The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-06-19
"Our New West"

instructive and entertaining book, Our NeU
West:
''In 1852, flour sold at $50 barrel at
wholesale in San Francisco, while among
the mining camps its cost was almost fabu-
lous, and famine was threatened. Such
prices and the disappointment Of mining
drove attention to the soil; and by 1855,
wheat-growing and grinding had become a
considerable business, and by 1853 the pro-
duction had exceeded the home demand.
From that time on, California has been
an exporter of wheat; but not until 1866
did the business assume such proportions
as to impress the grain markets of the
world, and fairly revolutionize the industry
came heavy demands from England; high
prices and large profits resulted; and with
true California vehemence the people rushed
into embarrassing. The year 1867 yielded
still larger crop, and the Eastern States
were added to Europe as customers. The
fever thus fed spread wider; there was
great speculation in agricultural lands; the
area of cultivation was immensely enlarged;
a third favorable season was passed, and
1868 realized the largest wheat crop ever
harvested in California, and she became one
of The first three, if not the very first wheat
growing State in the Union.
''But though she has made wheat-gro
ing her one great interest for two or three
years, her other agricultural products are
almost startling in rapidity of development
and degree of attainment. The crop of
barley, which is the staple feed for horses
and cattle, for 1868 was between eight and
nine millions of bushels; that of oats be-
wool crop, which was less than half a mil
lion of pounds in 1865, and four millions
in 1866, was in 1863 over fifteen millions
of pounds; and potatoes yielded 4 million
and a half of bushels; butter over five mil
lions of pounds; cheese over three millions;
and hops over half 4 million.
''After the grains and wool, in the agri-
cultural wealth of California, come the
vineyards. There is scarcely limit to the
possible production of the grape in the
State. The valleys and her foot hills are
alike favorable to its growth. The volcanic
soil of the lower hills of the Sierra Nevadas
is proving, indeed, the most congenial home
of the vine, and there, rather than in the
Coast Valleys which have heretofore been
the chief fields of its culture, is destined
to be its greatest triumphs. The grape
was introduced by the old missionaries, and
in their choice locations it grew and flour
ished most luxuriantly. A notable vine in
the southern part of the State is fifteen
inches thick, and bore in one year six thou
sand and five hundred pounds of grapes.
"The counties of Santa Clara, Sonoma,
and Napa, near San Francisco, and of Los
Angeles, in the southern part of the State,
are at present the most forward in this
business; but it is rapidly extending in all
quarters, and more especially and promis-
ingly in the districts under the Sierra Ne
vada Mountains. The vine and the null
berry are apparently destined to take the
place OF the mines in these districts, and
stay their decay in wealth and population
The Mission grape varies in quality with
the soil and culture; but everywhere it is
strong and hearty, both as vine and
fruit, and rich in all wine making qualities.
At first the wines were crude and coarse
and heady, and they still lack the delicacy
of the best European wines; but age and
increased skill in the manufacture are ex-
libiting great improvements; and the Cali
fornia wines are early destined to high
and wide popularity. They already are
distinguished for high, fruity flavor, a
rich, saccharine body, and a purity that the
ease of culture and manufacture is likely
to protect.
"The capacity of the State for fruits and
vegetables of every variety has already been
alluded to. Green garden food is in per-
petual, inexhaustible supply; potatoes can
be dug from the ground ten months in the
year; beans and peas are green in the mar
ket from March to January; cabbages, let
tuce, beets, celery, caulitlowers, artichokes.
spinach, turnips, carrots, and parsnips, all
stand green in the garden the year round:
strawberries and tomatoes are ripenine
through eight months in the open air. All
these reach their fullest perfection and grow
to enormous size with the stimulus of
strong soil. We read of cabbages of sew
enty-tiye pounds, onions of four, turnips of
twenty-six and watermelons of eighty
AS large section of the State as all Mas
sachusetts is favorable to orange culture:
and Los Angeles county has ten thousand
trees in bearing condition, and one hundred
thousand more coming forward: while there
are many protected points in the central
counties where the fruit can be successfully
grown. The orange of Southern California
is also of the finest quality; it begins to
ripen i'll December, is i'll its prime in Jan
uary, and fingers in the market till April.
The profit of its culture is generous; it re-
quires ten years to bring an orange grove
into bearing; but then single tree will re-
turn fifty dollars a year, and an acre of
the lemon ripen where the orange does; the
olive tiourishes still farther north: the flo
grows in all the valleys of the State, pro-
ducing two crops a year in the south, and
one in the centre and north; the date palm,
the pomegranatc, the almond, and the wal
nut, all flourish and ripen their fruit in the
southern and central counties; the pine
apple and banana are alone of all the lead
ing tropical fruits limited and uncertain;
while forty varieties of grapes are already
grown successfully in California that would
not live in the Eastern States north of the
Carolinas; and peaches, plums, pears APP
pies, cherries, and apricots, all the fruits of
the temperate zone, find congenial homes
and perfect development in the valleys and
on the hillsides of the central and northern
counties. The dried fruits, cured by sharp
sunshine and dry air, hold in rich supply
the juices of their ripeness, and furnish 4
sauce far surprising all ordinary dried
fruits i'll acceptance to the palate and CRATE
fulncss to the stomach.
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