The morning call., 1893-05-28
CALIFORNIA WHEAT.
The Subject Discussed by a Wells
Known Grain Man.

KNOWN Ordin Man.
From the days of our first agriculturIst. Cain,
man has continuously 'gone forth TO his labors
until the evening" and directed his best efforts
10 induce mother earth to return TO him the
best result possible for his labOrs.
II is not the purpOrt of this article TO branch
ou and discuss the various products tha the
ingenuity and labor OF man have been re-
warded with by his Intelligent and industrious
culture of the soil, but we shall conhne our
sc YES TO a few remarks OF one OF the most I'M
portaut and principal cereals DoIh OF ancient
aud present times; we might say the most i'm
portant, as II Is tbe one which 'giyath bread to
man." the father OF all our cereals-wheat.
Nature, in her wisdom, provides food for
man, adapted TO the zone or C innate In which
he dwels. In arctic and Antarctic regions bub-
Der, oil and grease foods supply the warmth de-
MED by nature. In the countries of the torrid
zone we find the cooling rice and luscious fruits,
Willie the principal food of the inhabitants OF
The temperate zone is the subj ct of our re-
marks-the golden grain, wheat and It's prod
ucts.
The cultivation Of the soil for wheat-sowing,
lis haI veSting, and the conveyance OF IL To cou-
Sumlng markets, near and distant, are most
important elements ia the success OF some OF
the principal countries of the habitat bic globe.
In some places agricultural implements are
most prlmi i've and the methods used in raising
wheat seem TO be centuries behind IN I'M
DrOVements and means used Ill the more ad-
vanced producing lands. The cost of labor in
some countries is remarkably low, in others
exactly the reverse. Perhaps II Is higher in
this, the country that OF all the wO Id produces
the most wheaI. than in any other land In
India and adjacent countries labor is eXcerd-
lngly cheap, from to cents per day, without
board, which, however, consisting only OF a
liitle rice, Is very inexpensive, as also is the
scant clothing of the laborer. W ith its nearly
3O0.OO0,00o of population, and consequent
cheap labor, assisted by favorable climate and
considerable river and canal conveyance, there
is little doubt that. with proper direction and
management and the Introduction OF improved
agricultural implements, India could raise
more wheat Of good quality and at lowest cost
than any other country In the world.
The greatest care in cultivation and the
largest yield per acre is probably found in Eng
land and France, where by means OF great labor
and excessive care the yield is frequently forty
10 even sixty bushels per acre
Russia. like India, has large wheat area,
favorable climate and cOnsidr rable water trans
portatiOn. as well as cheap labor. These things
combined make her the second largest wheat
producing nation in the world and for gluten
or strengh h her wheat Is eXceled by only few
and much smaller wheatgrowing countries.
IL is, however, in the United States of Amer
lea that wheat-growlng has been given most at
tention, and that il has been gone into on the
most thorough business principles. With a
large population OF high order of intelligence
and the finest agricultural I'm. lements TO be
| found anywhere, the United States have ad.
vanced to the proud position of being the lead
ing VIII t-producing country, and producing as
| hne quality Of grain as any country on the
| gubr.
Notwiths anding the fact that the aboring
man is better rewarded In the United States
| for his toll than in any other wheat country,
| 9nH 1hafs NJ hat
! favorable and others again not nearly so great
| ly favored, The introduction and improvement
of agricultural mpl .i9ents aud Especially of
harvesting machinery has been pushed to
| greater advancement than in any other of the
| principal Wheat-growing countries OF modern
| times. Many OF The States in the Union have
made enyable records in their wheat yields,
but none Of them lossess adv nIages and are
| perhaps 50 free from disadvantages as our own
| golden State 0f the l. ar West. California.
Our California wheat is celebrated all tho
world over. lis beautiful golden color, its
large yield OF very white flour, with sufficient
gluten 10 give the requisite nourIsnment to tie
| consumer, are all combined in the higher
grades of wheat produced in California.
Thirty TO forty years ago culture of wheat
was done in most primitive manner, and it
was only through the special faVors of prOvi-
dence that the result was al all consider able,
but we have not been Standing still, aud almost
every revolving year has seen some step taken
| in the path OF progress, and lie agricultural
| implements and especially the harry sting ma
| chlnery used by US Today are OF the highest
| order known anywhere. This is the direction
| into which our best attention and efforts should
be turned, as by it alone can we overcome Ihe
high cost OF manual labor prevailing on this
| coast. Our people realize that CaIoi MIA is by
nature blessed far above almost any other
country in the world as regards capabilities OF
| wheat-rasing. Not Only are our agricultural
implements good, but the intelligence and
ability of our farming population are unex-
celled In addition 10 this, nature has done
great deal for us, and much more than we are
| in the habit OF generally acknowledging Our
four to six months absence of rain at harvest.
time is one blessing we cannot be too thankful
| Tor, as not only does II give ample time for the
prosecution of our immense harvest but Il inn
parts to our wheat a hardness of its coating of
bran that enables our grain without damage TO
undergo shipment TO the most distant con-
suming markets OF Europe.
There is one particular kindness of provi.
dence TO us that We wish TO call special atten-
tion to. as we think il has been neglected
hitherto 10 our great Getriment. We refer 10
the fact that we are blessed With large and
noble rivers, from the extreme south and the
extreme north of the State. flowing into our ex-
ceIlent harbor, the bay Of San Francisco.
| What greater blessing could brnefcent proVi-
dence bestow upon the farmers of our State
than our Sacramento, San Joaquin. Feather
and other rivers, which, with proper attention,
could be made most economical and in every
way suiI able means of conveying our crops 10
/ tidewater. What poorer appreciation of this
great blessing could we possibly have shown
| than We have done up 10 this time by our utter
neglect of these noble streams.
Swallowed by debris, with navigation imper-
lied by snags, our rivers have been neglected.
aud the care and deepening prevented, by
very wrongful Influences they have not been
utilized 10 near the extent that nature Intended,
and this is the great fault lying at the door OF
our people, and especially our farmers, to-day.
Many cries of hard times and poor business
are heard in our land, yet We never raise in-
ger to help ourselves. These streams, with a
comparatively small outlay and rr1ng labor,
could be made the means of reducing the
freight of our farmers crops to tdewater by
fully 81 per ton, with greater reduction sup
plies carried to the farmers from this city TO
the interior.
This properly attended to, the reduction in
the expense Of transportation between the inte-
rlOr and tldewater would so reduce cost Of pro-
duction and enlarge our acreage that 1t would
only require few years to probably double
the largest production OF wheat ever known
in this State, as, with proper encouragement,