CALIFOKNIA. 



87 



tn numerous instances to export articles which 

 ten years ago she imported very largely. Of 

 wheat she harvested in 1867 about 15,000,000 

 of bushels, and in 1868 over 18,000,000. Of 

 the crops of 1867, nearly 8,000,000 of bushels 

 were exported, including 520,000 barrels of 

 flour. The wheat of California ranks very high 

 for its nutritive properties, having much more 

 gluten than that of the Eastern States. The 

 principal market for it is England and France. 

 Of oats, from two to two and a half millions of 

 bushels are raised, and almost wholly consumed 

 in the State, besides large quantities of wild 

 oats. Of larley, 10,000,000 of bushels were 

 grown in 1867, and a considerably larger 

 amount in 1868. It has hitherto been used 

 mostly for feeding horses, cattle, and swine, but 

 there is growing up a demand for it for the 

 manufacture of ale and porter. 



Indian corn is not a successful crop in Cali- 

 fornia, on account of the long dry season. 

 Buckwheat and rye are but little cultivated. 

 The grass crops of the State are peculiar. 

 There is little or no sod in California, and for 

 hay or pasture the grass-seed must be sown or 

 must sow itself anew every season. Of the 

 natural grasses, the principal are "bunch-grass, 

 growing on the most barren hill-sides and af- 

 fording a nutritious food to cattle ; alfalfa, a 

 species of clover, whose roots reach moisture at 

 almost incredible depths when cultivated it 

 makes excellent hay ; lurr-clover, which yields 

 a rich oily seed enclosed in a prickly capsule, 

 but much sought after by cattle when ripe ; 

 alfilerilla, a grass resembling the wild gerani^ 

 urn, but very rich and attractive to cattle, and 

 enduring drought well. The lupin, alfalfa, and 

 alfilerilla are cultivated to some extent, and 

 these, with green oats and barley, make the 

 greater part of the hay of California. The 

 wild oats also furnish considerable hay. The 

 grasses usually cultivated in the Atlantic States 

 do not succeed well here. 



Cotton will only be cultivated successfully 

 when irrigation is systematically practised. 

 Flax succeeds better and is already becoming 

 a crop of some importance. The cultivation of 

 the sugar beet for sugar has also been begun on 

 a large scale, and is likely to prove more success- 

 ful than anywhere else, as the beets grow to 

 an enormous size, contain 40 per cent, more 

 saccharine matter than those of France, and 

 can be kept in the ground till wanted for man- 

 ufacture. The hop is produced in rare per- 

 fection in California, and is becoming an article 

 of large production, especially for home con- 

 sumption. Tobacco of excellent quality is also 

 grown in the State. Chicory, mustard-seed 

 (cultivated for its oil), and the amole or soap- 

 plant, a fine fibrous plant much used for up- 

 holstery purposes, are among the other crops 

 almost peculiar to the State. 



FKUITS, both of the temperate and semi- 

 tropical climates abound, and are of excellent 

 quality when properly cultivated. Apples, 

 pears, peaches, plums, cherries, and quinces, 



oranges, lemons, bananas, limes, citrons, pome- 

 granates, olives, almonds, Madeira-nuts, straw- 

 berries (which are plentiful for five months in 

 the year), raspberries, blackberries, and cur- 

 rants, are all abundant, and of excellent qual- 

 ity. The root crops and garden vegetables of 

 California are of great size, but are also re- 

 markably tender and succulent, and in every 

 respect of excellent quality; potatoes, beets, 

 carrots, turnips, parsnips, onions, cabbages, 

 celery, cauliflowers, pumpkins, and squashes, 

 are uniformly of large size, and perfect in flavor 

 and taste. The canning, drying, and preserv- 

 ing of fruits and vegetables have grown into an 

 immense business. The dairy products of the 

 State are rapidly taking the place of the im- 

 ported butter and cheese, which they greatly 

 excel. There are over 1,200 dairies in the State, 

 having from 50 to 150 cows each. In 1867 

 6,000,000 Ibs. of butter were made, and the 

 prospect was that, in 1868, 9,000,000 Ibs. 

 would be produced, a quantity which would 

 permit considerable exportation to Panama, 

 the "West Indies, China, and Japan, in all of 

 which countries it is in demand. Cheese is 

 B!SO made in large quantities, though as yet not 

 quite sufficient to supply the home demand. 

 There are about 600,000 head of cattle and 

 200,000 horses in the State. Neither cattle 

 nor horses are sheltered in any part of the year, 

 and the cattle are not fed, but win their own 

 living. The climate and pasturage are excellent 

 for sheep, and no kind of live stock pays so 

 well, even in the present depressed condition 

 of the wool-market. 3,000,000 sheep were 

 raised for shearing in 1868 ; and the wool-clip, 

 which, in 1867, was about 9,000,000 Ibs'., ex- 

 ceeded 12,000,000 in 1868. Swine are numer- 

 ous, and easily reared. Honey is also abun- 

 dant, and of excellent quality. But, of all 

 agricultural or horticultural products, the cul- 

 ture of the grape and the rearing of silk-worms 

 are those which yield the largest profits. There 

 are now in the State more than 30,000,000 of 

 bearing vines, of which probably about one 

 half are of the Mission or native grape, and 

 the remainder of a great variety of kinds, 

 European and American. The average num- 

 ber of vines to the acre is about 900, from 

 which 800 gallons of wine and 20 gallons of 

 brandy are made. In France, 300 gallons of 

 wine and 4 to 5 gallons of brandy to the acre 

 are a full average of the product. The predom- 

 inance of saccharine matter in the California 

 must makes the wines somewhat stronger and 

 richer than those of Europe. 100 Ibs. of Cali- 

 fornia must contains from 25 to 40 Ibs. of grape 

 sugar ; the same quantity of European must 

 would yield only from 15 to 20 Ibs. "In Cali- 

 fornia," says Cronise,* "no doctoring is done, 

 no flavoring, no coloring, no sweetening; but 

 some brandy is added from the same grape to 

 some of the sweet wines. Nothing can be pro- 

 cured for adulteration that will not cost more 



* " Natural Wealth of California," by Titus Fey Cronise. 

 H. H. Bancroft & Co. 1868. 



