housed, a£]jricultlirc has progressed rapidly, as has also 

 the ability to wield such immeuse' farms with profit. It 

 is but little over twenty years since the discovery of gold 

 in California, and not until some years after -was any con- 

 siderable degree of attention given to agriculture. At 

 first the want of experience in that peculiar soil and 

 climate was a hindrance, and it is safe to say that the last 

 ten or twelve ^^ears have produced the results we now 

 witness. The value of these agricultural products in 

 1869 is stated to be $30,000,000. This, considering the 

 population of the State, — less than 600,000, — is very 

 great. Indeed, the growth and commerce of the cities of 

 California, and the increase of agricultural and manufac- 

 turing productions and of mines, in a period of twenty 

 years, is amazing. The variety of crops which may be 

 grown in this State is wonderful. The foreign grape 

 yields more al)undantly than in any part of Europe. The 

 tig, orange, and the olive come to great perfection. Silk 

 culture promises to be successful j and large companies 

 are formed for its promotion. The culture of the tea 

 plant has been commenced and is likely to succeed, and 

 in the Sacramento valley canals are projected for the cul- 

 ture of rice. 



When we consider that it is only about tw^enty years 

 since o-old was discovered in California, and that she has 

 now^ a population of nearly 600,000 souls ; that she has a 

 territory 800 miles in length and 200 in breadth, ten 

 times as large as our own State ; that she has millions of 

 acres of land equally well suited to tillage as any under 

 cultivation, we can hardly estimate her future progress, 

 prosperity, and power. And now that the great highw^ay 

 of nations has been opened across our continent, now that 

 the tide of population is pouring in on our western 

 shores, we begin to realize the great future of the Pa- 

 cific slope. In view of the addition of this wonderful 

 territory to our Union of States, is it not ours to claim 

 the fulfilment of the sentiment of Bishop Berkeley, — 



