The morning call., 1893-05-28
H%HE WHEAT MAN.
Let me ask our farmers-and in a,

II Let me ask our farmerS-and In ad-
Ia dressing them l SPEAK also to In
tending settiers-in the light OF the
past decade, whether the conditions of soil
and climate here point to wheat as our chief
agricultural product of the future? The aver
age gross yield per aete for the STATE in
1891, one Of our best years, was less than 13
bushels, Of the value OF S12 81. Tile average
value of our best wheat land, near lines of
TRANSFORMATION, Is $50 per acre When we &c.
duet from the gross product the cost Of pro-
duction, OF marketing taxes on lie land, wear
OF implements, ana We remember that our
system of summel-talloWng gives one crop IN
TWO years. we have left not over SO 90 per
acre Yer annum. Let me- co1Oborate this Tie
owners OF the Walsh Grant, on The Sacramento
River, have a 2O,000acIe rancG of No. / river
bottom wheat land. Water transportation is
afforded, aud every condition exists favorable
Ior wheat-growin9. For nearly twenly years
II has been rented for S35, 900 cash rental per
annum, and recently The uwners have renewed
the lease rather than farm it themselves. This
Is less than 81 per acre.
One or The best farmers In the Slate who
farms To wheat III Tehana County about 10 900
acres Of ilrstclass wheat land, assures me that
under present conditions bis iarm does not pay
per cent upon the assessed value of the land
What are the diScouragiug conditions existing
at this time? Our home market Is small and
The price Eere is the price at Liverpool, less all
charges OF carriage, insurance, interest and
commissions. We carry our wheat To market
further than any competitor on me globe ex-
cept o. egOu aud part Of Washington. We pay
about Sc Ter ton more TO deliver ous wheat IN
Liverpool than do the farmers OF the great
Northwest. When we got 81 80 and 50 per
Genital aud our lands were fresh we made moi.ey
growing wheat and made 1t rapidly. Lands that
produced forty and fifty baslIe. thirty years ago
yield less than twenty now. Prices have gone
down TO near 81 pei Genital and The yield per
acre has fallen greatly.
The agricultural product that must look TO
war or lamiue drought IN 10. egn lands 10 be
made prt tfitabIe Is III very pIecarious situa-
tlon. He fdilner WHO has keith ace with The
expansion OF WHEAT areas In his ana other
counties has well-grouuded fears for his crop.
Jhe fexiblity Of farming operations i, little
understood Iowa had 100000 acres in
wheat IN 1875 and dropped down 10 l. SOC. 900
acres III 1891. Illinois had $500 900 acres in
1880 ana only 100000 acres in 1891. On
Ihe olEer hand Kansas ran I'D her acre are
from 600, 900 acres in 1889 to 35OOuoo
acres IN 1891, and the DaKotas have steadily
increased from 100000 acres in 1888. TO
4,SOU,OUO acres III 1891. j. X. Dodge Statis.
tlc!an OF The Agricultural Department. ,ys
ihal While our population is between three and
iour times as great as III 1910. lie wheat CT op
4H3 buShelS Tor each unit uf population then
anu . 10 bushels low. he says that " estern
New hnfk produces as much wheat as ever
dhu ienfoid more Iruit and vegetables and so
90 ONO and Michigan. He points out how by
proper ilildge We can greatly increase our oul-
Iut: That lie tendency Is TO unde estimate tho
reserves OF lie globe, and lie shows HOW prices
are equaZ@d and relatively low rates main.
talncd throughout the world. Europe with four
times our population produces neariy enough
subsistence for lis use. An Eastern Europ,.
has surplus and 1tay's exports equal her I'M
potts. france with reputation niae times as
dense as ours requires only about per cent of
her consLnlptlon. Even Great Britain feeds
halt her nupuia Ion from her own SOIL
MIR. Dodge proves that wheai-growing in
Europe Is not declining, nor is the wheat oufnut
ot the world decreasing Among Tie last Off
cial uiierance> of Secretary Ru,s was "A warn
ing To our a;In rs upon Inc subject of wheat
growing. ] lie States of the Union that must
grow wheat, or an equivalent cereal, are not
necessarily III bad Straits. Tie gieal WEST
VIII ever be great But is California ihas limit
ed? II 20 what farmer OF the y est would
come here expecting to tetter his contl-
lion? Why should lie uproot his family
dnd break away frcm endtaing associai ions
and come across the ointment among strangers
aud take up Il system OF agriculture with when
lie is unfamiliar?
TTaeuon-ensines pulling dozen plows. with