San Francisco Chronicle from San Francisco, California • Page 10

WCTaZIEI MN i tmwmvT ssv vrv IX ft vQur SA2T OFRAKCISCO CHRONICLE SUNDAY JNTTAKTr 2 1898 Agricultural Progress During is97 ra l5Wi I Success fliD Prospsrisy In CaLiFORnm AHAU century since the plains of the Sacramento and San Joaquin of the Santa Clara the Santa Ana and the San Gabriel valleys were the habttaUon of roYing herds of cattle and of the valuer required to look after them ome time In the future they will contain a human population as dense as now teems upon the banks of the Scheldt or the Yangtaeldanr Each year of this period however long It may be win witness some definite step accomplished In the transition It has been assigned to me to discover If I can and set down Just what during the past year has been done In California upon agricultural lines toward the fulfillment of our manifest destiny It Is not always easy to discern much less to properly estimate the steps of progress at the moment when they are taken The tracks of the columns of civilization are very devious often doubling upon themselves and those with a column may hardly know whether for the time they are going or Europe which Is the worlds great market for surplus wheat Is Itself by far the greatest producer of wheat which Is natural since there are the dense wheat consuming populations Large however as Is Us output It does not produce what It consumes and the habits of the people being fixed as consumers1 of wheat the current prices are largely fixed by the rates at which heat can be laid down from countries producing a surplus The worlds price Is fixed by the worlds supply In connection with attending conditions and each consuming and producing country is a factor In producing the result but In the final estimates after the harvest of each year by which opening prices are fixed for all crops the factors most considered are the sources of supply for export which therefore seem to me to cause such countries to have the greater relative power In determining prices The following shows the surplus available for export from California since 1892 and also the actual exports from countries for which I find data COUNTRIES United States California Russia Argentina India 1893 1833 1894 Bushels Bushels Bushels 22S665S12 Z8076600 60870000 18311000 68092000 1S191263S 25178000 96695000 401S2000 29399000 164283129 15 891000 126144000 61340000 24404000 1895 Bushels 14481271ii 18216000 146291000 40093000 14505000 20585000 The surplus for California is found by subtracting from each years crop the 8000000 bushels which Is usually estimated as required for home use For all other countries actual exports are given a portion of which is usually from carry over stocks In addition to the wheat which enters Into statistics there Is always the Invisible supply which varies with the disposition of farmers to hold back At the present time the invisible supply In California Is estimated at 50000 tons Californias estimated surplus for 1897 is put at 24333000 bushels ward or backward we need the per In the foregoing table the Indian ex peetlve which only time and distance ports should perhaps be set back one can give Peoples like Individuals do year for comparison with the exports many things which In the light of better of other countries as the Indian cereal knowledge they would not have done year ends on March 31st but I give the and California has not been an excep figures as I find them in a Government tlon to this axiom But it Is necessary report They show that since 1891 with to know not only what to do but what to no great decrease In production the ex avold and with mans powers limited ports1 from India have been falling off as they are experience la often the only and as Is well known they have been cafe guide and the errors and conse little or nothing In excess of Imports quent doubling on our tracks the neces for the past year although exact ffg eary Incidents of the onward march ures are not available The regular From the pastoral age California be diminution of exports from the United came a great wheat growing State in states Is also noticeable as Indicating which however the elements of a real tne growing ability of our own popula boom were lacking in that under exist tion to consume our wheat Argentina lng conditions profitable wheat grow andalso Uruguay Increased production Ing was hardly possible for small farm and exportation very rapidly until 1894 ers working on a limited scale and with gince which time exports have fallen little money It Is essential to the crea on ad for the past year these coun tlon of a boom that the multitude be led trjeB have hardly been a factor in the to Imagine that they can make bricks woriiS markets California has not without straw But even as It was the either In acreage or In production per stimulus was sufficient to assure a re acre equaled of late years the bonanza action and only two years since the crops 0f the eighties but the figures press and the public of California were how that since the beginning of the bewailing the decadence of wheat ni struggle for the wheat market growing as of an Industry forever