Shepherdstown Register in Shepherdstown, West Virginia

California Farming Prospects for Southern Emigration

In 1867 California offers rich wheat and fruit lands near the San Joaquin Valley with a detailed cost plan for six hundred acres, tools, and horses. A farmer can break 800 acres, harvest at per-acre rates, and net about 1200 dollars first year with rising yields in subsequent years. The letter advocates emigration for well‑off and skilled laborers while warning poorer workers to stay home. It notes public schools, fence proposals, and the promise of 10 dollars per acre land value growth ahead of the Pacific Railroad.