The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1905-05-11

| California is one of the most re.
markable and fascinating states ON
| the map.
Ii California was set down Oh the
Atlantic Coast and cut to fl it would
hide from view Maine, New Hump
shire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Con
necticut, Rhode Island, New York,
New Jersey, Maryland and all of Vir-
gInla east of the mountains. Ii it
was dropped down on the Atlantic
Coast its northern line would fall
upon Maine, where it touches salt
water farthest North, while it's south
ern line would be cut off at Cape Hat
teras. Or if Mt Shasta, that great
snow-capped peak of California. over
looked New York City, then San Diego,
that wonderful city on he southern
boundary OF California, would be Il
near neighbor Of st. Augustine, Fla
Between the sea and the mountains
in California the valleys are kept in a
climate warmed by the sun, tempered
by the Pacific stream and cooled by
the snow caps of the Sierra Nevada
range. This makes climate twelve
months in the year (three hundred
and siXty-five days. well nigh ideal.
California is an empire in itself, has
a climate all its own and prOduc-
tiveness OF soil that equals the best
sections Of the United States, the
| four great valleys-Sacramento, San
Joaquin, Santa Clara and Citrus
Belt. These sections have only lust
been scratched and the productive
ness OF the soil is only just beginning
| to be known.
California is one of the greatest
fruit sections in the world, and no
other section of the United States can
possibly compete with California
oranges, lemons, raisins, asparagus,
iapricots, pears and the wines, for in
point of quality the products are
peerless, more luxuriant in produc-
ton and more delicious in flavor than
those raised Except in hot houses) in
any other section of the United States.
But there are many other products
Forexample, English walnuts. prunes,
olives and the white Smyrna fig, all
Of which hold the attention of com
MERGE us the coming great contribu-
tor to domestic and foreign markets.
When California is spoken of every
one considers the State as svnOny-
nous with delicious fruits and beau
tiful flowers But the wise ones who
look from the ''tree top" are begin
ming to appreciate the value of Cali
fornia as the great producer of the
common products, such as alfalfa,
five crops a year, two tons to the
acre, $15 the average price per ton.
These are the facts that appeal to the
husbandmen. Fancy farming is pro-
ductive OF great profit, but plain, ev-
ery-day, old-fashioned farming in Cal
ifornia brings good returns in dollars
and cents for every day labor and
the expenditure of a limited capital
Ten acres on California land will pro
duce in baled alfalfa 81 500 year
gross, at a cost of labor and interest
on the investment of not to exceed
$500, leaving net profit OF ISL 200
to the man who is willing to appre
ciate the needs and demands of that
section of the country.
There is in California an oppOrtun
ity for every man in every walk o
life, whether professional, commercial
mechanic, common laborer or farmer
and the great ranges which have
hitherto been controlled by large cap
ital interests are being divided nov
into forty and eighty acre tracts
upon which a man can pay as small
q sum as 800 down and easy terms
to suit for the balance. These are thu
things that will make men who arr
fighting the cold of winter and heal
of summer rejoice that there is plac,
for his family and his energies wher'
he can win a competence and gain {
foothold that will bring him not only
a livelihood, but a comfortable lif'
income.
One of the remarkable things abou
California to every person who live
in the East, is that in this State Their
is no desire on the part of either TIN
man or his family to return to hi
original home in the East.
Why?
Because the heat of summer an,
the severe cold of winter in the Eas
both retard the best efforts and sa1
the energies of the man and woma
alike, and competition is not appal
ent in California as it is in the East
which IN a l-oc a man moro ipHonopC