Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-16
MONDAY, JUNE 16, 1890.
OUR PRODUCTS THAT GO EAST.

OUR PRODUCTS THAT GO EAST.
The products of California soils that
are shipped to the east are astonishing
in their volume and value. All readers
of newspapers know how great have been
the riches dug from California mines
yearly ever since the argonauts first came
here in 1S4S. These precious metals
have been the prime factors in the devel-
Opment of the resources of all the states
in the republic. 1t is also known that
California is one of the foremost of the
states in the production of cereals, and
that our annual wheat crop is one of
the elements in determining the price OF
breadstuffs in the markets of the world
California barley is sought after in train
loads by the brewers of Milwaukee, Chi
cago, St. Louis and Cincinnati. Thou
sands of tons of beans are sent out of the
state to the east annually, and our wool,
hides and other commodities form some
OF the chief sources of revenue for the
transcontinental railroads.
But there are other products of the
soil of California about which less is
understood, which constitute a very
large part of the commerce be-
tween this state and the east.
The volume of fruit shipments
from the state is colossal in its proper
tions. So is that of vegetables in various
3lst the Southern Pacific Company
carried out of the state 100000
pounds, that is $500 tons, or $50 car
loads, or over thirty trains of canned
goods. That is for less than half year,
and all these goods were California
fruits and vegetables. In the same five
months the same road carried away over
100000 pounds of dried fruit. 1t snot
the season for such shipments, which in
year amount perhaps to six times that
figure. Each pound of dried fruit rep
resents six pounds in a natural state.
The shipments of citrus fruits swell to
nearly 5000 carloads, or 80 900 tons.
Next year this product will be increased
one-third, and in five years it will be
three or four times as great as now. We
export more deciduous fruits than citrus.
In the month of May last the shipments OF
vegetables in natural state from Cali
fornia amounted to quite one million
pounds. The shipments will average
that much for each month in the year.
For May the movement of potatoes from
the state came to nearly half million
pounds. The total shipments by this
road of all sorts for May from Southern
California alone were over eight million
pounds, and for five months thirty
million pounds. Most of this movement
of goods were the products of the soil.
These facts are important to consider.
If the state exported fifty million BUSH
els of wheat the net proceeds to the
producers would not be more than
$25, ,000 The area of land to be cul-
tivated to reach this result would be at
least five million acres, seed and feed
subtracted from the crop. This
would be 10000 farms of 100 acres
each, and would represent a pop
ulation engaged in the business OF
10000 souls. One million boxes of or
anges would be worth to the producers
at least 81, 900. The average acreage
required for such crop would be at
the extreme 5000 acres, or 250 orchards
of twenty acres each. The population
SO represented would be 1880 on the
basis used in the wheat estimate above.
To reach product worth $25, 5,000,000 at
these rates calls for about 10000, 900
boxes of oranges or &c, 900 acres, in 5000
farms, and will engage population
of 1900 souls. The income to
each farmer cultivating 100 acres to
wheat is $500, out of which he must pay
the expenses OF living and of cultivation.
That is, he has very hard task before
him to make both ends meet. To do so
he must live frugally, and every member
of the family must work hard to get
plain food and coarse clothing, little
time for education, and neither time nor
means for amusement. The California
orchardist with twenty acres in oranges
has 1000 trees that will turn off two
boxes to the tree, or 1000 boxes, worth
$4,000. These are the lowest supposable
results where diligence and intelligence
direct affairs. This family lives in a
really fine house, we'll furnished, luxuri-
ously provided for, and they have leisure
for self improvement and plenty Of
means for all reasonable enjoyment.
The wheat farmer lives little better
than Hindustanee ryot, while the
California orchardist lives better than
the average prince, as things go now.
The same analogies may be carried out
with nearly as satisfactory results if
wines, brandies, nuts, deciduous fruits,
or any of several other lines of hus-
bandry as they are known in California,
be selected.
These figures will be found hard to
credit on the part of people ignorant Of
the facts. There are other facts still
more difficult of credence. Why, the
Chinese who rent lands here