STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 9 



Rlil'ORT. 



Office State Board of Agriculture, 



Sacramento, February 1, 1884. 



His Excellency George Stoneman, Governor of California : 



Sir: In presenting to you our report for the fiscal year just ended, 

 we feel considerable pride and no little satisfaction at the xirosperous 

 condition of the Society. The past year has been one of unusual 

 prosperity for us. A detailed statement of the transactions of this 

 Board for the past year, together with some instructive agricultural 

 papers, and a few recommendations with a view to rendering the 

 Society more etticient in aiding the development of the State's inter- 

 ests, will be found herewith. 



CROP reports. 



The Board are, in every way that their means will afford, attempt- 

 ing to promulgate the plan of ascertaining the exact productions of 

 each county, whereby a comprehensive statement can be given each 

 year of all farm products. From experience had, we are more and 

 more impressed with the idea that you should recommend in your 

 next message to the Legislature, the establishment of a system of 

 corres]Dondents in each county for the purpose of ascertaining accu- 

 rately the acreage and yield of cereals grown in this State. We would 

 recommend the establishment of a Bureau of Agricultural Statistics 

 in connection with the State Board of Agriculture. While the Board 

 and its officers are doing all in their power to further the interests of 

 agriculture, they find that it entails an expense which cannot be met 

 by their present source of revenue. In many of the Eastern States 

 the Legislature, recognizing the vast importance of such a scheme, 

 have made liberal appropriations for this purpose. In selecting 

 corresi3ondents a moderate compensation could be paid, of say 1300 

 per year to each. While this is not sufficient to remunerate one for 

 his entire time, those can be selected who are willing to attend to it 

 in addition to any other vocation they may have. Take a county 

 official who has mure or less business with the farming community; 

 he can obtain the desired information from each township in the 

 county, at stated times, and transmit the same to this Board monthly. 

 We could then issue a small pamphlet containing these reports, 

 wdiich would give the condition, yield, etc., of all cereals, the price 

 obtained, and such other interesting facts that may be given pertain- 

 ing to the subject. The information thus obtained would be invalu- 

 able to the grower; coming from such a source, it would be most 

 reliable. The conflicting reports now scattered throughout the State, 

 put the farmer at sea. Many of these reports are from speculative 

 sources, as in the past year has been fully demonstrated. 



2 20 



