98 THE CALIFORNIA 



surpasses in value by two-thirds, all other exportation 

 together. 



A remarkable fact is, that with our climate so very 

 favorable to silkworms, we also have a soil well adapted 

 to the growth of mulberry trees. They thrive almost 

 everywhere in this State ; but the best soil for them 

 that I have yet seen is in the bottom lands of the Sac- 

 ramento valley. A large quantity of those trees will be 

 planted there the coming season. I suppose that some 

 will also be planted in the San Joaquin valley, where 

 there is already quite a large plantation that of Mr. 

 Glossing, commenced last year. But the largest planta- 

 tions in California are those of A. Packard and E. 

 Goux of Santa Barbara. Those plantations were made 

 three years ago, and are now in fine condition. These 

 gentlemen will raise, the coming season, a large quan- 

 tity of silkworms, and will probably turn them to eggs. 

 My own exhibit of silk, from five years raising, proves 

 beyond a doubt that California is the very best spot for 

 that culture. This, and the testimony which I receive 

 from others, shows that this new industry for California 

 is now fairly started. 



Two gentlemen, experienced, scientific, and practical 

 silk growers, on their way back from China, where they 

 had been to buy a large quantity of silkworms' eggs, 

 recently came to see me to get information about silk 

 in California. I told them all the facts, showed them the 

 cocoons and where I raised them, and also the mulberry 

 trees. Being gentlemen who understood the silk busi- 

 ness perfectly, they agreed with me that we have the 



