THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 19.1 



perhaps the most important, reason is the Eacl thai these states face the 

 Atlantic instead of the Pacific. A not inconsiderahle part of the 

 developmenl and prosperity of the North Atlantic states has been due 

 to the immigrants who have come in such vast numbers. The European 

 countries have had il spense of raising these people, and this country- 

 has bad their earning power. If it takes $1,000 to grow an immigrant 

 and 1 ,000,000 of them come to America in a year, as was the case before 

 the war. this is an annual present of $1,000,000,000 to the United States. 

 Mosl of it was presented to the eastern part of the United States. It 

 cost an immigranl $40 to come from Europe to New York. It cost him 

 more than $60 additional to gel to < ialifornia. Hence he came here only 

 in small numbers. 



What the future holds in store for California no one knows. I am 

 frequently asked how many farmers California can accommodate, and 

 I jusl as frequently answer, "1 do not know." But I can give you a 

 few facts, or near facts, which may help you to reach your own conclu- 

 sions. It is estimated that the possible tilled area of the North Atlantic 

 states is twice, and that of the three corn states three times that of 

 California. The possible tilled area of California is greater, however, 

 than the presenl tilled area of the North Atlantic states. It is estimated 

 that one-half of the 100,000. Odd acres in California is suited to some 

 agricultural purpose, and that it is possible to till oO.000.000 acres, 

 although only 5.000,000 acres are now actually being tilled. If the tilled 

 area was in the same proportion to the area which it is possible to till 

 as it is in the North Atlantic states, twice the area would be under 

 cultivation, or if the same relation existed between the possible and 

 actual tilled area as in the three corn slates, three times the present 

 area would be under cultivation. 



Since -b> acres of irrigated land in alfalfa and dairying or in fruit 

 supports a family in California quite as well as 200 acres in the North 

 Atlantic states, or Kin acres in the corn states, it seems not improbable 

 that California may support as dense a farming population as that of 

 tin 1 other states under consideration. 



It would he a brave person indeed who would attempt to determine 

 fully ami finally what, influence the war is going to have upon the 

 American farmer or the California farmer. I venture, however, to 

 make a couple of suggestions. Formerly a large amount of capital 

 required to finance American corporations came from Europe. As the 

 saying went, the United States was dependent upon London for money. 

 I understand that this was particularly true in California. The income 

 from these bonds and stocks was of course spent in Europe, mostly for 

 food, clothing, shelter, education and recreation. In the last two years 

 and three months staggering amounts, literally billions, of these bonds 

 and stocks have been sold back to Americans. Tf these Americans con- 

 tinue to hold the stocks aiel bonds, the income from them will in the 

 future be spent in America, largely for food, clothing, shelter, education 

 and recreation. In so far as the income from these bonds and stocks has 

 been and will be spent for readily exportable products such as flour, 

 meat, cotton and wool, it is probable that the place of residence will not 

 materially affect the American farmer, but in so far as these funds are 

 expended for food products of local origin, such as milk, eggs, vege- 

 tables, fresh fruits ami spring chickens, a new demand will be created. 



