20 



CALIFORNIA. 



In the Bi-montlily Keport for March and April a brief statement was made 

 relative to the drought which had prevailed in California during the last winter, 

 and its effects on the agricultui'e of that State. It prevented the ploughing of the 

 soil, and, consequently, the sowing of the crops. It prevented the growth of pas- 

 tures, and the farm stock was without food, and in many places without Avater. 

 When that report was published, rains had commenced to fall, but they were 

 too late for sowing the crops, and too insuflficient for much good. The result 

 was such a decreased production as is seriously felt in all branches of business. 

 Speaking of this depression, the Mercantile Gazette of San Francisco, of August 

 12, says : 



" There has been less produced. The producers of course have less to sell, less 

 to pay their debts with, and less to spend. To avail themselves as much as 

 possible of the calamities of the season, or rather, M'e should say, to make the 

 most of the results of their labor, many are holding back their produce from 

 market in the expectation of further enhancement of prices. The stock-raise'rs, 

 a very important class of our rural population, have suffered immensely from 

 the drought — in some portions of the country losing three-fourths of their herds, 

 and the remainder totally unfit for market." 



The grain crops would not be more than one-half the ordinary yield. Prices 

 had advanced to $3 25 to $3 50 per hundred pounds, in gold value, for wheat 

 and corn. Heretofore a large export trade in breadstuffs existed from Califor- 

 nia to Great Britain, China and Australia. The consequences of the drought to 

 this trade are thus referred to in the same paper of August 2 ; 



" We remark a decided falling off in our exports, which, for the most part, is 

 owing to the high prices ruling for breadstuffs, occasioned by the partial failure 

 of our wheat and barley crops the present season. For several years past we 

 have exported largely of wheat and flour to England. That trade has now 

 ceased entirely. We also sent her ores and tallow, &c. Not a ship has been 

 despatched from this port to Great Britain for months. A year ago our export 

 trade with China consisted chiefly of shipments of flour and wheat. That traffic 

 has also ceased. A few cargoes of breadstuffs and feed grains have been sent 

 abroad to Australia and New Zealand, the past three months, in exchange for 

 coal, but these have been greatly restricted, owing to the high prices ruling." 



Instead of exporting breadstuffs, California has become an importer of them. 

 " Wc have received this week," says the same paper, of September 5, " 1,000 

 barrels corn meal from New York, and from Oregon about 2,000.quarter sacks of 

 flour, 2,000 bushels of wheat, and 2,000 bushels of oats, &c." Of the receipts 

 of San Francisco from the interior parts of California, it remarks : •' Our 

 receipts of flour and grain of the present harvest year have been thus far only 

 about one-half of those of last year. The same remark is true of vegetables, 

 fruits, &c.; and yet the net proceeds have been fully equal to those of previous 

 seasons y 



If this Department could have had a full agricultural correspondence in all 

 the counties of the State, and a more limited one on meteorological matters, 

 they would have furnished a most interesting and useful record of this remark- 

 able and destructive drought. But as it is so limited, a very partial account only of 

 them can be now given. And so far as we can speak of it here, we are indebted 

 to Joseph S. Wallis, of Mayfield, Santa Clara county, one of the best cor- 

 respondents the department has. He thus writes, August 9 : 



" I have taken great pleasure in perusing your reports, and find much in 

 them to entertain and instruct, and hope they may have a large circulation 

 among the formers of this State. It will be a pleasure to me to correspond 

 with your Department, and to render any assistance to you that will enable the 



