HISTORY OP CALIFORNIA. 



151 



" The climate and soil of California are well suited 

 to the growth of wheat, barley, rye, and oats. The 

 temperature along the coast is too cool for the success 

 ful culture of maize as a field crop. The fact that 

 oats, the species which is cultivated in the Atlantic 

 States, are annually self-sowed and produced on all 

 the plains and hills along the coast, and as far inland 

 as the sea-breeze has a marked influence on the climate, 

 is sufficient proof that all the cereal grains may be 

 successfully cultivated without the aid of irrigation. 



" It is quite true that this auxiliary was extensively 

 employed at the missions, and undoubtedly increased 

 the product of all crops to which it was applied, as it 

 will in any country on earth if skilfully used. This 

 does not prove, however, that it was essentially neces 

 sary to the production of an ample reward to the 

 husbandman. The experience of all the old inhabit 

 ants is sufficient evidence of this. If their imperfect 

 mode of culture secured satisfactory returns, it is 

 reasonable to presume that a more perfect system 

 would produce much greater results. There is abun 

 dant evidence to prove that, in the rich alluvial valleys, 

 wheat and barley have produced from forty to sixty 

 bushels from one bushel of seed, without irrigation. 



" Irish potatoes, turnips, onions, in fact all the edible 

 roots known and cultivated in the Atlantic States, are 

 produced in great perfection. In all the valleys east 

 of the coast range of hills, the climate is sufficiently 

 warm to mature crops of Indian corn, rice, and pro 

 bably tobacco. 



" The cultivation of the grape has attracted much 

 attention at the missions, among the residents of 

 towns, and the rural population, and been attended 

 with much success, wherever it has been attempted. 



