12 TRANSACTIONS OP THE 



the Board for the year 1884. Much care has been taken in collecting 

 the same, and as each year's experience aids us in many ways, we hope 

 to soon be able to branch out and have returns on all of California's 

 products. 



LIVE STOCK. 



The interest taken by this society since its organization, in the 

 encouragement of live stock breeding, has had the eifect of improv- 

 ing all classes of stock. The varied breeds shown each year causes 

 one to admire the care and painstaking manner in which the breed- 

 ing interest is conducted. The magnitude of our various stock breed- 

 ing farms are not excelled in the United States, and California can 

 well be called " the animal-producing State of the Union." The adapt- 

 ability of our climate, and the zeal of our breeders, has placed Cali- 

 fornia in the lead as a stock-breeding State. In no other State can 

 one find greater rarity and quality in either horses, mules, cattle, or 

 sheep. The annual exhibitions given by this society has had much 

 to do with improving the live stock of California. These exhibitions 

 are now looked upon as a necessity. They have been adopted as a 

 commercial mart when purchasers and sellers are brought together 

 each year and close inspection given to the various breeds exhibited. 

 The purchaser has the benefit of an assortment, or in other words he 

 is favored with the chance to compare the stock of different breeding 

 farms, whereas were it not for these exhibitions he would be com- 

 pelled to travel from place to place, relying wholly upon his memorj'' 

 in making comparisons. As it is, parties who desire to purchase, 

 postpone their trips until the State Fair. At that period of the year 

 the farmer has more spare time than at any other season. He desires 

 recreation, and combines that with business, and makes his trip to 

 the State Fair. There he meets with others from different parts of 

 the State, views are exchanged, comparisons made, and stock pur- 

 chased with no haste, no anxiety, and an abundance of time to con- 

 sider. Foreign purchasers are likewise availing themselves of the 

 opportunity ofifered, and each year representatives may be seen from 

 foreign parts examining and purchasing our stock. Thus we claim 

 that the benefit the society has been to the State in this one depart- 

 ment is invaluable. 



PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS. 



The result of our labors in this respect has been most satisfactory. 

 We have entirely remodeled our stock grounds, and have built new 

 stabling, and increased the capacity of the grounds. The speed track 

 has been reconstructed, so that now it is a complete "regulation" 

 track, with quarter turns and quarter stretches. The entire track has 

 been covered with a coating of red clay soil, which seems to give it a 

 solid footing and a springy surface, so that horses are not as liable to 

 injury as they generally are on loose sandy soils. The improvement 

 made in this behalf is valuable, and received with satisfaction by 

 breeders in general. The improvements made at the Pavilion include 

 a portion of the original cost, as the Board found that the amount 

 appropriated was not sufficient to finish the building as was contem- 

 plated. In addition to this, however, considerable expense has been 

 attached to the fitting up of the machinery hall as well as other por- 

 tions of the building; it being the first year of occupancy much new 

 work was necessary that will not have to be done on each succeeding 