lost which commenced with this decade she and very hard to replace And yet al ls more than holding her own The Tdv we are once more expending our A nripeg 0 this year have In the principal agricultural energy in the man benefited the farmers rather than production of wheat From the concen tration on grain growius fmw vam since to a upon fruit growing This Industry hav ing all the necessary elements iur boom we had one of magnincent proportions Just now we are suffering from the reaction and in a few years more snail be going forward again but upon more solid ground ivr th nast vear I have traveled less among the farmers than for many years the speculators and all the acreage pos i slule will De put in mis year in iur mm concentration conDjence that with the increasing worlds consumption nothing but the verv improbable recurrence of bonanza crops in all countries at once can prevent satisfactory returns for our wheat crop for the future Confidence and hopefulness based upon a better popular knowledge of world wide conditions affecting the wheat crop than we WiMM im urawn una have ever berore naa nave tanen me previous and am therefore perhaps the pace of tn general despondency of more uauic iu it mv tudement that sOch prog resj as has been made during the pant yoar In the direction of the molding of public sentiment which must be the innHmr nf material endeavor has been along the following lines two vears ago The wheat crop oi me State has again come to be and to be relied on for the future as a wjurce of State and Individual wealth The following table shows our acre age and jleld since 1893 as compiled Per For Bushels Acre 8 319b4559 111 260n610 10 0 132 20779 832 10 2 137 29655174 122 120 31991316 1 een along the following lines anJ puhigned Dy the State Board of 1 A tendency to turn again to staple It be noted that tne agricultural products Involving tfc tJtalB of yleld vary considerably from least time and the least preliminary tnoge Klven above which are complied outlay as the real basis of agrlcui fnm comrnerclttl sources meat wow uairj jjiuuuv sugar hops and the fibers Tin increasing tendency to recog gar Acres rlxe the fact that under modern con lg fg Alt ions there lies at the basis of all ls8i 2i03338 Industrial occupations which succeed 2 423M5 innlri thrmain 197 26bo43 of which although undemon Estimate of State Board of Agriculture them must be In the pos Bushels per acre for United States etrable by them must be in tne po session of the masses of tnose engaged or bugheU In the Industry estimated at 327159720 which ls The Wheat Industry Our principal mjo ch more than has been realised for agricultural Interest during the pas wy whMt crop for manv yearfc ear has centered ueat Urn Crop Next to wheat bar bh Jnf nfhe orodult our moat Important grain crop Kur in 1S95 after most of product be tQ ad passed frotn growers antage in all part of the State rffortweremalnl8Wtosomucn cMmate UUy adApted wheat as fbI to barley which is therefore our prln utimated by the State Board of Agr to Ag fculture was an fa area of feedlnK value l8 tter for ere of which the estlmatea yieio purpo6e and not so good for MTW ntuiva1ent to 1 cent mon 21 bushels as against an area in dB and 3 cent eS8 0f fat lSofM2iacreylWn8lJ10l therefore be considered centals equivalent to 29 SM1 4 bu hei ae8rabie a stock feed In a of Arriculture from whlch as ni the cheapest grain from appear later th commemal tne fat ard hos whUe vary more or less But cer fQr Ulnly rCl1aiXrbeeprcln 15 especially in a warm climate heoirwSp5f llT of bar gome oi me vv manuf acture of beer of Ina countries 1S94 I 1895 BARLEY Mrm Some Leading Products of California in 1897 Worlds product 7 Korth America United States California iMfHni Total America Kussia in brv Kuasia In Asia Auirralla ltriUah India Total Europe Total ai SOuO2alJoOOi2C51j2M494000Z4S0470W S7tt0W4tT8t JO0 52Z850000 538563000 478433000j SiritriCi i7km TanfA 4C7iaaoooi 427S84ouo iria Tolal Africa 1896 1Est 1837 S1SC30000 OTCSOO Xfi000000 657S2000 13770000 72000000 2709fi000i 4nc tAAHAi t4105SS00owi4J98 AMFMMWV1 19S7SOU01 600000000 32333090 2S6796000 SSC1XZ9J01 42670ix 4671010001 2SJI S14SWHII UH1UW liw avvwj 57X000 W00W WW000O a703000 ltSlfsOOO K0000001 48O00O00 4lsloOO 41S22S000 37e8SSUU0 365148000 7S9y7WOt 0OUW KIWA louiwu 42458 S2481000 2 s906000 IUUUI i81J3lWW LO0Oll5O62S0000l 1153000000 4S9S066j 4O4S7SO0W S3SSV7O00 240UUKA1 llmwwv 42458W 43SWOOO S248io 2688JS000 SJWiCO0 23l27C JU29S00U210 30014432330 ArTii 4SS9S0XM 404S7SU 20274000 r8S00000 wi3w itiW KBOlflOO M7W00O1 4SM1C00 limoooi rPi Ar Ji lU nartlv from official and partly from authoritative com olrparSnTf Jculturea report of California crop of 1896 ls 45097116 bushels rvm the foregoing table California which It Is the base as being better iVm to Debut an Insignificant adapted to the production of fermented ouidseem to be ux Hquor than any other grain The de lii mand for barey for ths purp08e 8eem8 JuclnT as we OOK matter of to be on the Increase at least In this of the nuUrtance much try not only positively but re faCti Ur 2 our uirtne lively In comparison with wine with ffi sst iSeh HtS which it is a