Settle upon anything in California until he has been to Merced, and
proved for himself that the statements are credible. After he has been
to Merced, I have little doubt that he will be convinced that that place
presents an opening which would be worth his decision.
If he proceed to California by the Southern Pacific Railway, he could
break his journey at the various other places of Fruit culture
settlement, and inspect them, reaching Merced last, as the nearest to
the great centre of San Francisco.
A careful comparison of the various fields of Fruit culture enterprise
will, I am assured, show him that Merced possesses peculiar advantages.
It is well known that the great drawback of California is want of water;
and intending settlers must not be satisfied by the statements of
agents, or owners, that their lands have water advantages, but they must
satisfy themselves that they can have water by irrigation (not by the
expensive, laborious process of pumping it up from uncertain springs),
and in such a quantity as to be permanent.
At some places lands now supplied by irrigation will fall short
presently, when the owners carry the water on to thousands of adjoining
acres; therefore, a full and permanent supply of water is an essential.
