98 HURAL CALIFORNIA 



process. In this respect we furnish the most striking 

 illustration that history records, of how little the 

 precious metals add to the wealth of people in the 

 absence of agricultural and mechanical industry. In 

 my opinion it is time we had begun to feed and 

 clothe ourselves and thus keep our gold at home to 

 enable us to build better houses, extend and establish 

 our farms, erect churches and colleges, construct 

 railroads and build clipper ships and ocean steamers. 

 In these things do true national wealth and indi- 

 vidual prosperity consist." 



At the State Fair of 1857 rivalry with the world's 

 greatest producing region of semi-tropical products 

 was announced: 



"Every agricultural product reaches its highest 

 perfection in our valleys and hillsides and in a very 

 few years they can, and undoubtedly will, produce 

 vast quantities for exportation and turn to other 

 countries the present Mediterranean fleet of six hun- 

 dred and forty-three vessels which annually leave 

 for our Atlantic ports loaded with figs, lemons, 

 oranges, almonds and the products of the vine, cur- 

 rants and raisins, to the value of seven and a quarter 

 millions of dollars. Italy and the countries border- 

 ing on the Mediterranean annually produce over 

 two hundred millions of dollars' worth of wool and 

 other products one half of which are sent abroad. 

 California has climate and soil very similar and with 

 the perseverance and indomitable energy of her in- 

 habitants and the twelve millions of acres of arable 

 land, should also, in due time, freight to foreign 



