Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-01

and insurance all being IN ner favor as
against every other in the world.
Although the trade of San Francisco,
which may be said to represent largely that
of the State, has suffered in some of its de-
partments through the construction of two
additional uancontinental railroads, the
one TO the north and the other to the south
of the more central route, it still continues
large, and has even increased in the aggre
gate since the completion of these lateral
lines, indicating that this trade is not likely
to be seriously crippled by these or other
interfering causes. The value of the mer-
chandise and treasure shipped from San
Francisco in 1888 amounted to sos 100000,
of which SIG, 900 600 were consigned to for
eign countries. OF these exports $50, 900 900
went by sea and $40, 900 by rail. The
imports from foreign countries amounted
meantime TO $40,000,000, the following
staples among other leading articles hay
ing been imported in the amounts here
mentioned: Sugar, 133, 914, 154 pounds
rice, 5S,315,750 pounds; tea, 20,960, 24S;
pounds, and coffee, II IA, III pounds The
receipts of lumber at this port amounted
for the year to 276, 712, Ago feet, valued at
100000; receipts of Federal revenue,
81, sos, 305.
THE CEREAL CROPS.
al TIC tlSSN litIc III tLlS
United States are successfully grown in
California, and in quantities in the order
here mentioned: wheat barley, oats corn,
rye, buckwheat There are millions OF acres
in the State well suited for the cultivation
of rice, but none of this grain has been
produced, as it can be imported much more
cheaply than it could be raised here. The
following figures represent about the aver
age annual crop of the above cereals pro-
duced in the State during the past five
years, the quantities being expressed in
bushels, with market value of each at
tached: Wheat, 45, 900, 600 value. $50 000,,
600; barley, 100000, value, 100000;
oats, 100000, value, 100000; corn,
100000, value, 100000; rye, 100000,
value, 100000; buckwheat, 5000, value,
5000. These grains commanding in San
Francisco within ten per cent, the prices
current in Atlantic seaports. No grain eX-
cept wheat, with occasionally little bar
ley, is exported from the State. The annual
shipments of wheat and flour from San
Francisco amount to about l, 100000 tons,
of the aggregate value of nearly $4,000, 600.
a million and q quarter barrels of flour are
made from the wheat crop every year, by
the 200 Touring mills in the State-120
driven by steam and so by Water-power
The yield of the cereal crops is from twenty
to thirty per cent. higher in California than
in countries east of the Mississippi river;
such thing as a general failure of these
crops having never occurred in the State
Wheat occasionally suffers from rust in the
coast counties it is, ALSO in districts fur
Their inland, sometimes bhghted by hot
north wind that blows while the berry is
in the milk. The crop is. moreover, fire.
quently shortened by drought this occur
ring most often in the great interior valleys
UnimpToyed agricultural land in Califor-
mia is cheap, there being much Of tolerable
good quality sill open to presumption and
homestead location. 1t can also frequently
be bought with some Improvements on at
moderate rates. The Central Pacific and
the Southern Pacific Railroad Companies
have much good land which they offer for
sale at prices ranging from 81 30 to 50 per
acre, selling on time if purchasers desire it.
While the above class of lands can be OBJ
tanned at such reasonable figures, highly
improved lands, eligibly situated as regards
markets, are rather dear-Yery large prices
being asked for property of this kind when
planted with choice fruit trees and vines.
THE WHEAT CROP.
The crop of this cereal reached in 1888,
43 100000 bushels, valued at 81, 100000.
This is somewhat below the usual product
of the State, the crop of 1850 having eX
ceeded 100000 bushels. The State Agri-
cultural Society, in their report issued about
the middle of April, while admitting that
il was then too soon to figure with much
certainty, estimated the wheat crop for 1884
at IS 900, 900 bushels 1t has since turned
out to be over 50,000000 The wheat fields
of California yielded at first an average of
twenty-five bushels per acre; but as plant
ing has been extended TO lighter soils, and
the soil everywhere, through continuous
cropping, has tended to deterioration. the
yield does not now average over fifteen
bushels to the acre-much above the yield
in the older States OF the Union. Our wheat
is apt to be heavy, the most of it weighing
sixty and some of it as much as sixty-four
pounds to the bushel. Occasionally, how
ever, the berry in some of the large interior
valley, is light, being shriveled by a hot
north wind that blows while it is in the
milk. The -four exports of 1888 were ,254,
$40 barrels, valued at S6,15S 416. OF late
wears we have been making more of our
wheat into flour than formerly, as by this
plan there is effected some saying in
frcights, California flour being noted for its
keeping properties on long sea voyages.
China was at one time our best flour Gus
toner, but for the past year or two our
millers have been shipping more of this
article to Great Britain, which becomes
now our largest consumer of both -four and
wheat The purchasers of our -four rank
in the order here mentioned the United
Kingdom, China, Central America, Aus
tralia, Hawaiian islands, and Panama.
BARLEY AND OATS.
About 100000 Bushels of barley were
raised here in 1888, valued at $1,000, coo,
this being the largest crop ever grown in
the State. Much of our barley is ground
for horse feed, more, however, goes to the
brewers. Our exports last year were 229, :
1853 centals, nearly all to England and the
Eastern States; little also to British
Columbia. Barley is tolerably sure crop
in California, the plant not being liable TO
suffer from rust, insect pests, or the blight
ing north winds, which sometimes prove
so injurious to the wheat while the berry
is filling. When this grain is stinted by
drought, or grows so rank that it is not
likely to fill, it is frequently cut for hay be-
fore being quite ripe.
Our average crop of oats apprOXimates
1900, 600 bushels, nearly all of which is
used for horse feed, little being ground
into meal Our exports of this grain are
small, though we receive a good deal every
year from Oregon-price in San Francisco
about one and half cents per pound.
The crop with us is a tolerably sure one
and the yield about twenty-five bushels per
acre.
INDIAN CORN.
Raised in 1888, 100000 bushels, the
leading corn counties being Los Angeles,
with 100000 bushels, and Sonoma, with
,l45. 600 bushels The climate of Califor-
MIA. by reason of cool nights that prevail in
the summer, is uniavorable to the growth
of this cereal. A good deal of corn raised
| here is of the kind suited for table use, OF
| for canning while green. We do not feed
much of this grain to swine, as is practiced
| in the East, most of it being ground into
meal. in which shape some of ii is made
into bread and some fed to neat cattle. OF
late. importations have been considerable
| little, as always, coming from Mexico, but
more from Nebraska.
RYE, BUCKwHEAT AND HAY.
Average annual product of rye, 100000
bushels, San Joaquin county, the largest
producer, being credited with third of the
whole The crop is all consumed at home
mostly for making bread.
Five thousand bushels Of buckwheat are
produced annually; 1.500 in Los Angeles
| county. As with rye, it is all ground into
-four and required for domestic consump-
| ton.
Compared with the number of domestic
animals kept in the State, but little hay is
made in California. Receipts last year al
/ O IL y, ..rNt