1850 American Gold Tycoon.

Chapter 154 California's Granary
"Alongside the Sacramento River, the land is fertile and the water resources are abundant, and the land along the banks is very suitable for agricultural cultivation.

However, due to gold mining activities in the area near the Sacramento River, the land and water have been polluted to varying degrees. In order to find the gold under the river bed, the gold diggers ignored the opposition of us farmers and blatantly built embankments to divert the American River. Farmlands don’t get enough water for irrigation.”

Chen Baoliang first expounded the advantages and current situation of the agricultural areas on both sides of the Sacramento River.

He wanted to mention the pollution of the mercury-gold gold mining method again, but he swallowed the idea before he reached his mouth, and turned to talk about the Central Valley, which is his proposal today: "Central Valley Development Proposal" .

"The Central Valley is fertile and flat, but apart from the southern section where the San Joaquin River flows, the rest of the area is water-scarce.

According to field research conducted by the Agricultural Association, the winter in California is short and wet. Wheat can germinate and stalk in the short winter, and can grow and mature in the hot and dry summer. This crop is very suitable for planting in the Central Valley.

As long as the Central Valley is properly developed, California can completely achieve food self-sufficiency, not to mention feeding [-] people, it will be fine to feed millions of people. "

The terrain of California is mainly low in the middle and high on both sides.

To the west is the Coastal Mountains bordering the Pacific Ocean, to the east are the Sierra Nevadas, and in between is a very flat valley.

Because this vast valley is located in the center of California, it is named the Central Valley, but it is actually an alluvial plain in central California.

The Central Valley covers an area of ​​5.8 square kilometers. It is not an exaggeration to describe this valley as fertile and wild.

Chen Baoliang is from Fujian. Fujian is a land of eight mountains, one water and one field. The area of ​​plains is pitifully small. The largest plain in the territory, Zhangzhou Plain, covers an area of ​​566 square kilometers.

When Liang Yao organized Chinese immigrants to investigate the Central Valley, Chen Baoliang was also among them. When he saw this plain for the first time, Chen Baoliang was immediately shocked. He had never seen such a large and flat land in his life.

For such a large piece of land, it would be a waste of money not to reclaim it as farmland. This is Chen Baoliang's idea.

The reason why he and his clan left their hometown was because there was too little arable land in their hometown to support so many people, not to mention the annexation of local wealthy gentry and the exorbitant taxes from the imperial court.

Due to not having enough to eat all year round, the fear of hunger has been deeply engraved in his heart, which has become a lingering shadow in his heart and that of many Chinese immigrants.

California now has a large area of ​​land suitable for agricultural cultivation that can be reclaimed, and this valuable arable land should be used rationally.

"Mr. Chen, what is your proposal? Stop all mining activities along the coast of Sacramento and protect agricultural production? Do you think your proposal is realistic? Without gold mining, California will be nothing.

Don't forget that more than [-] percent of the California state government's revenue comes from mining.

I think as long as we have gold in our hands, we don't have to worry about not being able to buy food. "

Minister of Industry Fell stood up and refuted, his point of view and Chen Baoliang tit for tat.

"My advice is, number one: reduce gold panning on both sides of the Sacramento River, the American River, where the gold is almost gone and there's not much value in continuing to pan for gold, but there are always stupid gold diggers taking over that area Go on a pointless gold rush.

Second: To encourage the reclamation of the Central Valley, the state should provide corresponding guarantees and support for farmers and land reclamation companies who are interested in developing the Central Valley.

For example, reducing taxes and providing corresponding low-interest loans to purchase farm tools. Bank of America has done a good job in this regard. Many immigrants who want to reclaim wasteland can get a lot of low-interest loans from Bank of America to spend the early stage of reclamation. difficulties.

Third: After the California government has sufficient financial resources, it will build water conservancy projects to solve the problem of water shortage in the Central Valley. "

Chen Baoliang bravely spoke out his suggestion under the watchful eyes of everyone, and it was the first time he spoke in front of so many people.

Among those looking at him, some were supportive, some had nothing to do with him, and some had malicious intentions, which made him very nervous.

But he still said what he wanted to say under pressure.

Chen Baoliang's speech sparked heated discussions in the parliament, and the discussion group was divided into three categories.

One is mine owners, the other is farmers, and the other is neutral store owners and business owners of mining businesses that do not mainly operate directly.

The state legislators from both sides were arguing in the parliament. The parliament at this time was more like a vegetable market.

Quarrels in the parliament are inevitable. Liang Yao does not object to quarrels in the parliament. If there are problems, they can quarrel.

Standing on their respective interests, both mine owners and farmers have their own reasons.

