The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-05-01
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 10th, 1915.

which is that thousands of persons in Kan
sas and Nebraska are fleeing from cold and
grasshoppers and coming across to live with
us where such things are unknown. If Cal
ifornia had made any efforts to secure emf
grafton, as has been done by various West
ern States, we would now be receiving per-
sons at the rate of two thousand per day
f.. instead of the present number of five hun
dred. The peoples of the world seem anx-
ious to come to us and live in our splendid
climate, and at the present time there is no
part of this continent that is incres sing SO
fast in amount of population, wealth. and
luxury. No one who has ever lived in Cal
ifornia willingly lives anywhere else. There
is charm and beauty in the air. the sky,
the valleys, and the mountains that is indie
scrbable. New life takes possession Of the
body, and the soul expands to broader and
brighter things. In nothing is the excel
lence of this coast more noticeable than in
the children born and raised here: they are
strong limbed, red checked, full Hooded,
large headed, and their superiority over the
children of other sections is striking to
strangers. What with the climate, the great
variety of food, the outdoor life, the mix
ing of all races, the mngling of the Gus
toms of all nations, aud the thorough school
ing of the young, this coast will in time
produce the finest specimens of manhood
and womanhood to be found in any coun-
try. The opportunities for such develop
ment do not exist elsewhere.
In this letter will dilate somewhat on
California as a farming State, that being
the point which will most interest the ma-
.jority of your readers.
Wheat has been and is yet the great sta
pie product and chief agricultural article
of export. The quantity raised has been
steadily increasing each year since 1858,
when it was first discovered that the great
valleys were the finest wheat producing
regions in the world. Last year the pro-
duct of wheat in this State was estimated
at thirteen million centals,-a GENITAL is one
hundred pourds-and the exports to foreign
countries amounted to four hundred and
| fifty thousand tons; equal to one fifth Of
! the entire amount exported by the United
States. This year larger amount of wheat
has been seeded than ever before, and should
the season prove favorable there is proba-
bility of a gross product of thirty million
centals. The wheat comes to San Fran
portatien to Europe. The present price
of wheat in this market per Genital is $l.70.
| The produce per acre varies from 30 to 60
centals. 1t is generally sowed in the Fall
after the first rains, grows during the rainy
season, and is harvested in June. As the
Summers are rainless, it is stacked out in
the field till threshed and ready for market.
| No large and expensive barns are needed
here for slowing grain. Stock require no
shelter whatever. The wheat becomes SO
dry that before being ground it is necessary
to dampen it. The variety of wheat grown
is known as the Proper; bearded variety
of white wheat Of which a few seeds were
discovered in package of goods from
Chile. They were carefully grown by a
Mr.. Proper, and having proved to be a
superior article and exactly suited to this
climate, this variety is now grown exclu-
sively.
Barley has proved to be as profitable and
generous crop as wheat. California bar
ley is now becoming known over the world
as superior article, and is preferred to all
others. Sixteen thousand tons were shipped
| 1,a loo :,
also growing demand for it in China,
where it is used instead of rice The esti-
mated crop of barley this year is placed at
ten million centals. 1t is chiefly used here
for brewing. and is fed to horses instead of
oats. Oats is not a general crop in this
State, and its production is confined to the
coast counties. Before oats can be gener-
ally grown here it is probable that some
new variety suited to the climate must be
discovered.
Rye is being cultivated quite extensively
in the foot hills, where it grows very luxu-
riantly and yields heavily. 1t is sown on
the dry foot-hill lands for hay and gener-
ally cut before the grain natures. That
which natures is used by the distilleries in
making whisky.
Corn is good crop in the coast and south
ern counties and on the river bottoms in
all parts of the State. An objection to it is
that the nights are so cool it does not ma
ture till late in the season, ard is therefore
not SO generally raised as it otherwise would
be, and besides the people do not care much
for corn for their own eating, and for horses
barley is better.
Buckwheat is a good and profitable crop,
as is also flaxseed and castor beans. Flax
seed will yield from 1000 to 1000 lbs.
per acre, worth about four cents per h.
Broom corn is also profitable crop. The
yield per acre is usually 1000 Tbs. of brush
and 1000 TBS of seed. The brush is worth
$50 per ton, and the seed SEQ per ton. Cot
ton is grown with great success, except it
is a question whether labor is cheap and
reliable enough to warrant the raising of it
as an article of export. The yield is about
400 lbs. per acre, and the quality good the
best market prices having been obtained in
Liverpool.
Every county in the State will grow to-
bacco in great luxuriance, and with a heavy
product per acre. California raised and
cured tobacco is pronounced superior to
any in the world, not excepting the best
Havana, and some sample lots shipped
East lately commanded the highest market
prices. This product is yet in its infancy,
as it has been only during the past year
that process WAS devised for curing it
the Eastern methods not being adapted to
this climate. 1t is said that tobacco can
be produced here at a less expense than in
any other State in the Union. The pro-
duction this year is estimated at / 800, 900
TBS.
1t is estimated there are now about forty
million vines in the State, which will pro-
badly produce ten million gallons of wine
this year. All parls of the State are adapted
to the growth of the grape. The wine in