The Placer herald., 1874-12-12
The WEALTH or ciLlfoRiNIii.

We publish herewith an extract from tho
speech Of Hon. j. X Lpttrell, delivered II
the House of Representatives Thursday
May 4th, 1874, on the question Of an appro.
priation in aid of the Centennial Exhibition
of 1876.
wish to show that we bave yet ,Eoasands
of miles and millions of acres Of land in Cali
fornia, Nevada, Oregon, Arizona. Dakota.
Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, .Wa.h.
ington and ldaho,. which need but the enter
prise and genius Of man to deyelope the gold.
and silver and other precious metals which
lie hidden within their bills, to bring from
the soil the wheat and barley and other &C.
reals which these States are fitted by nature
to produce; where every man is free; where.
the young men of our country and Of all
countries can with enterprise and determine,
tion build themselves home and bring
around them prosperity and contentment.
We of California have had no opport unity.
to exhibit our vast resources. But. twentf
years ago we were admitted into the sister
hood Of States. But when this great cele-
bration takes place we will show to the reo-
pie of this land that within. these twenty
years we have produced everything that The,
earth produces or that the genius Of man has
invented or manufactured.
In my State alone, sir, we have 12O, ,947-
$40 acres of land, 10 per cent. tf which. or
about IL, 600 600 acres, is fit for agricultuA.
raj purposes. One acre of this land will
produce on an average, GOO gallons of wine.
and il the pomace and offal are saved and
distilled, an additional product of ten gallons
of brandy can be made. Now sir, supposing
that one teath OF this 13 ,000, 900 acres is de-,
voted to vinicultural purposes. and we would,
have an annual product of $500 900. 900
gallons Of wine and $4,000, 900 gallons Of
brandy. If the wine is put at twenty cents
per gallon and the brandy at one dollar, the
annual income to the State of California and
to the country would be $S45 ,000,O 900.
For twenty years past we have had but
one failure of the vineyards Gin 1879, while
in France and Germany, they have general
ly tb; ee poor vin,ages out Of four. Besides,
this, the lapds in Europe have to large
extent been worn out and partially exhausted,
as is shown by continued reports of diseases
in European vineyards
The total annual wine crop of Germany
Excluding Alsace and Lorraine) is about.
5O,OOO, 900 gallons from 800, 900 acres. oil
an average of 1876 gallons to the. acre, while
the annual wine crop of France in a good
wine year Q069) amounted TO 2, ,OOO, 600 600
gallons, Or about $50 gallons to the acfe.
The land cultivated with vines is about G..
600, 900 acres, and which before the war;.
sustained $500, 600 vine growers, besides
some 1000 people as teamsters and busi.
ness men, Or about one fifth the entire popu.
lation of Fragce. A
| merely mention this in order to show but
one OF the many resources Of California,
For the last ten years we have produced
enough wheat to supply the whole of Europe,
independent of the home demand. Our hills
and valleys are covered with the blades of
wheat which have made my State famous.
The product for this year is estimated at
$50 COO, 600, and we have yet millions Of
acres which need but the hand Of the hus-
bandman to bring forth from the soil the.
staple product of the world The State Of
California, sir, is rich in everything that God
has created.