Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-19
A FARMERS OPINION.
PROSPEROUS TIMES FOR CALIFORNIA IN
TIE YEAR 1880.
A Very Hopeful and Cheerful Glance at
the Agricultural and CONNER
cial Situation
MERGED, Cal, January G

From every source, and particularly from
the Eastern papers, we learn the cheering
news that business in all its varied branches
is steadily improving. To all appearances
this revival in trade and manufacturing
promises well. 1t appears to be an out
growth of such favorable circumstances
and substantial surroundings that its VI
tality is almost unquestioned. Redemp-
ton, economy in both private and public
affairs, and an increasing expectation OF
produce and manufactured goods to foreign
countries is bringing this country to ITS
feet again while the gradual yet certain
transfer of political power from party
whose principles seem someway sadly out
of joint with the times, into the hands OF
a party the people can trust, Is giving cap
ital confidence and labor encouragement.
But the question that most interests US
residents of the Pacific coasts:
WILL THIS PROSPERITY REACH US?
Are we, in this distant part of our domain,
to reap any share of the great harvest al
ready being gathered In my opinion,
most assuredly we shall With unbounded
resources for producing wheat, wool, wine
and fruits, to say nothing of score or
more of other productions, why should we
not? Already there is a strong, steady
undercurrent of prosperity, not yet seen
OH the surface, which, in due time, will
make its appearance In proof of this,
witness the change within a year. One
year ago hundreds of landowners in this
State were anxious to sell their lands at
low figure. To-day they are holding
chem with occasional sales) at fully one
hundred per cent. advance, and
FEW ARE EAGER TO SELL
At any price A year since sellers were
very numerous now buyers outnumber
them at most two to one. In any new
country the demand for and price of its
lands is a good criterion by which to judge
of its business and prosperity. Doubly
true is this in State like California, with
its millions of acres of arabic land. The
advance in the price of wheat to a figure
that promises the producer something
more than the outlay and bare living, is
an incentive which farmers in California
havenot been slow to appreciate. The pres
ent season is the most favorable thus far, of
any for years. No such acreage was ever
DREAMED OF
Before in this (Merced) county. Il judge
the same to be true in measure in other
parts of the State). Almost every availa-
BILE section is being seeded to wheat. Both
small and extensive farmers are nearly
doubling the area of their grain fields,
while town people and traders are buying
or renting tracts of 40, so and 100 acres
and cultivatiug wheat. Should the season
prove to be favorable one the amount of
grain that will find its way to the seaboard
from this valley, for six months or more
after the harvest, will be simply immense.
Many man outside of the stockholders
will then better appreciate the benefits of
a good railroad near at hand. Within a
few days l have talked with quite a num-
Der of the
LEADING FARMERS
OF this county, such as II. Huffman, NJ.
D. Atwater, Cressey Bros. and others, all
of whom have already put in their thou
sands of acres to wheat. Their confidence
in the prospect for good crop and fair
prices is so firm that they will each add a
thousand or two more to their already eX-
tensive grain fields. With this activity
among the farmers, the trades and man
ufacturing interests are beginning to keep
step to the music. Merchants are increas-
ing and, to their credit be it said, improv-
ing their stocks of goods. Commerce is be-
ginning tospread her sails, and as prosperity
in that line necessarily follows prosperity
on land, l apprehend she will take care
of herseIf nou, Wera II NOT that fhis
article, which I intended should be brief,
is already formidable-iu length-I would
write more of an enterprise planned and
completed by few energetic
FARMERS OF MERGED COUNTY,
Whereby large stream of water is taken
from the MERGED river and distributed
through large ditch and numerous
branches to and beyond the Southern Pa
ciic Railroad, over large scope of country.
Through this enterprise several large farms
and some smaller ones are undergoing ma
terial changes. With this new departure,
instead of one extensive field of wheat or
desert looking waste, cosy little farm
houses, with patches of corn, potatoes,
hops, alfalfa, and even buhach, will soon
meet the eye along this canal, as new set
tiers are constantly arriving in this locality,
with new enterprises in hand and stout
hearts to carry them out. 1t is the settled
determination of the owners of this ditch
Farmers Canal Company to so irrigate
aad cultivate portions of these sand plains
that the products here may, in variety and
quality, be in keeping with those of other
portions of prolific California. Exc.