STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 205 



CROP STATISTICS FOR 188T 



Below is given a carefully tabulated statement, giving full returns 

 of the cereal crops of 1884, in the State of California, including corn, 

 wheat, barley, oats, and rye, and giving for each cereal tlic acreage, 

 the average yield in bushels per acre, and the gross yield in bushels, 

 in every county in the State. The system under which tliese returns 

 are made to the State Agricultural Society is yearly becoming more 

 perfect, and if the coming Legislature makes proper appropriation 

 therefor, as requested by the State Grange, their accuracy can be still 

 further assured, and they will prove of incalculable benefit to the 

 entire State. The accuracy of the table here given has been further 

 assured by comparing the acreage with figures obtained from other 

 sources, and wherever a difference existed the lowest figures have 

 always been taken. It is, therefore, safe to presume that the estimates 

 on yield are, if anything, a trifle under the actual facts. 



In referring to the table, it must be noted that the acreage of wheat, 

 for instance, does not represent the acreage actually sown to that 

 cereal, but only the acreage actually cut for wheat. Much of the 

 standing grain was cut for hay, and as the amount thus cut differs 

 widely in different counties and in different seasons, many apparent 

 discrepancies between the figures of this and previous years are 

 accounted for. For instance, if, in a certain county, previous reports 

 have indicated an increase of acreage sown to wheat over last year, 

 while the present table shows less acres cut to wheat than last year, 

 it simply means that the proportion cut for hay has been this year 

 much larger than last. 



As many will desire to compare this year's yield with that of last 

 year, we give the figures for 1883, as taken from the report of the State 

 Agricultural Society: Wheat— Acreage, 2,634,710; yield, 32,659,870 

 bushels; average per acre, 12.39 bushels. Barley — Acreage, 775,405; 

 vield, 19,000,232 bushels; average per acre, 24.45 bushels. Oats— Acre- 

 age, 122,618; yield, 3,632,651 bushels; average per acre, 30.48 bushels. 

 Rye— Acreage, 29,351 ; yield, 342,876 bushels; average per acre, 11. 60 

 bushels. It will thus be seen that this year there are almost a million 

 acres more than last year in wheat; that the average yield is four 

 bushels per acre greater, and that the gross yield, 57,420,188 bushels, 

 is the largest the State has ever seen, and places it, in amount of pro- 

 duction, at the very head of the wheat-raising States of the Union. 

 The largest wheat crop prior to this year was that of 1880. The exact 

 yield for that year cannot be given, as no system existed for gathering 

 proper data, but the best informed wheat men placed it at 1,500,000 

 tons, or 50,000,000 bushels. The acreage in barley has been increased 

 almost 200,000 acres, and the gross yield has been correspondingly 

 increased, the average per acre being about the same. In oats the 

 acreage has increased one third, and the gross yield a trifle more, as 

 the average has been raised two bushels. In regard to rye, it may be 

 said that so little of it is grown in the State that it is very difficult to 

 gather exact data as to the yield. Several counties, in which it is 



