294 Transactions op the 



late State Fair, and believing myself justly entitled to the gold medal 

 for the most meritorious exhibition in that department, I accept your 

 invitation to place before you in writing the grounds upon which I base 

 that belief. In this department were exhibited the following agricul- 

 tural products: 



First — The products of silk culture — cocoons, raw and reeled silks, 

 eggs, etc. 



Second — The various kinds of grains and their products, as wheat, 

 barley, oats, corn, etc. 



Third — The products of the dairy, as butter, cheese, etc. 



Fourth — All kinds of vegetables and roots. 



Fifth — Flowers and all floral displays. 

 ' Sixth — The products of the vineyard — wine, brandies, etc. 



I suppose that the first question to be decided is, as to which of these 

 several divisions or classes is entitled to the greatest merit, or in other 

 words, which is working the greatest benefit to the State by developing 

 her peculiar resources and material advantages. What are the peculiar 

 resources and natural material advantages of California, considered with 

 reference particularly to the production of the articles above enume- 

 rated? 



That California is a great grain raising State there is no longer any 

 question. Her plains, her swamp lands, and even her foothills, high up 

 among the mountains, have all been proven by experience to be among 

 the best grain producing sections of the world, when property and skill- 

 fully cultivated. But that same experience has also demonstrated the 

 fact that constant and exclusive cultivation of grain impoverishes the 

 soil and must eventually work a great injury to the State. Again, 

 nearly all the other States and Territories of the Union are well adapted 

 to grain raising,, and we cannot therefore look to them for a market for 

 our surplus products of grains, nor are we any way sure of a continuous 

 foreign market at remunerative prices. 



As to vegetables and flowers, while we can excell in the production 

 of these also, by their very nature we canuot to any extent become 

 exporters, and by their production cannot expect therefore to make 

 money as a State, or do more than to save it to the extent of the value 

 of the home consumption. 



The same may r be said of the productions of the dairy. With this 

 exception, however, that while we have a country well adapted to this 

 industry, we are still, to our shame, importers of its products to a very 

 great extent. This industry should be encouraged and fostered in every 

 way possible, but not with any view to make our State to any extent an 

 exporter of its products, for the same sources which now supply our 

 wants, over and above our own production, will undoubtedty continue to 

 supply themselves. 



As to silk and wine, our State has undoubtedly not only peculiar, but 

 as relates to any other State or Territory within the Union, almost 

 exclusive advantages. We have a climate and soil well adapted to the 

 prosecution of both of these valuable industries, and in their productions, 

 as before intimated, we have not only no rivals within the Union, but. 

 the people of all the other States are consumers, and will be glad to 

 become our best customers. Not only this, but we may reasonably 

 entertain the belief that the markets of the world cannot be over sup- 

 plied with either of these products, hence we may anticipate great 

 benefits from their successful cultivation here. 



Again, the production of silk and wine does not exhaust, but rather 



