AGRICULTURE. 237 



ness yielded so large a profit that a dozen men devoted them- 

 selves to it exclusively, and some of them, who commenced 

 five years ago with only three or four hives, now have com- 

 fortable fortunes. The hives have increased so rapidly, how- 

 ever, that they have fallen greatly in value, and are now worth 

 from ten to thirty dollars each ; and honey, which is worth one 

 dollar per pound, will come into the market. The honey made 

 in the mountains is very similar in qualitv to that of the East- 



» J. V 



ern states ; that made in the valleys is not so good. Many 

 Bwarms have gone off and found homes for themselves in the 

 woods, so it is not rare to find "bee-trees." Most of the bees 

 in the Sacramento basin during 1861, were destroyed by the 

 flood of 1862. 



§ 174. Sllkiconns. — A few silkworms have been hatched m 

 California, and have been found to thrive extremely well, but 

 the high price of labor has prevented any extensive experi- 

 ment in the production of silk. Oar climate is very favorable 

 to them in three respects, equability of temperature, exemption 

 from electrical convulsions, and dryness in summer. The silk- 

 worms should be kept at a temperature of about 75° Fahren- 

 heit, and this is very near the summer temperature of some of 

 the valleys near the coast. Extreme heat and extreme cold 

 are both very prejudicial to them. A considerable pi'oportion of 

 them will die if the thermometer falls to 45° or rises to 100° ; 

 thunderstorms kill a large portion of the worms every year 

 in France, Italy, and China ; in California such storms are un- 

 known. In all the countries where silk is now produced ex- 

 tensively, there are showers which wet the mulberry leaves, 

 and this moisture gives a diarrhoea to the worms whereby 

 many are killed. These are important advantages, and may 

 enable us to compete soon with Europe and China in the pro- 

 duction of silk. 



Note. — I owe acknowledgments for information about grain to J. TV. Os- 

 bom, of Napa ; about fruit to A. A. Cohen, of Alameda ; about the grape to 

 Charles Kohler ; about the orange to John Frohling ; and about the quantity 

 of wheat from different districts to Isaac Friedlander, of San Francisco. 



