Year: 1873

ducts require large space, have welgh'
disproportionate to their value, and hence
are costly to transport. But by these
improved industries they are condensed
in bulk and weight and increased in value
Corn or wheat changed into hogs or cattle
is found far more profitable than in its
original shape, and can be transported al
rates more likely to leave profit for all
concerned. But the


CHANGE IN OUR INDUSTRIES


should not stop here. The Agriculture
of New England is progressing rapidly,
because its other industries are great and
varied. The two important sources Of
productive wealth, manufacture and ag'
riculture, go there, hand in hand, with
varied labor and reciprocal benefit. The
farmer finds home market for his pro
ducts, the manufacturer furnishes cheaplJ
articles of necessity or luxury to the
farmer, and gives employment to the
stalwart children of the latter which are
not needed on the homestead. The trans
portation question has less meaning to the
farmer, under such circumstances, for the
exchange is at his very door. 1t is rather
question for the manufacturer, who
seeks market for his productions in the
other States. On the contrary, in Cali
fornia, where the principal gain of the
agriculturist is dependent on the price he
can get for his wheat where. for lack OF
diversified industry, the home market is
very limited where, for much that is
raised, there is not and cannot be created
an adequate demand, it is worth while
seriously, to consider if the evil does moi
lie deeper than is sometimes assumed.


If the very lowest cost of transportation
is too onerous tax for wheat production,
in view of competition, one remedy is to
avoid the transportation by


CREATING MANUFACTURERS cENTERs
in our own State. Says Carey: " 1t is
not until manufactures have been devel-
oped, and a market is thus made in the
neighborhood of the farm, that any real
agriculture makes its appearance" Bow
en- declares that If agriculture alone i:
pursued, all the mechanical skill of the
people is wasted-all their fitness for com.
merce, all their enterprise, is wasted. u
And says Hyatt Any farming com.
munity having in their midst strong
manufacturing center, will always be ia.
vored with a good and sufficient home
market for all that may be produced
Manufactures build up strong CONNER
cial and provision consuming centers
which are, in fact, the only support tc
agriculture" Such center the wheat
growers Of the world seek, at distance
in the Liverpool market.


The employment of capital to reach
these ends is not ordinarily within the
reach of farmers, but | speak not only
to farmers but to the people of the State.
Fortunate would we be if those having
capital would associate to build up
these new industries.


But farmers cannot afford to exhaust
their soil for the sake of a small and
brief profit. Our State is well fitted to
produce wine, silk, fresh and dried fruits,
nuts, olive oil and other articles of the
semi-tropica class, which command a
higher price per pound than wheat, with
q greater yield and little more expense
to the acre. Our soil and climate give
us monopoly Of these articles on the
North American continent, We must
learn to avail ourselves of this natural
advantage. During this year we arc
importing largely live hogs, ham and
bacon. We still import quantities OF
butter and cheese with vast dairy capa-
cities canned corn and peas and long
list of similar articles. Many of our
wheat farmers do not raise their own
potatoes and fruit. They are strangers,
except by purchase, to milk and butter,
eggs and meat. Can there be better
occasion to rebuke such improvidence ?
There are unquestionably pleasant homes
on many Of our farms and ranches, but
many of them seem mere camping places,
mere temporary shelters. The traditional
homestead is not often enough realized,
embellished with flowers and fruit trees,
where at


6 parting day


The herd winds slowly DER the lea !"


but all is rude, untasteful and temporary.
So far as this is incident to a new couln-
try it may be excused. But California
is now in its majority, and it is full time
for an improvement which brings not
merely grace, beauty and comfort, but
also profit. The more the farmer does
to supply his own wants, the less outlay
of money to purchase necessaries, and
the less need for payment for expensive
transportation.


CALIFORNIA COTTON.


One article of agricultural production
shows what this State is doing, what it
can and should do. During this year
three hundred thousand pounds of cotton
has been raised in California. The art-
Gle is nearly as good as sea island cotton,
is very strong, and just what is needed to
mix with wool for the fabrics produced at
our woolen mills. One mill alone uses
four hundred thousand pounds per annum
and all the mills together use three times
as much as is raised in the State. These
are suggestive facts in the line Of action
which / have indicated.


1t has been urged as reason why
20 -. n i Al A
that we have but half a million of people,
while such industries in the East have a
market of nearly forty millions. In an
swer it may be said that our wooden mau-
facturers compete successfully with those
of other States in the East, and that for
ty per cent. of their goods find market
beyond this State


If a fair proportion of the fifty millions
of dollars in the savings banks of this
State could be invested in the industries
that build up other communities, the
State would be vastly the gamer. Per-
haps it is too much to expect while the
banks pay twelve per cent. dividend from
loans on real estate. But it is to be an
ticipated that such system will retail
embarassments while it continues, and
we import one half of all the necessaries
we consume. have stated the general
proposition that the relation between pro-
ducers and the


AGENTS OF TRANSPORTATION


should be so adjusted as to equitably di-
vide between each the profits derived
from sales to consumers of the products ;
but have tried to show that where either
from distance from market, or by too
great competition, the product brings no
profit on sales, the rule would leave the
transporter without compensation. If
the wheat growers of Alameda, handy TO
the ships, can by shipping his grain to
one four hundred miles more remote can
only send his to that market at a loss.
unless he gets his transportation for moth
iInr xuhinh ic q kc,.rI n..al.