San Andreas independent., 1857-10-10
OPENING ADDRESS
70 the California State Agricultural So-
siety, September, 1857.
xuNf f0ApPAPn

To the California State Agricultural So-
eiety, September, 1857.
BY VIM. GARRARD.
I.n1rs AND GENTLEMEN Among the many
causes that bring our people together, there Is
none more likely to prove interesting and In
structive than the Annual Fair OF the State
Agricultural Society. Here we assemble from
all parts of the State, each bringing with MN
that article in the production OF when his
neighborhood excels. Here we have BIRDS
eye view of the partially developed resources
OF our young, but rich, State; and if we come
together with doubts in oar minds as to making
California our permanent home we leave with
those doubts removed, and a determination to
live and die among her golden hills, or in her
broad and beautiful valleys Here we witness
annually the certain, and in many instances
wonderful, progress made by us in the produc-
tion of those articles that make our homes
dearer and render our State less dependent
upon other countries for the necessaries, CON-
forts and Injuries of life. With our great va
riety of climate and soil with our great natu-
raj advantages for manufacturing, equal to
any country in the world, those who visit
these exhibitions and see how much has been
done in few years, must be convinced that
California needs nothing but population to
place her among the first, if not the very first
State of this Union.
There is no other country that offers to her
citizens the same inducements for permanent
location as California. Think of what we
were seven years ago, of what we are now, aud
who will venture to prophecy our condition
half century hence? Then we were depen-
dent upon foreign countries for nearly every
thing we consumed. Now, in the short space
of seven years, we are prepared to meet the
entire demands of our people for many articles,
and what is yet better, we can spare great
deal of our own productions to exchange Tor
those we are not yet able to produce; and thus
retain among us our gold to improve and
beautify our houses We have not only ceased
to import grain and breadstuffs, but are re-
turning thousands of dollars worth annually
to the very ports from which we, five years
ago, imported millions. Many other articles
we have ceased partly or entirely to import
To enumerate them would be to mention
nearly half the things of daily use and con-
sumption.
The experience of the last two years, has
demonstrated another important fact, namely :
that this climate is as well adapted to curing
meats, both by salt pickle and smoking, as
Ohio or Kentucky. But the great difficulty
has been to raise hogs at q price to compete
with the imported article; the trouble has not
been in fattening, for here we can raise grain
as cheaply as most countries. but it has been
found in the absence of proper grasses, on
which to raise and grow the hogs. The rich
clover pastures that are found so essential to
the hog crops, in the Western States, have
heretofore been wanting among US alter the
month of May, owing to our long dry season.
But the successful cultivation of two new
crops, just introduced among US, will remove
entirely this deficiency, and ii am not mis-
taken, it will be but few years, when the
importation of pork bacon and lard will have
ceased. The value of these crops mast be
estimated in millions. / refer, OF course, to
the introduction of Chinese sugar cane, and
Chile clover; especially the latter. 1t is
certain, that on large districts Of our country,
when other grass crops dry entirely ap before
the month of June, that Alfalfa will, when
once we'll rooted, continue green the year
round, yielding three hay crops annually, and
affording full pasture, equal in richness to a
grain field. This crop seems designed by Pro-
vidence, for our peculiar climate. Whilst it
makes good hay, good pasture-spring, sum-
mer, fall and winter-it, unlike the native
club or eastern red clover, has its seeds secure
y encased, as the rich burr clover of our
southern counties. but is superior to that in
the absence of its prickly barrs. The princi-
pal advantage of this clover, consists 10 It's
capacity to send its roots to water, however
deep, and thus draw sufficient moisture to keep
green throughout the dry season. Our visiting
r nah
Feather River, that the roots of this clover
had penetrated to low water mark, depth of
over seventeen feet. This crop, however, is
said to have this popularity, which should be
well understood, that when once we'll rooted, 1t
cannot be exterminated, and of course no other
crop can be cultivated on the same land OF
the Chinese sugar cane, less is known from
experiments in this State, but out OF many
packages of seed distributed by our Society,
not single instance is known, when the crop
failed to mature, whether irrigated or not, and
in somelocations-atM Mr.. Campbell's on King S
River. for instance, it has reached a perfection
unknown in other States.
Our display Of fruits and flowers is well
worthy of your highest admiration. Here
the citizens of every country and climate may
see the fruits that were most familiar TO bis
childhood, and many others ne knew nothing
Of We not only excel in variety, but also,
in quality. Where else will you find such ap-
pies, peaches, pears and grapes, growing along
side of the orange, the fig, the pomegranate
the almond and most other tropical fruits !?
How many of you are aware that there are
single farms in this State containing, each
over half million of fruit trees, in orchard
and nursery? One person owning enough
trees, when fully matured, to produce as much
fruit. other than grapes, as will be sold this
year throughout our State. The day is not
distant when fruit will be an important crop
for raising and fattening swine. But one of
the most interesting facts developed by this
and similar exhibitions held in different parts
of the State this year, is that there is belt
of country running clear through our noun
tains and near the gold region, that is equal
to any portion of our vallies in the preduc-
tion of several of the principal kinds of fruit
The exhibition of live stock, you will find,
is by far the largest, and greatly superior IN
quality, to any heretofore presented by our So
cietv. This was to be expected and we NAV