The country around Merced has a natural fall, and is drained by many creeks, which are dry in summer, but contain more or less water in winter.
THE LANDS FOR SALE.
Merced is situated in the celebrated San Joaquin Valley (pronounced San Wharkeen), which is an immense level of fertile land, the soil generally being of a rich sandy loam, but in some districts, such as that I am now offering for sale, of a deep rich black loam of a highly productive nature, in fact, it is the decomposed vegetation and alluvial deposits of past ages, than which nothing could be more fertile. We have good evidence that the land is especially suited for the production of prunes, apricots, pears, peaches, olives, plums, small Fruit, such as strawberries, blackberries, sweet and common potatoes, garden stuff, and alfalfa. Alfalfa (or lucerne) is a great crop in America in places where there are no old meadow lands for the cows. The land is, of course, suited for all cereal crops, too. All the Fruits named can be dried in the sun without artificial heat.
The lands are about 160 to 165 feet above the level of the sea, and, in common with all the country round, they command a view on the one side of the grand snow-capped Sierra Nevada Mountains, and on the other of the mountains known as the Coast Range. Immense flocks of wild geese and ducks (principally geese), are often on the land. There are also "rabbits" on the land (so called), but they more resemble hares in their size and habits and run.
There are some excellent Fruit orchards and gardens at Merced. In the grounds around the Court House are some very fine orange trees, full of fruit, and also in the gardens of private residents. One gentleman kindly sent a bough of oranges, and other gentlemen sent other Fruits, which may be seen at our offices. At the Buhach Colony, near the town of Merced, are extensive orchards of Californian Fruits. Mr. Atwater's gardens and orchard, a few miles from the town, are worth inspection. He has two magnificent olive trees, nine or ten years' old, which bear heavy crops, and which are used for the production of olive oil; his vineyard and orange orchard, his lemon and persimmon trees, all look very prosperous. He would gladly show any settler how he has cultivated them. He has a corn and stock farm, and has only gradually cultivated these Fruits, which occupy some eleven acres.
PRICE OF THE LAND.
The prices of the land for sale are 75, and 100, and 150 dollars per acre, according to position. Two-thirds of the purchase-money may remain on mortgage as long as the interest is paid at 8 per cent, per annum, which is the lowest interest payable in California. The mortgagor is liable to the Government for the taxes, which amount to 1-1/2 to 2 per cent, per annum, so that he would really only receive 6 to 6-1/2 per cent, interest. All mortgages are publicly recorded, and so the property is vested in the mortgagor till he is paid off, and when that is done it also is publicly recorded. These taxes embrace all known to us in England as rates and taxes, except a road tax of 2 dollars a head per annum, chargeable to every male over twenty-one years of age. This tax may be paid for in labour on the road if desired. A free conveyance will be given, but the cost of recording the transaction in the county office (there is no stamp duty), about 1-1/2 dollars, must be paid by the purchaser. The recording of a mortgage would probably be 3-1/4 dollars because it is longer. The record is a public acknowledgment of the title of the owner to the land made in the county books.
Foreigners can hold freehold property in California, but they have no right to vote—indeed, they would have no right to vote until they had resided five years in the country, and had become naturalized; then a resident has before him the possibility of becoming Governor of the State to which he belongs, or, indeed, Secretary of the Interior, which corresponds with the position of the Premier in England.