Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-05-15
Agricultural Lands in Califor-
nla-The Prospect.

The following article from the San Fran.
cisco Bulletin contains valuable informa.
ton:
This state contains by estimate. 9S. .G34.-
24O acres of land, including submerged
and swamp lands. Or the whole amount.
about 6o.000 900 will admit of cultivation !;
and there are 10 ,00O. 900 acres more which
can be used for grazing purposes. Con-
lrary to the general opinion. we have very
little worthless land In this state. Much
OF 1t Is mountainous or hlly; but not 50
VaIteles> as to be undesirable for timber.
grazing. wine growing. or other purposes.
Counting the whole area which can be
used III one way or another to contribute
to the support of the population. We have
S0.OOe,o0O acres. or this amount hardly
more than 2 100000 acres are under culti-
vatlon. after reasonable allowance for
the Increased occupation and culture Of the
present year. 1t docs not follow, o
course, that all the rest can be had for the
asking or is now in the market at any
price. There may be 5.O00, 900 acres under
renee, ana as much more which has been
segregated into farms. great and small,
preparatory to future cultivation.
This immense breadth of unoccupied
land is theoretically open to settlement
But if the state had offered premium for
the most effective method Of embarrassing
nothing could have been better devised
than the system. or rather lack Of system,
which has nbtaned here for the last ten
years. School bonds. government pre-
emptions, railroad reservations and float.
ing Mexican grants. have made up the
tangled skein which is now being slowly
unravelled. The attempt made in the last
legislature to revive Mexican grant claims,
which are about to expire by limitation,
was promptly defeated. Even the authors
of the scheme have been kept as much in
thc background as possible. Upon the
whole, good many sources OF former
embarrassment in land titles have ceased
to be effective during the last three years
1t is easier to ascertain the condition of
land title than ever before; and settler
with ordinary prudence need not now buy
bad title. There is not great breadth
of desirable public land now open to pre-.
emption.. But land can be bought ar Sec
ond hand. often at Il small advance on gov
erament prices. And many persons pre-.
fer to pay higher prices and avoid the
trouble OF pertecting 4 title from the gov
ernment.
There is no danger that the lands Of
this state will be exhausted in years to come
even by Sreatly-increased current Of im.
migration. Most OF those who are coming
to seek homes want only small parcels Of
land, which will be all the better for the
state, seeing that each settler will be sure
to make the most of what he obtains. OF
course nearly all desirable farming lands
have appreciated in price during the past
year. and it is hardly possible now to give
any accurate schedule of prices. But
within Il hundred and fifty miles of this
city, we hear of very little unimproved
land desirable for cultivation in the mar.
Ike. ut less than s. per acre. And taking
this rs the minimum, and $50 aS the mlXi-
mann price. there is Il large q iantiiy Of
good land Sill on the market ;,nd access
Idle 10 immigrants. The further the set
tier goes from markets the cheaper he will
gey his land. While the markets every year
viii come nearer 10 him. The counties of
Stanlslaus. MERGED. Fresno, Tulare, San
Luis Obispo. San Bernardno. Santa Bar
oara an1 San Diego contain an immense
breadth of unoccupiel land; and in the
last named county parcels have been sold
daring the present year suitable for stock
ranges. aU less than the government price.
There is land enough in this state for
all who will be likely to seek it for settle-
ment during the next quarter of Il century.
With an area of l54. ZIG square miles,
there will be elbow room enough even
when we have gained an additional popu-
lation. and now that it is coming. we can
at least assure these inquiring thousands
that there is room for them, with pros
pect Of us much good fortune as anywhere
waits upon honest Industry. {"