26 



In the foregoing, the acreage of arable land is estimated at about 

 39,000,000 acres. The great diversity of product favored by the climate 

 will eventually give employment to a much larger number of people 

 than could find employment upon a similar area in the temperate zones 

 of the United States. The State of Ohio, which has already been used 

 for the purpose of elucidation, which comparison always affords, de- 

 voted in the year 1888 3,577,000 acres to the production of cereals, includ- 

 ing all species of field culture, and the population of that State by 

 the estimates of 1885 was 3,725,000, or approximately three times the 

 population of California. A cursory comparison with other States of 

 the Union appears to confirm the claim quite fully that California has the 

 largest area of land under cultivation in proportion to its population of 

 any portion of the civilized world, and that the product of industry 

 per capita is also greater than that which rewards the industry of any 

 other people. Yet the most fertile and the most valuable portions of 

 the arable land of California are wholly unused, owing to the aridity of 

 the climate. This has reference in the main to San Joaquin valley. Of 

 the 6,845,000 acres of alluvial land in that valley, not to exceed 800,000 

 acres have been brought under cultivation. 



The irrigable area of the San Joaquin Valley from water now available 

 without storage is placed at 5,845,280 acres, exceeding the area of the 

 valley of the Po by over 1,725,000 acres. The physical features of the 

 San Joaquin Valley present simply a monotonous recurrence of level and 

 exceedingly fertile lands. To say that this vast area of fertile land, lying 

 under a climate favoring the greatest possible diversity of product, is 

 in the infancy of its development, would not be so nearly an accurate 

 presentation of fact as to say that the region is wholly undeveloped. 



Generalizing these facts, we have a population of 1,200,000 inhabitants, 

 occupying a territorial area of 157,000 square miles, in which is embraced 

 33,444,000 acres of arable laud. Upon a less area, in the empire of Japan, 

 35,000,000 people find subsistence, and are living in a state of plenty, 

 which admits of the development of all the higher attributes of civiliza- 

 tion. In the valley of the Po, in area 380,000 acres less than the arable 

 extent of the Sacramento Valley, seven millions of people find profitable 

 employment for their industries. With these boundless resources before 

 us, we may extend a welcome to our fellow countrymen from the more 

 densely settled portions of our country, with every assurance that here a 

 great empire of wealth and population awaits only the creative influence 

 of intelligence and enterprise. 



THE VAUJE OF IvAND. 



It has been contended with more or less plausibility that the high price 

 at which the lands are held in California is arresting its growth and 

 development. After an exhaustive inquiry into the subject, I am 

 disposed to think that this chaige must be plainly met, and that the real 

 facts must be presented to the world. 



