Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-12-21

States, are that too great portion of the
lands are held by capitalists for speculation
rather than for Improvement Farms Of ten
fifteen, and fifty thousand acres are found,
and men Of small means wanting farm are
charged high prices for the few hundred acres
they can cultivate--or perhaps, they arc CO.
creed to raise crops on shares, on the lands of
capitalists withheld from market. California
is cursed with land monopoly beyond almost
any other State in the Union. Some ranch
men give a sort Of haggling culture to from
ten to twenty thousand acres But to do this,
they must surround themselves with a great
number Of dependents, and foster in the com
muuity great masses Of poverty. Resort is
had to Cinnamon on most Of these farms and
with competent management, their labor may
be regarded as a success. Such estates how.
ever aud their operations leave no facili-
ties for respectable neghborhoods, schools,
churches and society travelled across one
sheep farm in Butte county Of 10000 acres,
on which 10000 sheep are said to be fed all
the year round. The profits on these sheep,
in case of a fair success, will amount to 500
600 a year, if the increase shall pay the ex-
pcuse Of shearing and Of herders to care for
them
have said nothing Of the fruits and yege.
table products Of California Grapes are the
great staple in this liue They will grow
without irrigation on the upland soil But
where practicable irrigation is resorted to
for young vines, as they are thus brought
to bearing condition one or two years
earlier than where the roots are left to find
their way unaided to the subsoil moisture.
The prices Of grares are from fifteen to
thirty dollars ton for conversion into wine !;
choice varieties for the table bring from
FIVE to twenty-five cents pound. OF pears,
the Bartletts are the most extensively grown.
When their season in the low lands is
past, they are brought down from the foot
hills Of the mountains for five or six weeks
later or until about the first of October.
These pears are shipped to all the large
towns along the railroad and to St. Louis,
Chicago, and New York, and if the business
is well managed it pays remarkably we'll
Monopohes in California are not confined
to land The rivers in the mountains are
turned into aqueducts by special authority Of
law and carried along ridges aud whoever
has use for the water, for mining or other
purposes, pays a large royalty to the person
who has thus diverted the stream from its
ancient channels against all the settled laws
on that subject, in any other state or country
Around San Francisco dock-rights have been
oancd to individuals for great number oil
years, and whoever drives coach or loads q
cart on any pier is charged from twenty five
to fifty cents for the privilege; though the
goods or passengers come by steamer that has
paid full dock-rights
All these incidents Of monopoly will re-
main curse to California for a century tC
come, unless others than the monopolst
shall be represented in the legislature tina
alone can cure these mischiefs, by carefully
devised systems of taxation.
But one other incident remains to be no
ticed as affecting the prospects of the new
emigrant to California. That is the state o
debt and credit. For these subsist there t,
perhaps a larger extent than in any othe
state Of the Union. The chances of loss ar
not less than elsewhere If the borrowe
makes crop he usually pays his debt Blu
if not, payday is deferred-and it is a ques
ton if those who furnish money to tenants t
new estates, ought not to have lien on tn
land to the extent of the share of the GRO
n reserved in the lease to the landlord. Tn
souudness of credit being so subject to all tn
] contingencies affecting business pursuits, tn
p emigrant may also be liable to lose in cas-
. he falls into the general system of credit
% he makes a crop and sells it 70 cash, he is a
q right. But otherwise he may be swudled b
commission merchants, forwarders, shippers
q and agents Let the emigrant work twent
. to fifty acres on the means he has, rather tina
run in debt for means of working FIVE hur
!. bred or a thousand, which will leave hir
n bankrupt in the case of the failure Of a croI
f. In conclusion, | would say that if youn
d men of fair health, intelligence and enter
# prise 60 to California and improve tn
G chances offered, let liquor alone and give a
species of gambling a wide berth, fair IN;
= teria success is from the outset assured then
!. which will be continued if conserved by
!, sound Christian morality.
a JONI NJ. STEARNs.