3 48 [Assembly 



Mr. Dey. — The proportion of arable land in California is about 

 the same as in New-York. 



General Chandler. — What is the present value of the arable 

 land there 1 



Eev. Mr. Fitch. — Some of the farm lands have recently been 

 sold for eight dollars an acre, but prices vary from ten to fifty 

 dollars. 



Mr. Shelton.— The single crop is often worth |500 an acre. 

 Mr. Horner, one of our greatest farmers, says that he will not 

 take $500 an acre for his land. Messrs. Horner, Beard and Val- 

 lejo have a farm of four leagues of land, (4,400 acres per league,) 

 all now enclosed in iron fence, made of heavy wire, as large nearly 

 as my finger, with posts of the red wood, all drawn up tight. Five 

 wires in this fence. There is one avenue through the farm ten 

 miles in length. The whole length of the fence is about thirty 

 miles. 



I became enthusiastic as to the floral and natural history of 

 California. I traveled over it, collectiug specimens and preserv- 

 ing them best way I could, under great inconvenience. I em- 

 ployed able artists to make drawings and engravings. I here ex- 

 hibit them. I was active in getting up the first fair, and had the 

 pleasure of presenting a silver goblet to Mr. Horner, so well mer- 

 ited by him. There were exhibited enormous vegetables. One 

 onion, from the farm of Mr. James Williams, of Santa Cruz, 

 weighed twenty-two pounds, and would not go into the head of a 

 flour barrel. A turnip of about the same size. A cabbage which 

 measured inside the principal leaves thirteen feet and a half in 

 circumference. From Beard's farm a perfectly solid head of 

 cabbage, seven feet and a half round, weighed fifty-six pounds. 

 They sold in the market for twenty cents a pound. 



Rtv. Mr. Fitch : I measured a spruce tree lying on the ground, 

 and found it to ,be three hundred and twenty- five feet in length, 

 and nine feet in diameter. 