In the short term, mining, especially gold mining, remains a pillar industry and a large tax payer in California, which is irrefutable.

But in the long run, California must have self-sufficient agriculture, and California has the ability to achieve agricultural self-sufficiency.

California started with gold mining, and more than [-]% of the state legislators in the state assembly are mine owners.

With many people and great power, Chen Baoliang's side quickly lost the wind.

Liang Yao had almost rested. He stood up, walked onto the podium again, and patted the podium heavily to signal silence. The state assembly was suddenly silent.

"Mr. Fair, where is your ancestral home?"

After the state assembly was quiet, Liang Yao asked Fei Erdao.

Facing Liang Yao's question, Fair replied respectfully: "In Ireland, Mr. Speaker of the State."

"Then why did you and your family come to America?" Liang Yao immediately asked the next question.

"Because of the famine." Fair said in astonishment.

Feier and Liang Yao are partners, and his information must be clear to Liang Yao.

Fair is a smart man. When Liang Yao asked him this question, he quickly realized that in this debate between the mine owner and the farmer, Liang Yao was on the side of the farmer, at least his attitude was towards the farmer. .

The state legislators in the state assembly knew the weight of Liang Yao's words. He alone was worth half of the assembly.

Winning the support of Liang Yao alone is more effective than winning the support of [-]% or [-]% of the state councilors.

"Famine, so you still remember the famine in Ireland. Mexico is very close to California, and Ireland is also very close to England, right?" Liang Yao asked again.

"Yes, sir." Fair replied without thinking.

"Did the British sell grain to the Irish during the Great Famine? I heard that during the Great Famine in Ireland, the British granaries were full of rats." Liang Yao continued to ask.

"No, sir, they still buy our food." Phil lowered his head.

"Mr. Fell, the Chinese immigrants are the same as the Irish immigrants. We all have the same tragic experience. We both have to leave our homes because of the damn famine. Whether it is Irish immigrants or Chinese immigrants, everyone is now a Californian.

I think everyone does not want the tragedy of the Great Famine to be staged in California. Once there is a Great Famine, none of us can guarantee whether Mexico will refuse to sell us food like the United Kingdom.Don't forget, everyone, the relationship between Mexico and the United States is not friendly at all.

Transportation between California and the east is inconvenient. Once there is a major famine, even if there is surplus food in the east, it will not be able to be transported to California for a while.

What Mr. Chen said makes sense. The jobs of Californians must be in the hands of Californians. "

After Liang Yao finished his speech, applause erupted from the podium.

This is not entirely because these state councilors flattered Liang Yao, but Liang Yao really convinced these councilors.

After the prolonged applause stopped, Liang Yao asked these state congressmen another question.

"Many of the congressmen present are businessmen. Let me ask you a very simple question. Suppose there are [-] people in California, and the food on the market can only supply [-] people. How much will the price of food increase?"

"Of course ten percent."

One MP blurted out his answer without thinking.

"You are so stupid. It looks like you have never run a food business, let alone experienced a major famine. Food is different from other commodities. It must not only increase by [-]%, but also increase by [-]% or even [-]%. Possibly," Phil said.

He has personally experienced the great famine, and his real experience has told him the answer.

"Yes, gentlemen, this is not a math problem. There is no exact answer. If I have to have an answer, my answer is that even if the price of food increases by a hundred times, a thousand times, or even ten thousand times, it is possible. Because no one wants to be one of the [-] people starving."

Liang Yao's answer made all the state councilors fall into silence.

No one wants to be one of the [-] people who are starving. This sentence has been buzzing in their ears, hitting the depths of their hearts.

Because they also don't want to be the ones who starve in it.

Feier turned to look at the mine owners behind him, and the mine owners nodded towards Feier.

Fair spoke to break the silence in the state assembly.

"Your Excellency Speaker, we support Mr. Chen's proposal, but we also hope that the interests of the gold diggers will not be damaged too much, and we hope to come up with a practical solution to resolve the differences between gold diggers and farmers. "

"From 1848 to 1851, there was a gold rush on both sides of the American River, and the gold there was exhausted. I think it's time to stop the gold rush on the American River.

There is also the Sacramento River, which is not only the source of agricultural irrigation water on both sides of the river, but also the navigable river between San Francisco and Sacramento. The behavior of damming has affected the normal traffic of the navigable river section. I think we should immediately legislate to stop it. this crime.

There is still gold in other mountains of California and in Nevada, and we can focus our gold rush on these emerging gold rush areas, just like we shifted the focus of our gold rush from San Francisco to the Sacramento area. "

(End of this chapter)