Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-16
CALIFORNIA LANDS.
EARNING CAPACITY COMPARED WITH
EASTERN ACREAGE.
What the State Board of Trade Hopes to
Accomplish by the california on
Wheels" Exhibit,
Isan Francisco Alta. November 18th.

Yesterday.
"There is nothing new in the general
plan of the exhibition, said Mr.. Mills.
while there are many new articles exhib-
tied. the exhibition is more complete than
that of last year. The utmost pains have
been taken in the present cage to present
fully the entire list of California products.
For illustration, we take fiber, and exhibit
hemp, fax, jute, ramie, cotton. etc. We
have been particular to collect every useful
fiber that is grown in California, by which
we show to the people of the East that we
can produce in California the entire range
of fbers used in the manufacture of textile
fabrics; thus wool and wooden fabrics etc.
The same is true of the orchards and vine
yards. We present this time the grape
aud its product, that is TO say. grapes pre-
served in pickle, the raisin and the wine
varieties. We present raisins, dried grapes
wine wine jelly, snd in short the entire
r0und Of grape proGuctS. The Eastern WIS.,
itor who visits the car may be a fruit
grower, one who is familiar with the cult
walton of apples. He has al apple orchard;
he knows something about it; he has some
has apples, and the State would be discred-
tied in his estimation unless we exhibited
to him the intelligence of our fruit-grow-
ers; we know that he is up with the times.
that he is growing the most approved and
economic varieties. We therefore send
with the car sixteen varieties of apples.
One might naturally suppose that if we
sent one or two fine varieties of apples
that would be all that Was required,
but you cannot put an exhibition
before the world and divorce it
from the assumption that you are
exhibiting everything that you produce.
The omissions from the exhibition are
charged against you as an evidence of lack
of capacity All exhibitions heretofore
collected have lacked symmetry. We are
now attempting to exhibit the wide range
of climatic possibility. The two exhibit
ton cars we will sendNwill exhibit e Gil
matte capacity equal to the entire face of
Europe. We will present objects OF cult
Ystion comprising all objects of cultiva-
ton in Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Ger
many, Sweden and Norway. Thus we
will vlndicate the claim, which is Justly
made for California, that its climatic posi-
bilities are equal to the combined resources
Of the United States or of Europe. In fact,
including citrus products, we express the
capabilities of climate, beginning away
down toward the equator and extending
up as far north as field culture has proven
profitable"
"Do you think any real good is accom-
plished by these exhibitions?" asked the
reporter.
"Oh, yes, a vast amount of good is &C.
complished. These exhibitions are doing
a work that must be done for this State.
They are iustifying to the comprehension
of the people of the East the superior
economic advantage of a great diversity of
agriculture and horticulture. When we
exhibit all the cereals, all the forage grasses
and all the hay grasses of the temperate
zone, with many that cannot be produced
in that zone, we place ourselves as farm
ing country on an equality with the great
belt of Northern States. When we exhibit
the products of more temperate ATTITUDES
we combine the capabilities and possible
tiles of that belt of country embracing Ten
nessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.
When we exhibit citrus fruits, cotton and
sugar, we prove our capacity for the pro-
duction of the products of Cuba, Louisiana,
Alabama, etc"
But are not all these things thoroughly
well known to the people at the East al
ready?" was the reporters inquiry.
by no means. 1t is assumed by great
many that California is the best advertised
country In the world. The contrary ofthis
is true. The tourists who have visited
California in great numbers carry away
with them many erroneous impressions.
What does a tourist see when be comes
here anyhow? Suppose he comes by way
of Ogden. He goes over the Sierra Ne
vadas in the night; he reaches San Francisco
early in the morning; he takes quarters at
the Palace Hotel; he visits the Park and Cliff
House, and looks at the seals; he perhaps
goes to Hotel Del Monte on Saturday, and
remains over Monday; on Monday he starts
for Los Angeles or Portland, and returns
East either by the southern or northern
route. The next you hear of him he has
accepted invitations TO lecture on the sub
ject of California. His preparations for
the lecture field is quite complete, especially
if he has taken in the Yosemite on his way
to Los Angeles. He now knows all about
the industrial, social and economic aspects
of California. He has made inquiries of
the train-boy and car-pOrter. He has met
few citizens of the State and few &C.
quaintances. Among his inquiries has
been, What is the price of land? He is in
formed that good land in California may be
purchased for from $40 to $3.50 an acre. The
next answer he receives from the same in
quiry is that no good land can be had in
California for less than $3.50 an acre. If he
has met citizen from some of The Well-de-
veloped fruit districts he is informed that
good land viii bring 81 900 an acre. If he
has inquired of real estate agent he is in
formed that there is Just as good land left
in California as that under cultivation,
which may be had for $40 an acre, and the
accommodating agent is agent for the sale
of the property. Immediately after he has
met citizen who is not interested in the
sale of the land, and he has cautioned him
against taking stock in such statements. If
he has been dlligent enough to make inquiry
of the owner of a piece of land that is
really frst-clsss land, first-class with refer
ence to intrinsic fertility, and lying under
favorable conditions near growing COM
munity or thriving town, as, for example,
Woodland, Sacramento, San Jose or Fresno,
he ascertains that frst-class agricultural
land is held from $3.50 to $3.50 an acre
Among the auditors he will draw in the
Eastern States on the subject, we will as
sumo that there is one who owns 1000
acres in Michigan, Illinois or Ohio. This
auditor has FIVE sons. He has always con-
templated division of his property into
five parts of 200 acres each. The price at
home is $50 an acre-that is, he can sell his
l 600 for $4,000 A little mental calcula
ton will convince him that this $50, 000 is
convertible into 200 acres of really first
class land in California, according to the
information conveyed By the lecturer, aud
that the distribution of this 200 acres
among his FIVE sons will give them 40 acres
each. The passion for land-owning is very
peculiar. There is traditional sense of
dignity in lan1lordism. There are many
men who purchase worthless acres that an
aggregate of acres may be attached to their
names. For agricultural purposes, the
unit of value should be unit Of fertility.
When real estate is used as space on the
surface of the earth merely for commercial
purposes, there the unit of value should be
determined by some unit of area. The
hard headed farmer knows this, and If he
! owns his land, he soon acquires the greed
for land ownership, and he, too, sooner or
later, will purchase acres for the grandeur