The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-03

crease considerably. Wilkes, in the nara
tive of his expedition, about 1910, gives
the average exports at 1900 bushels of
wheat, and Thomas o. Larkin estimates
the wheat exports of 1916 at 10 900 fanegas,
while flour is quoted at San Francisco in
March, 1847, at sic.
Then came the gold-fever period-ls47-
1852. Prices of breadstuffs rose rapidly
under the great demand, and by Deem
Der, 184s, wheat sold at 615 cents a pound
and -four at $26 per barrel. The popula-
ton ran up TO about lis, 900.
How could such an army be fed? Cali
tornia was utterly incapable of providing
for II, but Oregon came to the rescue and
poured her accumulated supplies into the
San francisco market. These were soon
exhausted, but Chile, with a plentiful
stock, found profitable market here and
shipped thousands OF tons to San Fran
cisco. Then. too, almost every vessel from
our Atlantic ports brought its quota of
flour, and for year or two even Australia
sent her small supplies to California. But
Chile was our mainstay for some years,
until we discovered the productiveness of
our own soil, and she must have sent US
between 1919 and 1854 the equivalent of
nearly 100000 barrels in -four and wheat.
This was time of mad speculation, from
1S49 10 1858. The prices fuctuated wildly
with the constantly varying supply, and
this market suffered ups and downs al
most without parallel. | have not been
able to get the prices current of 1S4o, but
have seen 1t stated that -four ranged from
$6 per barrel in June to $40 toward the
close of the year. In 1850 It varied from So
in April to so in November. The year 1852
repeated the freaks of 1s49, and flour that
went begging at 81 IS in May was pushed
up to $40 in November.
This was the last of such violent ex-
tremes. After the first flush of the gold
fever was over farming had been gradually
resumed, and the State produced in 1852
III, 763 bushels of wheat, by census report
The enormous prices of 1852 made grain
raising more attractive than mining.
Seed wheat sold in the fall of 1852 for u
cents pound, and the yield of 1853, in
spite OF bad rust, was estimated at 625, 000
bushels, while that of 1854 came up very
nearly to 1000, 1000 bushels-more than
enough to feed all our people. The State
had proved her ability to support herself
Wheat was sold that fall for 81 90 per CEN
tai. Little fiourmills sprang up all.over
the inhabited part OF the State, whose
daily capacity was estimated in the fall of
1854 at 32l5 barrels. Flour settled into a
tolerably steady range from 81 to $40 per
barrel. Chile drew out of the market.
Shipments from the Atlantic States
diminished steadily, and by 1859 ceased
entirely.
Exports began about 1851. and the Aus
about 100000 centals from July, 1852, to
June, 1862.
The ten years from 1850 to 1870 divide
themselves naturally into two equal
periods, at June, 1865. The first five wears
are marked by a remarkable irregularity in
rainfall, crops and prices; the last FIVE we
had steady rains, bountiful crops and
good export market. We entered the
decade with large surplus on hand after
two fine crops in 1859 and 1860. the best
ever harvested up to that date. The mar
ket was overloaded and prices sank to
81 25 per GENITAL, at which prices ships were
again laid on for Liverpool and our exports
to England that crop year (186U-61} ex-
ceeded 100000 centals of wheat and
100000 barrels of -four.
These low prices stimulated the export
business all along the line, and it seemed
as though California had fairly entered the
ranks of the worlds bread producers, but
the State had to pass through one more
remarkable experience before she settled
down to mature sobriety. In the winter of
l66l-62 came the heaviest rainfall ever
known; then followed two years in which,
taken together, nature gave US less than
hall the rainfall of that one year. There
was fine crop in 1852, and another in 1863,
but that of 1854 was failure from drought:
wheat rose rapidly in anticipating an
end to all export business-till it reached
50 20 per GENITAL in May, 1865 and flour sold
again at Sl5 harrel; again Chile and New
York sentus wheat and flour, and we were
changed from exporters to importers.
The total exports of the decade were
2,640, 74O barrels of flour and %, 10, oil GEN.
tails OF wheat, equivalent to 500, 262 tons
OF wheat. Ny estimates of the crop field
Tor the ten years foot up 81, 76S, 800 centals,
or 2, 736, AL tons of wheat.
The decade from 1901 to 1880 was,