Studying the years from 1880 to 1930, this text traces the origins, evolution and implications of the fruit industry in California, the creation of America's first industrial countryside and its repercussions. The text examines the growers' corporations and their political influence.
"A compelling and original inquiry into the industrialization of American farming as seen through the experiences of California's fruit growers."-Norris Hundley, author of The Great Thirst
"One of the most important histories of California agriculture that we have had in a generation or two. It is brilliantly and engagingly written, rich in argument and souces. Its implications range well beyond the fruit orchards of the West Coast and touch on issues of land, water, money, industrialization and labor that have national significance."-Donald Worster, author of Rivers of Empire