competitor for the trade In horoSu what we have light stimulating beverae Theita xrom wnt we produw as abftrMt flf Treaaury gives my be aeen from table the relative consumption In th Unltad i 4 States per capita of wine and malt liquors for a series of years as follows CONSUMPTION PER CAPITA OF WINE AND MALT LIQUORS IN UNITED STATES Gallons Year Malt Liquors Wines im 1062 019 186 1120 045 187 1123 0 1555 12S0 Obi iss 1272 10 1367 046 1RM 1528 04i 1S92 15 10 044 1893 160S 0i 1894 131 031 1P5 Uft 01 1556 15 16 026 From the above It ls evident that the consumption of barley for this purpose Is fully holding Its own and It has been discovered that the best brewing barley in the markets of the world now comes from California In the selection of barley for malting the follow ing are the main things to be considered First weight Upon this depends the body or strength of the malt and the standard weight of malting barley Is forty six and one half pounds to the bushel Heavy barley indicates a thin skin and consequently little waste and uniform development Insuring not only that all grains shall sprout In the ptepp but also all sprout at the same time which is of great importance in order that tlfe entire body of the mash may be ready for the dry kiln at the same time Second flavor The taste of malt Is injuriously affected by the introduction Into the mash of foul seeds of any kind of broken grains which decay Instead of germinating or of Imperfect grains of barley which act in the pame way It also may be true that the flavor of barleys otherwise equal ma vary according to the differing soils or climates which produced them in other words that there are inherent differences In the flavor of the barley Itself without reference to the preventible or removable causes of Injury Third color People In buying beer as well as dress goods or dried fruits are largely Influenced by ltp attracts eness to the eye and while the color imparted can be largely controlled In the malting It Is considered desirable that the color which the barley used tends to Impart shall be that which ls most attractive and which requires the least attention in the mash or the dry kiln For that reason that which is known in the trade as a bright color is strong ly insisted upon In barley offered for malting In all these respects California barley has won Its way to recognition as the best In the world The barley ls the grain requiring least time for maturity and is therefore much grown In countries of short summers like the north of Europe from which has thus far come our strongest competition in the marketa of the world but these Countries are also Invariably rainy countries with much cold wet soil which barley above all grains abhors and the barley from such districts can never compete in quality with that grown In rainless summers on the rich deep uplands of California It may be that the valley of the Yukon may some time beat even us In producing malting barley Th following table shows our pro dnetmn and exports of barley since J892 compared with the production and exports of the United States California Barlej Product Bushels Yield Year Acreage Production per acre 1K03 702321 167809fi2 23 8 1M 972449 20834470 214 ISO lGTlWS 22913617 214 91S 5S4 19837W4 21U 187 10S2373 263W325 Kstimate of State Board of Agriculture Our exports of barley since 1893 have been as follows compared with those of the entire country The California export figures obtained from the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce are somewhat difficult to reconcile with the flgurps of the Treasury for the entire country even with the knowledge that tne years do not coincide The California figures are for calendar ears while the Treasury figures are for fiscal years ending June JOth of the year named Taey serve the purpose however of showing that California supplies most of the barley exported from the United States Comparative Kxports of Barley Bushels Year California tnltedStatej 4938445 3025267 lea 2 221426 1K3754 ISM 6100800 7O0331 Totals 15337147 17 488757 The total production of barley in the 1nlted States in 1896 was 39S95223 busheS and the a eruge ield per acre was only 134 bushels The value of our barley crop for 1897 at 90 cents a cental or 54 cents a bushel may be estimated at 14207046 Corn and Oats As already stated California does not claim a position as an important producer either of corn or of oats and especially of the latter for which away from the northern coast our dry summer climate is especially unfitted As to corn our yield per acre is ery respectable and Indicates that should It eer be deemed desirable our product could be indefinitely Increased in spite of our lack of the sweltering summer nights which hae been supposed essential to the success of this crop Our production of corn and oats since 1S93 are given by the State Board of Agriculture as follows CORN OATS 3 3 YEAR 5 5 iT 71 6762 31t 257 323 61 03914063SO237J 1KM 98011 I261351S 26 612O22933M007i214 1S95 33945 2556300 2721111367 2169651274 1806 85Mlf2602730l304llS527l3433920300 1S37 812641 7330001 H22353367090 Kstlmate The large corn growing States hare from 