74 RURAL CALIFORNIA 



tution of the State in 1911. It is also an interest- 

 ing fact that from pioneer days to the present time 

 women have personally undertaken the farming of 

 their own property and have been a recognized force 

 in agricultural organization, not only in its social 

 aspects and purposes but in the technical and com- 

 mercial phases. 1 Women have, in fact, been leaders 

 in the establishment of several unique agricultural 

 industries which have attained great success. 



The rapid development of California during her 

 first decade was not alone due to the ability of the 

 people to conceive high ideals of statehood and citi- 

 zenship but to the abundance of money that enabled 

 them concretely to realize their conceptions and to 

 found the institutions which they recognized as 

 essential. The production of gold from 1850 to 1855 

 was, in round figures, four hundred millions of dol- 

 lars, of which 1851 and 1852 produced seventy-five 

 and eighty-one millions respectively. Such large 

 and rapid production of gold is said to have met a 

 world's need and later to have notably assisted in 

 maintaining the national credit during the Civil 

 War. 



Continent-crossing railways have multiplied from 

 one in 1869 to six in 1921. California possesses two 

 cities which are in the list of the fourteen greatest 

 in the United States. The volume and speed of 

 increasing population are shown in the United States 

 Census reports, as follows: 



1 According to the Census of 1920 California has 5,773 farm- 

 ing women, including 5,406 owners, 315 tenants and 52 man- 

 agers. 



