Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1846-04-25

mild than in the same ATTITUDES on the
eastern side of the New Continent,
(Which includes the Atlantic coast,
from Boston to Savannah.) The fire.
quent fogs give vigor to vegetation and
fertilizo the soil, which is covered with
black and spongy earth"
Although agriculture, throughout
this vast and fertile region, is OF the
rudest and most unskilful character,
nearly all kinds of grain have hccn
readily raised. In the immediate
neighhorhood of San Francisco Bay,
the. most extraordinary crops are easily
produced. Or. Marsh, long resi-
dent on the banks of the Sacramento,
Informed Mr.. Farnham, that from ten
bushels of wheat, he had known to be
harvested crop 1862; go to so BUSH
els from one that is sown. This part
of the statement is incredible; but
Commodore Wilkes mentions an in
stance in which thirty,six hundred
bushels were harvested from thirty
sown; and he places the avarage crop
eighty fold. The most moderate of
these statements exhibits degree of
fertility seldom found in the most "a
vored regions of the earth. Indian
corn is said to return about $50 fold.
The potatoe thrives; hemp, flax, oats,
barley. peas, fruits of all kinds, and
all the productions of The temperate
zone, are produced in great abundance,
and with the greatest case; while in the
southern portion, cotton, tobacco, figs,
lemons, olives, oranges, and especially
grapes, seem to find native and most
Iproplious soil; and the marshes about
the mouths of tho San Joaquin and
Sacramento, may easily be turned in
to some Of the richest and most bcauti-
iul rice fields in the world.
Here then lies upon the Pacific coast
adjoining our western border, inclu-
ded between the parallels which in
clude the southern sections of the
United States, and stretching north
ward to the southern boundary Of Or
egon, region of country capable Of
sustaining greater population than
now inhabits the entire American
Union. Traycrscd, through its entire
length, and from lis most remote cor
ncrs, by noble rivers all concentrating
their waters, and forming at their COM
mon mouth, the finest horbor perhaps
in the world; aboanding in timber Of
the best quality for ship building and
naval purposes, easily ..noated TO n COM
mon point, and that, the beautiful and
capacious harhor Of San Francisco;
containing mcasnrelcss water power.
immense agricultural resources, and
all the elements which nature can fur
nish of national wealth and national
consequence, il is yet shnt out from
the influence Of christian civil cation,
and abandoned to people who neilh-
er know It's capacities nor feel tho
pressure of any Obligation in devel-
ope or expand them. The aggregate
population is probably 10000: tho har.
vest caops in 1880, amounted 10 CO.
900 bushels of wheat, 90 900 Of maize
and $4,000 Of barley; and Tho whole
annual merchantable productions of
the country, including cattle and furs,
its staple commodities, is estimated by
Captain Wilkes at less than a million
of dollars. Nor is there anything in
the history Of the country, to induce
tho hope that under its present control,
it will ever attain that position, and
serve thoee ends, in the great scheme
Of the worlds civilization, for which
Providence has clearly designed it.