Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-19

Ihave ventured TO present the statistics ant
statements above, although aware how difficult
~ Is ior listener 10 appreciate their value, bu
they prove one thing ineontestably. namely
that the farmers OF California are passine
through transitional state that
We ARE CHANGING TIE CHARACTER OF ouE
PRODUCTS
That dried, canned and green fruits, including
oranges ana lemons, as the products of ouI
orchards, and raisins wine and brandy as the
products of our vineyards are fast supplantinR
the other great farming industries of the State.
we are, however, met at the threshold of these
new industries by the "croakers" -. universal
cry-oVerpreduction. remember many years
ago when some really welI-iDformed men
wrote grave and serious articles, and published
them, TO the effect that there ;yorIld soon he an
oyer-prOduction of gold in California, and that
gold would lose its value because OF the vast
amount taken out of our mines We have in
deed, found another mine of gold infinitely
rtcher than the inst, d mine that is not for 3
day but for all time, and in the working OF
which there IS no practical competition on this
continent. We have the advantage OF a new
iana, unWorn by ages Of culture, and rich in
Doundles $ resources, of a climate unsurpassed
III -alubrity OF seasons so marked tina. we know
when 70 expect the sunshine or the storm And
though We are walled in by d range of noun
tains on the east and a great sea on the west
yet we have scaled the one with nunberless
cars laden with our fruits and Wines and we
have trayersed the other with hundreds OF
SHIPS whose sails catch the breath of every
our grains
ovEgPRoDUCTIoN
Whoever heard Of too much TO eat The fact
Is, California has produced so much OF every
thing, ana produced it so well, that whenever
we DO enter into competition with the rest of
the world in new field Of industry after all
other complaints are dissipated we hear the old
cry, There is too much ofitl True, it is good;
bat you produce too much p Think of an over
production in fruit Why. there are 50OdO,000
pounds OF pruneS imported into the United
States annually. There is no reason why Cali
fornia should not produce them all. Why over
production III vine when there arc S00000,0Od
gallons OF wine made in France annually? And
yet they import more than they export; while
IN California we have only one year made To-
OO9.OJO gallons The people drink more gallons
OF whisky and beer in any one Of four States OF
the Union every year than all the wine we have
ever mace IA California. Who III California
ever head it said that there was an OVerprOduc-
TOn of whisky or beer? 1t is graVely asserted
that there is not city of 200GJ inhabitants in
the United States where there IS nOtu brewery
or dlstilery, even including the State of Iowa.
HOW, tnen, can we produce too much wine, if il
IS gOOdY But Wine, like wheat or fruit, must
seek market. It VIII not. sell itself. Let me
remind you there cannot be an oyerproduetion
OF the best OF an article. II we make the best
raisins, the best sine and the best brandy, aud
u we can the best fruits these viii always sell,
because for these things we have the world for
3 market; but the world must know what we
have to sell.
SAAE tF fABllJ LANDS.
One Of the most conspicuous evidences of our
prosperity arises from the largely increased de.
lnand for our public land. II is estimated by C.
H. street, Secretary of the immigration ASSocia-
non OF California, that there are about 10 600 600
acres Of Government land in this State: that of
this amount there are about 20G0U 600 acres
which are suitable for agricultural purposes. In
1888 there were 5,2Sl applications for public
lands made in California. covering over 100000
acres OF lard. In 1881 there were 1852 applca-
tons filed in the Land Office for public lands
covering an area OF 995 $40 acres OF land. This
shows the character of the immigration to Cali
ornia and that white labor is fast filling up the
space made vacant by the exclusion of Chinese,
however Imperfect that exclusion may be- And
what adds to the value OF this class Of immigra-
ton is that they are all small farmers
SMALL FARMS.
community of small farmers is a thrifty
community. These build up the State, give it
population, practice habits OF industry, rear
their sons and daughters to work teach econ
omy, build Scho0l-hOuses and churches and I'm
them. Small farmers beautiiy their homes and
plant fruit trees. ruch people live moderately
and within their means. Their food NAV IA,
coarse and their clothes plain but their sleep is
rs peaceful as their lives are harmless In times
of national peril they are the pillars of the
STATE they form the grand middle class of the
country, and voice the average and better iudg-
ment OF the people. If few of them become
great men they are at least the material from
which great men are made. Small farmers must
raise something which requires close personal
attention, and the raising OF which requires
their care. They have to work or starye they
occupy the boundary liue between poverty and
auiuence; they take newspapers and read them;
obey the laws OF God and of their country: love
the little homes they have created and the fam
i.y that adorus them.
THE PAST AID THE PRESENT.
No one not Il pioneer can imagine the great
changes which but haf lifetime has wrought
la California. He who crossed the plains in
1878 OF -, and came down the western slopc
Of the Sierra NevHtiaS, and looked for the frs,
.lnc on the great valley Of the Sacramento saw
before nm a picture. OF surprising beauty.
" neither We compare this magnificent scene To
ne more historic one Of the plains Of LoIubaYdy
rs seen from the broken ridges of the Aims or
haL Of the Valley of Mexico where from the
haus OF the NOuteZumas can be viewed upOn
he one hand the sn0w-cGpped peaks of the Cor
illleras, and on the other that great valley
clothed in the rich Ycrdure of a semi-tropical
chime, in either case our own viii lose nothing
by the comparison. Here, too, were great val.
eys, bigger than an empire aud as fertileag the
Valley of the Nile, divided by narrow rivers
= hose lllnpid waters had never been RULED by
ne tide OF commerce. Here We're the plains of
he Sacramento and the San Joaquin. whose
initcd length exceeded five hundred niles
WITH width OF from thirty to one hundred
miles, the soil uubrolen by the pillow, the forests
untouched by the AK. the streams flowing unob-
9tructed by dam or bridges. Throughout this
VIDE eXpause no towns or villa yes, no roads nor
pathways, 10 renee orditch, only herds OF wild
'itt-t sliitl +itiHGA lfdiLiHl II tHIuATQSC irPe-
dom, and few widely separa ed adobe build
ngS IN which bali hundred Mexican families
lived IN solitary and isolated Independence.
Away across these valleys the Coast Range OF
seemed TO la like Il wall between
Inc plains and the approaches OF the sea, form
ing corrugated line, Ike blue ribbon against
Inc western sky. Behind We're the dark forests
aud the snowy peaks OF the Sierra NeEadas and
4 / around, kprue on every breeze, the sott.
bamy alr.od0rOuS with balsam and perfumed
with the rich fragrance OF myriads Of foothill
iowers. Such was this delightful land before
we came here, and such was California when
the pioneer first found ii, thirty-6ve or forty
years ago. Look at it now million people
live within its borders; beautiful towns and
lll3ges have succeed our great valleys aud
given the stamp of progress to every part of the
state; wealth and luxury and abundance sur
round US; our gold first awakened the world
and gave new impetus to enterprise Our
wheat and fruits aud raiSins and wine have
made taiii0rai2a familiar word in every market
Of the world. With Il territory about equal to
France, and a climate Infinitely superior, and
productive capacity vastly greater. our abilities
10 surp5Ss the Old and new worlds Is left to u
and 10 those WhO are to come after US. We need
but 60 be true 20 ourselves 70 be faithful to our
country, and To he obedent 10 God and the flI-
.Ure OF California is safe.