16 Transactions of the 



hundred and twent} r -two thousand three hundred and forty-three acres; 

 in the County of San Luis Obispo, to eleven ownerships, two hundred 

 and fifty-one thousand two hundred and sixty-six acres; in the County 

 of Santa Barbara, to thirteen ownerships, four hundred and ten 

 thousand nine hundred and seventy-three acres; in the County of San 

 Diego, to seven ownerships, two hundred and eight thousand seven 

 hundred and fifty acres; in Kern 'Count}', to nine ownerships, three 

 hundred and five thousand five hundred and forty-two acres; in Fresno 

 County, to seven ownerships, two hundred and eighty thousand six 

 hundred and eighteen acres; in Merced County, to seventeen ownerships, 

 five hundred and eleven thousand three hundred and six acres; and in 

 San Joaquin County, to thirteen ownerships, three million one hundred 

 and thirty-five thousand acres. 



Thus in eleven counties of this State, statistics collected by this 

 Board, not with a view of showing the large ownerships of land, but 

 for another object entirely, develop the astonishing fact that one hun- 

 dred proprietorships own and control five million four hundred and 

 sixty-five thousand two hundred and six acres of land, or an average of 

 fifty-four thousand six hundred and fifty-two acres each. This is three 

 million eight hundred and sixty-eight thousand five hundred and ninety- 

 four acres more land than the whole amount under cultivation in 

 eighteen hundred and seventy, when the agricultural product of the 

 State was valued at sixty million dollars. Divide these possessions of 

 these one hundred proprietorships into farms of one hundred and sixty 

 acres each, and they would make thirty-four thousand one hundred and 

 fifty-seven farms. Let these farms be occupied each by a family of five 

 persons, and there would be added to our rural population and producing 

 classes one hundred and seventy thousand seven hundred and eighty- 

 five jDersons. 



If each one of these farms was cultivated and made to produce at the 

 same rate per acre that our land under cultivation in eighteen hundred 

 and seventy did produce, the additional value to our annual agricultural 

 products would be one hundred and thirty-one million one hundred and 

 sixty-four thousand nine hundred and forty-four dollars, or very nearly 

 this sum, as they are now made to produce but very little to their 

 owners. This last sum would also be about the measure of the perma- 

 nent annual addition to the taxable property of the State. Again: this 

 land is now assessed, as stated by the Board of Equalization, at about 

 an average of two dollars per acre. If divided into farms as supposed, 

 it would at least add ten dollars an acre to its annual assessed value, 

 and thus would add fifty-four million six hundred and fifty-two thousand 

 and sixty dollars to the permanent wealth and taxable property of 

 the State. These lands have cost their owners on an average from one 

 dollar to one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, and are now, a very 

 large portion of them at least, for sale in lots to suit purchasers at an 

 advance figure, though at a very low or moderate price in comparison 

 to their real value — say from two dollars to eight dollars per acre, 

 according to quality and location. What we have stated in regard to 

 large ownerships of land in the counties named, is to a certain extent 

 true of all' the counties in the State. It is also true that the Central 

 Pacific Railroad Company own some three million acres of land in the 

 State, granted to them by the General Government in aid of the great 

 enterprises which they have undertaken and accomplished. The lands 

 of this company are also for sale in lots to .suit purchasers, and at about 

 the same rates per acre as those of the private parties to which we have 