6000000 to 8O0OOOO acres devoted to this crop and the large oat growlng States have from 1000 000 to 4000000 acres Wool After 1860 our production of wool Increased by great leaps until in 1878 our output was 5C5S0970 pounds which was our largest crop Since that year there has been a more gradual but very steady decrease until last year produced only 2j195550 pounds which Is our smallest clip since 1873 and at the prices then prevailing was hardly worth producing at all The causes which Induced this falling off were at first the rapid development of agricultural Industries which occupied the best grazing lands and the free wool of the tariff of 1894 seemed about to put almost an end to the Industry here The new fiscal policy upon which we are sow entering however has changed all this and our flockmasters have once more taken heart and are Improving and Increasing their flocks The renewal of confidence is shown by an estimated increase In the clip of more than 4000000 pounds over last year the present estimate being 31500000 pounds which at an average price of 11 cents would have a value of 3465000 The flocks are In good condition the low prlces of the last few years having sent the least profitable to the block in great numbers and for none of our industries do the prospects for the future seem brighter Beet Sugar Our beet sugar industry Is so thoroughly discussed in another part of this issue that I only allude to it here to say that from Infor atlon available at this writing I estimate the beets worked and sugar pro diced during 1897 to be substantially as follows in tons of 2000 pounds Tons Tons Beets Sugar Alvarado 68000 7600 Watsonville 10Q000 KOOO Chlno 91742 12S3j Alamltos 30023 437m Totals 296767 38705 Raw sugar The other factories turn out refined sugar The sugar factories do not issue statements over their own signature and the published statements on which I must tely may not be accurate but the figures for Alamltos were given by the factory to a Chronicle correspondent and If there ls no en or they show the remarkable output of one ton of refined sugar for 6 84 tons of beets which excels the record of any European or American factory which I have seen Tne figures for Chlno are from a prej dispatch and If correct show an output of one ton of refined sugar to 803 tons of beets which corresponds more nearly to the best European results It seems almost Impossible however that results between factories should vary so rnach and especially that a new factory should so much excel the others In Its flrst season and It ls these discrepancies which are disclosed upn analysis of the current figures that makes me doubt the correctness of the published statements of this and past years Assuming the substantial accuracy of the totals the sum disbursed to farmers at an average price of Jt per ton would be fl387068 iess what tver was paid by farmers for railroa freights to the factory The amount received by factories at 5 cents a pound would be 4064025 out of which they must pay for lime fuel beets wages and general expense At any rate we have this year made a marked advance over all previous records Hops Eight or ten years ago hops were considered perhaps the most profitable of our minor agricultural Industries Our climate ls especially adapted to the maturing of hops which In this State are invariably bright and lively There was comparatively little trouble from pests the prices were good and the hop plan ten got rich Only the very best soils are adapted to this crop but of these we fortunately huve an abundance The business however ls one which can be easily overdone and with the effective aid of our brethren In Oregon and Washington we proceeded to overdo it In 1S94 our output was 12395000 pounds which with the Northern and Eastern product and good hop crops throughout the world tntirely overstocked the mar ket and hops were almost unsalable Even the very best would hardly bring cost of production and medium and inferior grades left growers hands at from 4 to 7 cents a pound All engaged in the business recognised that the industry was overdone and efforts were made to secure a uniform reduction to be brought about by each grower leaving a portion of his yards uncultivated Such attempts usually result in everybody favoring the plan and each one thereafter producing all he can so as to get the benefit of the raise Possibly In this case the attempt did not proceed far enough to secure this result but what mutual agreement could not have done was accomplished by the inability of the poorer growers to properly cultivate which again resulted In an undue proportion of Inferior hops and by last year our output was reduced to 6 473000 pound or a little more than half that of three years before That however was the turning point Outputs hfd been reduced throughout the world and for the past year there has been a gradual but continuous Increase of price which has put hop growers on their feet again The crop of 1S97 is estimated at 8325000 pounds the bulk of which will leave growers hands at from 12 to 14i cents a pound making a value at 14 cents a pound of 11655C0 Dairy Products During the