12 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



to the success of the State exhibition. An exhibitor who is successful at 

 his District Fair has little hesitancy to visit and make his display at the 

 State Fair. This enables the purchaser and consumer to view the best 

 animals or articles from all portions of the State; therefore the advantages 

 gained by having these numerous feeders are quite apparent, and insures 

 to a great extent an exhibition composed in part of the prize-winners from 

 all sections of the State. 



The exhibitions held each year under the auspices of this Board are 

 increasing in character, attendance, and returns. They are, in fact, as- 

 suming international importance, especially in the live stock department; 

 improved breeds are being imported each season for exhibition from other 

 States, and the various breeders of this State realize the fact that every 

 improvement made by the crossing of new blood increases returns and 

 adds value to their herds. As a consequence foreign exhibits with proper 

 precautions are encouraged. 



The display of agricultural products in the exhibition made by counties 

 at the State Fair of 1887 surpassed, in point of excellence, any previous 

 attempt heretofore made. The heavy heads of grain and plump apples 

 from Tehama; the orange, lemon, and juicy peach from Yuba and Sutter; 

 the mammoth grapes, apricots, and pears from Placer; the plump heads 

 of grain and grand collection of fruit from Colusa; the varied and rich 

 products of field, tree, and vine from Solano; the timber and fruit from 

 Humboldt; the excellent display of mountain apples, pears, peaches, and 

 plums from El Dorado and Nevada; while San Joaquin and Sacramento's 

 display also embraced every known product of the soil ; made pyramids of 

 the necessaries and luxuries of life that would challenge more than any 

 other one State in the Union to equal. 



The effect was most dazzling, and reflected much credit on the commit- 

 tees in charge of the exhibits of the counties named. 



It is such displays that we desire to encourage. It is the results that 

 are sure to follow that remunerates us for all our trouble and expense. 



In the report of the Committee of Awards on County Exhibits, to be 

 found further on, a more extended review is made of the orchards, vine- 

 yards, gardens, farms, forges, and mills, the products of which were so 

 extensive, varied, and of such excellence, they felt impelled to make an 

 extended report upon the exhibit of each county, and upon the county 

 itself, the advantages offered the home-seeker, and the possibilities which it 

 has for further development. 



They preface this report upon the counties and their exhibits, by a gen- 

 eral description of California, particularly the climatic contrasts it presents 

 to the country on the same parallel east of the Sierras. From these pecul- 

 iarities of climate they point out the exceptional products of the State — 

 products which can be grown nowhere else in the United States. 



They give the figures of the amounts, and values of the imports of semi- 

 tropic products, and show that California can produce enough to supply 

 the demand of the whole country, and more, if necessary. 



They review the history of agriculture in this State, and show that a 

 great revolution is rapidly but quietly taking place, whereby the larger 

 land holdings are breaking up, and being sold, as predicted in another part 

 of this report, in small tracts to families that are seeking homes, where 

 they can till the soil three hundred and sixty days in each year, and reap 

 the result of their labor with less output than anywhere else in the civil- 

 ized world. It is here, they say, that the blanket-carrying tramp laborer 

 is being driven out, and his place supplied by laborers who own the land 

 they till. 



