Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-03-01
OUR CLIMATE AND LANDS.
Reasons for Unfavorable Expression
Given from Southern California.

Reasons for Unfayorable Expression
Given from Southern California.
DR.. Latham is receiving numerous let
tiers from all parts of northern and central
| California, in answer to circular sent out
by him concerning recent declarations in
certain newspapers from Southern Califor
mia. to the effect that this part of the State
| had experienced such cold weather the
present season as as 20 have killed all
| fruits, trees, etc. OF course, every one on
this coast knows that there is no truth in
! such foolish and malicious statements, but
| as they had been made and sent TO the
East, both in print and by letters, in the
| interests of the southern part of the State,
and purposefully against the standing al
| the East of the northern portion, which
had been brought into prominence and
! favorable consideration by our recent citrus
fair, it was thought wise by DR.. Latham,
! as Secretary of the Northern I'm
migration Association, to obtain from
prominent and well-known people, au-
| thoritative expressions as to the facts of the
! past winter; and of all other seasons since
American occupation. The responses which
| he has received have uniformly and point
! edly given entire refutation to every state
ment and insinuatiOn contained in the false
letters embrace nearly all the Superior
Judges of the northern counties, as well as
the members of the Legislature from the
northern districts, and most of the editors.
| One of the latest received is from Judge
| Geo. q. Blanchard, of Placerville, point
| 1,S00 feet above the sea level, in the foot
| hills. He states that on the day his letter
was written-February 25th--a wagon load
| of fine oranges had been brought into the
from c4iI
that place. These oranges had been upon
| the trees throughout the season, without
| being touched by frost, and without leaf
upon the trees being in the least affected by
any cold weather. The grove was twelve
years old, and had never been injured by
! frosts in all that time. He further says
that the most delicate deciduous fruits
trees and vines in that county. at even an
altitude of $500 feet, have had similar
exemption from injury.
A letter, also just resolved, from VIM. II.
Mills, Land Agent of the Central Pacific
Railroad upon the same subject, says:
= 1t Is, OF course, wholly untrue that any
cold snap has at any time in the history
| OF northern California destroyed fruit trees.
There is not an orchard in any of the val
leys of northern California that has ever
received serious injury from frost or from
any winter weather. About once in fifteen
years there is serious loss TO the grape
crop IN consequence of frosts in April in
some portions OF northern California. An
occasional frost has inflicted injury upon
the fruit crop; bat i'll France they expect to
lose two out of five crops of grapes from
frosts, and yet ind the business exceed
ingly profitable
" In the twenty-four years l have resided
III California, there has never been suf-
hcient frost in northern California to iniure
the new wood of fruit trees or to arrest the
growth OF the trees. | am extremely sorry
that spirit of opposition should have
grown up i'll the southern part of the State.
engendered no doubt by the disposition on
the part of spectators in lands TO prevent
the growth of any other portion of the
state, save that in which they are immedi-
ately interested. The northern part of the
State has not put forth the efforts TO in
duce immigration that has characterized
the southern portion, because The land in
northern California has been very profit
able to Its owners. Wherever you find
country Tor sale, you will find the reason
in the improbable character of the land to
the present owners. Southern California |
has made rapid growth, and | have sin |
cerely rejoiced in its prosperity, but that
growth has been due to the fact that the |
owners of the lands have been very willing
to part with them Northern California
has made slow growth i'll population be- |
cause the land has been very valuable to !
Its owners, because the cultivators of the |
SOIL have been prosperous, and there was |
no lndneement for them to make an effort |
to sell their property The apathy of the |
people of northern California toward i'm !
migration schemes. arises out of the fact |
that very little property is for sale 1t has |
sufficient annual rainfall to mature crops |
without reSoTting to irrigation. 1t has a |
climate in all respects equal to southern |
Cailforna for the growth of semi tropical |
fruits, and the owners of the lands have |
enjoyed an uninterrupted prosperity in the |
ownership OF their property, and have, |
therefore, felt no impulse to break up their |
holdings or to part with their possessions. /
In country where it is more profitable for |
the owners of land to sell than to hold, it |
Is easy TO form immigration societies to |
raise money by voluntary contribution for |
the purpose of advertising broadly and in |
the most attractive way the advantages of |
soil and climate, and other resources which |
make country attractive as a place of |
residence. In fact, something could be |
said OF almost every country which in writ |
ten description will make a strong appeal |
to the imagination, and where the desire on |
the part OF the owners of real estate is well |
nigh universal to sell, no difficulty is |
experienced in raising sums of |
money necessary to flood all the
countries from which population is over.
flowing, with pamphlets, circulars. maps and |
the other attractive accessories of immigra-
ton effort But in a region where the land
owners are contented, happy and prosper
Gus in the possession of their lands. thev
cannot be enlisted in any expensive effort
TO induce immigration. Each individual |
says to himself, and very Justly | do
not wish to sell my land, and am there
fore not interested in inducing immigra-
ton to my portion of the State: | have
encountered many persons who declare
that since the price of agricultural produets
is determined IN Liverpool, the density of |
population around them has only the effect |
to raise the taxable value of their property
without in any manner enhancing the |
value OF Its products. While this to me,
however, is a mistaken notion. il must
always be accepted as a high evidence of
value of agricultural land that its present
owners are satisfied with it; that there is
no general movement to create market |
for it, and that generally the real estate of |
the country is not for sale
During very extended and thorough
examination OF the LANDED interests in a
great Southwestern State during last wear | |
found the portions of that State least yalu-
able, least desirable in all respects to have
been the best advertised and to have re-
ceiyed the benefit of the greatest effort to
induce immigration. On the other hand. | |
found the portions where the lands were |
yielding the largest returns for the labor |
expended upon them to be almost unheard |
of and unknown outside of their own i'm |
mediate vicinity. found at the same time.
however, that money could be borrowed |
on real estate in these unknown localities |
at from to 10 per cent, while in the local |
tiles which had been subject to the greatest |
immigration effort the rate Of interest |
ranged from II to Is per cent per annum. |
The people of southern California, by in
ducing capital, have made a comparatively |
worthless country comparatively valuable. |
The people of northern California, by rea- |
son of that contentment which flows from |