past few years the dairy industry In this State has been passing through a stage which may be fairly considered revolutionary and which is still going on Up to 1890 the industry was confined mainly to the coast and bay counties from Santa Cruz north where It was conducted In private dairies largely by foreign born and very unprogresslve dairymen There were but few creameries or cheese factories A small number of excellently managed dairies made gilt edged butter and found special markets with those able to pay for a fancy article at prices considerably higher than any published quotations Following these were a large number of good dairies frequently but not regularly producing a gilt edged product by which the best of the ordinary trade was supplied and below them an Infinite variety of grades of all degrees of Inferiority Considerable good butter was at times Imported from the East From the coast districts above mentioned there was a constant export Into all the territory west of Wyoming and Colorado The best dairies made money and the poorer lived Tuberculosis had not been thought of and the milk dal ries sold for city consumption whatever they produced eking out when desirable from the pump and wholly un vexed of health officers The average of the cows was low There was no spirit of Improvement among the mass of the dairymen and modern Improvements In dairying so far as they had been heard of were laughed to scorn The small number of progressive dairymen profited by this state of things as they had thereby the less competition In gilt edged products whose market at extra prices must always be limited Under well known laws also these conditions were certain to continue so long as producers could live under them with reasonable comfort according to their standard of life Commercial necessity If the mainspring of Improvementln all Industries After IMS the commercial necessity arose One by one the mors distant markets were impaired or cut off by home products or by competition from newly developed dairy territory The desire of the trade to sell dairy machinery Induced the general establishment of creameries In dairy districts whose Improved and more uniform butter appeared on the market In such quantity as to cut off the extra profit of the old gilt edged dairies and render the cheap stuff of the poor dairies unsalable at living prices Finally improved machinery cheaper Ice alfalfa and the silo rendered profitable dairying possible even In the heated Interior districts The monopoly of the old dairy counties was gone and with It a rreat part of their market The inevitable result of such conditions was certain to a rapid improvement in the character and uniformity of dairy products and the elimination of such dairymen as could not or would not modify their practice This process is now going on and Indeed Is not yet fairly commenced I can find no evidence that the number of cows employed for dairy purposes has been much if any Increased but wherever there are cows within a rwonablearea to supply a creamery there are creameries going is Improved machinery Is being Introduced In private dalMes The use of the sib is extending The dairy character of the cow ls lmprolng All this 1h making better and cheaper butter for the local market while enabling the better dairymen to live The unprogresslve are being pinched more and more and will have to reform go out of the business Poor as their product is It costs more than It can be sold for In competition with the better grades at low prices The Importation of good butter was stopped long ag In spite of the reduced cost to Kastern dairymen which enables them each year to lay down butter In this market at lower rates Some stuff called lutter continues to come for the use of the cheapest trade which can only be kept out by the manufacture of similar goods or by oleomargarine the traffic in which in this State Is practically suppressed The freight on butter between here and Chicago ls only about 1 cent a pound Which Will not prevent the movement of goods either way when the margin between markets is more than that Ths manufacture of butter at interior as well as northern and southern coast points is Increasing and ls certain to continue to do sm at all points where butter sells locally at San Francisco prices plus local freights at least until the equilibrium Is reached which means cutting off more market from the old dairy counties To this condition ths better class of dairymen In those counties are row fully alive they understand perfectly that unless there is a reduction of production In th parts of the State best suited for dairying there will soon be such a surplus of dairy products here that some distant outlet must be provided or all dairy products be sold below cost There are no mar keta accessible from here by sea except such as may develop In Alaska which in fact are now relied on to sustain tu Industry In the near future but In which we shall have strongoompetltlon from northern and Canadian districts For tne past year prices on this Coasl haver been better than at the East and sissjfs iSj SMM1 rfm riM VyfVi i I i I Tri I aiSSJjK.