San Andreas independent., 1857-10-10

and never putting in, will come to the po..on'
This is exempfed in many parts OF virginia
lands which once richly repaid the LABOR ol 'no
farmer, are now comparatively worthless 'hey
have already come to the bottom, Tor tney pau
no attention to manuring their lands. IL mas
been often remarked, that good land makes
poor farmers and poor land makes gooo
farmers. 1t is to be hoped that this will not
be the case in California When land is poor,
necessity compes man to do more than
merely laboring with his hands; he finds that
he must bring into action the best powers OF
his mind, and also finds that he must study
Agriculture, as science. The natives OF
Chill and Peru before the discovery of Anne
rica, were well acquainted with the extra
ordinary qualities of guano, and applied it as
q manure to their lands. 1t is only within the
last few years that it has been brought into
general use by the people of other nations, and
hundreds of vessels are now employed in the
business. Situated as we are on the Pacific
Coast, having easy access to islands aboundng
with guano, our enterprising merchants and
farmers should turn their attention 10 this
matter.
Let me now invite your attention to another
subject-that of gation-which is intimate
ly connected with agriculture. We have with
in the geographical limits of California over
an hundred millions of acres of land, of which
at the present time less than the one two hun
dreth part is under cultivation, and that which
is, can be vastly improved. We have mlid
and salubrious clmate-so mild that many
tropical fruits and plants can here be cultiva-
ted. We have rich and fertile soil tempting
the labor of man. We have noble rivers and
magnificent harbors, and in addition to which
we have the richest gold field in the world, but
we have only population of about four hun
dred thousand inhabitants and have not had
as great an increase of population since lo49
as several of the western States and Territories.
We have, beyond dispute, more than twenty
millions of acres Of land, which can be made
suitable for cultivation, and twenty millions of
acres more which can advantageousy be used
for pasturage. Were the great resources OF
California fully developed, it is capable of sus-
tanning ten millions of inhabitants, finding fulk
and ample employment in all the varied and
diversified pursuits of life. But we have long
seasons of drought we have millions of acres
Of land now unftted for the plough, because
the heavens do not give US the refreshing rain
in due season the winter OF our vegetation Is
in midsummer ln that season when we have
been accustomed to see the earth clothed with
rich verdure and blooming with flowers, we
behold our hills and plains presenting gloomy
and forbidding aspect. Nothing more is want
ing to make them put on the gorgeous livery
of perpetual spring than uater. The want of
it for agricultural purposes is the greatest and
only evil the farmer labors under. How often
have we all heard it remarked that had we the
rains of the old States, California would be
the most glorious country under Heaven.
am not sure, however that the absence of rain
| A.. he
orders all things for the best, though spur
blind man. cannot see 1T. We should follow
the advice of the poet
"From seeming evil still educng good,
And better thence again, and better still,
In infinite progression"
, We can render ourselves in great measure
independent of the seasons, but to do so we
must render art subservient to the great advan-
tages which we possess. We must do as has
|, been done since the infancy of the world to
this day, in other lands similarly situated to
our own. We must lead the water which
the thirsty earth demands, by means of canals
and aqueducts, and spread it out over our now
, barren hills and dreary plains. Modern trav-
: elerS and modern authors can scarcely credit
! the accounts given by ancient writers of the
: wondrous fertility OF countries and of lands
which are now wide dreary wastes and where
once were cities the inhabitants of which were
as far advanced as we are in many of the arts
and distinguished for their inventive genius.
Many of their cities contained population so
large that our very largest would be thrown
: in the shade compared to them. Aqueducts,
S fountains, cisterns wells and ruined canals are.
in numerous instances the only remains of
: some of the most celebrated cities of the old
world A distinguished writer says There
! are still standing some ruined and diIapidated
+ columns in Persepolis and Thebes, but in Bah
ylon, Tyre Sidon, Palmyra, and many others,
!; they are crumbed in the dust But the cis-
terms and aqueduets hewn out of the solid rock
still serve to excite the curiosity OF the traveller
and antiquarian, when every other monument
of those cities has vanished" According TO
Chautebriand the pool Of Bethesda, reservoir
one hundred and fifty feet by forty, constructed
of large stones, clamped with iron and lined
with flint, imbedded in cement, is the onlv
specimen remaining of the ancient architecture
of the Holy City. Ephesus, too is no more
and the temple of Diana on which was lavisbed
the treasures OF the east, and which was over
two hundred years IN building, and one of the
wonders of the world, has vanished while tho
fountains which supplied the city with water.
are as fresh as ever. The fountains of Ronrn.
abashi are perhaps the only objects remaining
which can be relied on in locating the palace
of Pram, on the site of ancient Troy. What
causes have contributed to build up and de-
populate those vast empires? Stern necessitv
compelled the people Of those nations to direct
their attention to every thing which would de-
veope their resources, to feed and clothe mil
lions of human beings to furnish them with
all the necessaries and luxuries of life necessa-
riy requires that millions of acres of land
should be cultivated, and if that land is so stu
ated that it will not as it is repay the labors of
the husbandman, means must be adopted to
render it available. The only thing there
wanted, as with US in California, was the pure
element of water. Nature had supplied every
thing else, but water in the shape OF refreshing
showers. Art then steps in as the handmaid
of nature, and produces by means of canals.
aqueducts and reservoirs, all that the parched
earth demands to make it return its rich treas
ures as the Legitimate fruit of science. labor
and toll Ages long ages pass and roll a,ro,, :.