Sept. 1895.] 



FOKEIGN OFFICE REPORTS. 



193 



Mr. Moore reiterates the advice given to intending settlers 

 not to invest in land until they have been in California for 

 one or two years and acquired some knowledge of the coun- 

 try and of the methods of doing business there. Under the 

 present condition of things, many people consider it impossible 

 to make a fruit orchard or farm pay. At all events, a man 

 must be favourably situated to do so ; and if he buys land 

 without a full knowledge of what he is about, he is very apt 

 to regret his bargain before he has been long in the country. 

 Many new settlers fail through buying too much land and not 

 keeping enough working capital in hand. Others buy orchards 

 stocked with poor varieties of fruit trees, or badly arranged, and 

 can never arrive at satisfactory results, no matter what capital 

 and labour be expended upon them. There is no difficulty in 

 renting or leasing land in any part of the State and thus ascer- 

 taining if they have an aptitude for the business of fruit-growing 

 or farming before sinking their capital in an undertaking from 

 which they will find it almost impossible to withdraw ; certainly 

 not without lieavy loss. 



[Foreign Office Rej^ort, Anmial Series, No. 1576. Price 6d.] 



Agriculture in the United States. 



At the desire of the Royal Commission on Agriculture, the 

 Foreign Office lias published a Report on the agricultural 

 condition of the United States which has been compiled by 

 Viscount Gough, Secretary to Her Majesty's Embassy at 

 Washington. 



The report concludes with the following summarised statement 

 of the position of agriculture in the United States : — 



" Agriculture in the United States is now and has been for 

 some years gravely depressed. In exceptional cases the depression 

 of prices has been successfully met by the cheapening of cost of 

 production. A widespread feeling exists that business generally, 

 including agriculture, is about to revive. 



" The depression is attributed to the fall of prices consequent 

 on the appreciation of gold and to overproduction, and, even 

 more generally, to the depreciation of silver. The depression 

 began 20 years ago and has been progressive ; the main cause of 

 the fall of prices being the progressive competition in the world's 

 market, owing to decreased cost of production and transportation, 

 together with the great development of internal competition due 

 to the improvement of industrial machinery. 



The area under wheat has been increasing, but less rapidly in 

 recent years, and the system of cultivation tends to change. 



" The popular remedy for the depression, advocated in meetings 

 and writings, is national free coinage of silver independently of 

 the action of other nations. Decrease of transportation charges, 

 prohibition of speculation in the case of wheat, and prohibition 



