The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-25 00:00:00

CALIFORNIA.

.............an

(From the Anglo—American Times.)

All the great American newspapers utilize their
staff during the travelling season when taking their
recreation. Those who now read through the
American journals will find scattered here and there
papers of great value from various parts of the
Union, and will learn a trait characteristic of Ame-
ricans who delight to combine business with plea-
sure. In the Springfield Republican of August 1,
there is one of the articles to which we allude " On
the Growth of California," evidently from a prac-
tised writer making notes on the spot. What first
strikes him is the great change wrought by the de-
pression of mining as an interest, and the rise of
agriculture, manufactures, and commerce, which
in its effect on the wealth, character, and morals of
the inhabitants is revolutionary—re-creative. It
seems as if the people had been acting on the state-
ment of the Rev. Horatio Stebbins, made three
years ago from a San Francisco pulpit, " that no
high civilization was ever built over a gold mine."
The chief source of Californian wealth is now the
grain crop, the value of which this year in wheat
alone is equal to the gold and silver produce, or
$25,000,000. To the estimated wheat crop, of
3,000,000 quarters, of which 2,000,000 will be
available for export, may be added ten million
bushels of barley, two and a half million
bushels of oats, half a million tons of hay,
without calculating the enormous returns of
fruits and vegetables, with wine and other yields
therefrom, the agricultural products samming up in
value fully double the extract of bullion. This is
the third year in succession of harvests so abundant
that California has been able, at a gratifying profit,
largely to export grain. In 1866 she sent away
5,000,000 bushels of wheat ; in 1867, 10,000,000 ;
and it is calculated that this year the export will
not be far short, if it does not exceed, 15,000,000
bushels. The profits made have stimulated culti-
vation, which is conducted on a grand scale by
men of capital. The farms employ large forces
of men and horses, and during these last years the
profits have been counted in tens of thousands of
dollars. The rush for land is becoming speculative,
and all the finest valleys in the State have been
bought, generally at a small advance on Govern-
ment prices. Labourers and speculators have com-
bined to settle new localities; one in Fresno county
being for 80,000 acres, and another combination
has bought three-fourths of the famous Cayon
Rancho, near San Diego, getting 30,000 acres to
build the settlement, at one dollar an acre. The
prices of bread stuffs are at about half those in the
Atlantic cities ; the best flour ranging from 265. to
30s.—eight shillings per 1001 b. for wheat and six
shillings for barley. The average yield is twenty
bushels of wheat to the acre, but some fertile lands
carefully cultivated turn out three times that
amount. The climate is almost perfection for
the growing and harvesting of grain, and nature
has favoured the State with other facilities
scarcely less valuable. Those who look at
the formation of the country will see that California
is a long strip, with mountains running parallel to
the coast till they reach the towering summits of
the Sierra Nevada. Between that range and the
coast is another of lesser magnitude with a magni-
ficent valley between. Through these valleys to the
North and South of San Francisco flow rivers which
derive an abundant supply of water from the great
ranges, the main stream of the Southern country
flowing North, and of the Northern country flow-
ing South till they meet in the estuary, whereon
stands San Francisco. The spurs of the Sierra
Nevada form minor valleys, each of which sends its
stream to the West till it reaches the great river.
Thus the facilities of water carriage are abundant,
enabling the farmers to carry their grain to the
wharves of San Francisco.

With so great a mining interest, with so profit-
able and increasing an agricultural interest, manu-
factures in a country so isolated from civilization
rapidly go a head. California may be said now to
make all her own machinery and all her own
woollen goods. She imports, but refines her sugars,
and it is probable, from the extraordinary success of
the experiments with beet, that instead of importing
she may soon export the raw material. She makes
4,000,000 cigars a month. The 2,000 kegs of
gunpowder each week used by the Pacific Railroad
are made in the State. Cotton and silk are both
being successfully manufactured, and the cultiva-
tion of the silk-worm, as also that of beetroot, pro-
mises to be far more profitable than in France.
Captain William Itlynie, of Sacramento, feeds
about a million silkworms, and will sell from
800 to 1,000 ounces of eggs, most of which
will go to Europe, where the California eggs
are iu great demand, as the best known.
Roughly estimating the value of the manufac-
tures, the Springfield Republican puts it higher