and above operating expenses and the cost of their living is a better index to the degree of their prosperity than the amount of property they have succeeded in accumulating. During the year 1908, 3 met expenses, 4 (on 1 farm) lost money—

$500, all told-while the remaining 23 realized a profit. The amount reported by 22 of these men varied from $142 to $800 and amounted to $7,764. Nine made between $100 and $250, 7 between $250 and $500, and 6 between $500 and $800. The median amount was $342, the average $352.91, which is little more than the balance of the agricultural laborer who succeeds in obtaining fairly steady employment. Some of the gardens, however, required great outlay and had not reached the point of greatest productivity, so that the profits realized were less than would normally be secured.

Six of these Japanese, realizing a profit in 1908, sent money abroad for the support of their families and relatives and the education of their children. The sums sent varied from $30 to $500 and amounted to $1,310. Most of the remaining profit was deposited in Japanese banks in Sacramento or loaned to friends.

SOCIOLOGICAL DATA.

Seventeen of the male members of the Japanese families investigated are married, 13 are single, and one is widowed. (General Table 214.) Thirteen were married previous to immigrating to the United States, 2 were married during subsequent visits to Japan, and 2 were married in this country. Three, including 1 who, with his wife, had been in Hawaii, brought their wives with them. Three other wives have joined their husbands more recently. Hence, of the 17 wives, 10 are in the United States, 7 in Japan. (General Table 213.) Of the 30 farmers, 7, for the most part married men with wives in the United States, expressed their intention of remaining permanently in this country. Fifteen, on the other hand, expected to return to their native land at a later time, while the remaining 8 were in doubt as to what they would eventually do. Four of these farmers are members of and attend the Buddhist Mission in Sacramento, 2 are members of the Japanese Methodist Mission, while the remaining 24 have no active membership in any religious organization.

A large percentage of these farmers came from the prefecture of Kochi, and 12 of them have membership in the club organized by the Japanese about Sacramento who have come from that prefecture. Aside from this the Japanese truck farmers are without organization. American fraternal organizations are closed to them.

All of the Japanese farmers save one, and all of their wives, were found to be literate. (General Table 222.) All of the men, but only 2 women, could speak English. However, only 7 men and 2 women could read and write our language. (General Table 220.) The slight command of English by the women is explained in part by the fact that 5 of them had been in the United States less than five years and

a Several of the Italian truck farmers, like the Japanese, have families and relatives abroad who are dependent upon them for assistance. Of 10, 8 sent abroad during the year 1908 sums varying from $5 to $300 and amounting to $1,046.

The 10 Italian gardeners all expect to remain permanently in the United States. Yet not one of them had taken out his first papers.

This is true in a way of the Italians also. Yet some belong to the Italian chapters of the Druids and the Foresters. They also have a social organization known as the "Peimonte Reale," in which most of the Italian gardeners have membership.