Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-06-23
INVITING TO FEW HOMES.

The following appears in the Prdsrie
Farmer, published at Chicago, as the first
Of series OF articles to be contributed by
I. n. Hoag, recently sent by the Central
Pacific Railroad Company as a Commits
sioner of immigration, to have headquar-
tiers in that city
have been a reader of your very valua-
BILE paper for over twenty years. | have
some knowledge of its historY-its event
full career, its usefulness and its success.
admire its uniform candor and conservative
mode of conveying information, as well as
its energy and enterprise in collecting such
information relative 10 all the industries OF
the country.
Your age and great circulation have di.
vested you Of al local prejudice, and made
you truly national agricultural journal.
For these reasons | hold in high apprecia-
tion your otf.r to become the medium
through which | may talk to your many
readers In regard 10 my adopted State, Cal
ifornia. Ia these communications | shall
indulge in no fancy pictures OF the many
and wonderful natural scenes Of beauty and
grandeur aad au0limity so frequent in Cali
. L
/ at word painting any Of the splendid and
truly magnificent estates that have been
created there by human energy, Judgment
and good taste. On the other hand shall,
in plain farmer language, endeavor to give
your readers a good and truthful under
standing Of what California is naturally,
and what she has already been made by
settlement and cultivation, and what she
Is capable Of becoming by an increase Of
her industrial population and an extension
OF the cultivation OF her soil and the con-
version of her broad domain into induatri-
GUS and happy homes.
Perhaps but few nave an idea, or q cor
rect knowledge, of the size or immense
area OF the State. Let me state, then,
that California IS 10 miles in length, be-
ing bounded its entire length on the west
bv the Pacific ocean. It's greatest width IS
$50 miles. and it contains ISIS 9Sl square
miles, or 100, 947 $40 square acres of land,
Compared to other States of the Union,
it is four times the size Of New York it
Is twenty-four times As large as Nassschu-
sets It IL IA times Is large as Rhode
Island.
Compared to European countries, it is
four-hfths the size OF Austria, and lacks
but a fraction Of equaling the whole area
Of France. Il IS nearly twice the SIZE of
Italy, and is one-half times greater than
the whole British Isles constituting Great
Britain. California contains 50 600 600
acres of land suited to cultivation and prof
liable agricultural pursuits.
The population of California in 1850
the last census year-including Indians on
reservations but excluding Chinese and ia.
panese, was 7S9 6I7.
With One-fourth the territory, New Y ork
had population of ), 900 600, or over Elk
times the population of California
With one twenty-fourth the territory,
Massachusetts had population of ! 500,-
600, or nearly twice the population OF Cal
ifornia.
With the same territory, France has q
population of SO, 900, 600, or forty times
the population OF California. When it is
stated that acre for acre. or square mile for
square mile. the whole area OF California is
capable of sustaining larger number of
people than New York or Massachusetts,,
and an equal or greater number than France,
it will be seen that there is still some room
for people to settle and make homes in Cal
ifornia.
In my next l will explain the wonder.
fully favorable climate Of California, and
describe the general character of its soils.