11 



doing. While it may be in the interest of economy thus to restrict a 

 full and detailed account of the agricultural condition of the State 

 from being published in the annual report of the State Agricul- 

 tural Society, it seems to us to partake of that kind of economy which 

 savors too much of the penny-wise and pound-foolish system. And 

 we deem it of sufficient importance thus to direct public attention to 

 the difficulty under which we labor by reason thereof. In our judg- 

 ment the State of California can well afford an annual outlay in the 

 publication of the reports of the State Agricultural Society. We 

 dwell upon this matter more particularly for the reason that the 

 demands upon our Secretary for volumes of our proceedings from 

 the Eastern States, and particularly from Europe, are constant, but on 

 account of the paucity of the information therein contained it has 

 been considered better for the material interests of the State not to 

 comply in many cases. We respectfully invite the attention of the 

 members of the present Legislature to this condition of affairs, and ask 

 that the restriction, heretofore imposed upon us in the publication of 

 the annual report of the Society, be removed entirely, or so modified 

 as to render the document of some interest to those abroad, and ben- 

 eficial to the best interests of the State. At the present time the 

 entire issue is an edition of one hundred pages of one thousand 

 copies, but two hundred and fifty of which are apportioned to the 

 Society. The issue, to be of any value, should be five thousand copies 

 of five hundred pages. 



The average quality of wheat raised during the season was fair. 

 The crop of barley was satisfactory, and generally good prices were 

 obtained ; the quantity produced, however, as with wheat also, was 

 far below the yield of the preceding year, a fact easily accounted for 

 by the extreme dryness of the season. In eighteen hundred and 

 seventy-six there reached San Francisco ten million five hundred 

 and sixteen thousand nine hundred and thirteen centals of wheat 

 produced in the State; and in eighteen hundred and seventy-seven, 

 five million one hundred and fifty-nine thousand four hundred and 

 ninety-four centals, a falling off of fifty per cent. In eighteen hun- 

 dred and seventy-six one million six hundred and twenty-six 

 thousand and sixty-six centals of barley produced in the State 

 reached San Francisco; and in eighteen hundred and seventy-seven 

 only seven hundred and seventy-five thousand seven hundred and 

 thirty-nine centals, showing a falling off similar to that of wheat. 

 The season of eighteen hundred and seventy-seven was an unusually 

 dry one, not a drop of rain falling in many grain growing portions 

 of the State. This year the prospects are very bright. The rain in 

 almost every instance has fallen just as needed through the season, 

 gradually and beneficially culminating in settled showers, bringing 

 a copious supply of the life-giving nourishment. There is every 

 indication of a prosperous future so far as the productions of the 

 State are concerned, thus strengthening every calling and business. 



The product of wool in eighteen hundred and seventy-seven bears 

 favorable comparison with that of the preceding year, as in eight- 

 een hundred and seventy-six one hundred and sixty-seven thousand 

 six hundred and one bales reached San Francisco" and in eighteen 

 hundred and seventy-seven one hundred and forty-six thousand six 

 hundred and fifty-nine bales. The falling off here, while it is large^ 

 was not so disastrous as with the cereals, although the destruction of 

 sheep, arising from want of proper nourishment, was very large, 



