12 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



the introduction and urged the passage of the following bill, by the last 

 Legislature of this State: 



AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. 



An Act to provide for the publication of monthly crop and stock reports by the State Board of 



Agriculture. 



The People of the State of California, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: 



Section 1. The State Board of Agriculture shall each year obtain monthly statements 

 as to the condition and prospects of growing crops, condition of live stock," the demand 

 and price of labor, the temperature and rainfall. And as soon after harvest as possible, 

 the said Board shall obtain statements as to the yield of wheat, and other farm, orchard, 

 and vineyard products, the quantity of such products marketed, and the quantity remain- 

 ing in the producers' hands. 



Sec. 2. The said Board shall prepare a monthly abstract of the information thus 

 obtained, and shall publish monthly at least five thousand copies for general distribution, 

 and shall furnish one copy to each newspaper and Post Office in the State, for public 

 information and inspection. 



Sec. 3. That it shall be the duty of the said Board to select not less than one person in 

 each township of the >State, who shall be authorized and appointed to act as correspond- 

 ents, and furnish the information required by this Act, and such other information as 

 may be considered useful; and the said Board shall furnish said correspondents with 

 instructions and instruments to be used in ascertaining and reporting the temperature 

 and rainfall, the same to be accounted for as State property ; and the said correspondents 

 shall receive no compensation for their services. 



Sec 4. The said Board shall appoint, fix the compensation, and prescribe the duties of 

 an Assistant Secretary, to hold office at the discretion of the Board. 



Sec. 5. There is hereby appropriated to the State Board of Agriculture, for the purpose 

 of carrying out the provisions of this Act, out of any money in the State Treasury not 

 otherwise appropriated, the sum of five thousand dollars for the year commencing March 

 first, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-five, and five thousand dollars for the year 

 commencing March first, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-six, and the State Con- 

 troller will draw his warrants upon the State Treasurer in favor of the Treasurer of said 

 Board for the said sums, or any part thereof, when they become available, upon proper 

 demand being made for the sum by the said Board. 



Sec. 6. This Act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. 



And notwithstanding the indorsement of your Excellency, it failed to 

 receive even a second reading. The members did not deem it practicable 

 or necessary; it has been done, can be done, and is being done by States 

 whose income from agricultural products is not one twentieth part that of 

 California. 



From the meager facilities afforded us we were enabled to obtain a some- 

 what accurate report of the yield of wheat for the past season. It was, even 

 with our advantages, most difficult to obtain anything like a detailed state- 

 ment, giving the yield by counties, owing to the fact that much of the grain 

 sown was, on account of its poor quality, cut for hay or pastured — what pro- 

 portion we are unable to say. We, however, contemplated this falling off, 

 as will be seen by our report to the Associated Press agent, given on May 

 28, 1885. In this we said: 



The yield of wheat in California for 1885 will be the shortest for many years. The vast yield 

 in 1884, and low prices received, caused great shortage in acreage this year, fully twenty 

 per cent less than last. The Summer fallowed lands will not yield a fair crop. Late sown 

 grain on Winter plowed plain lands will nearly all be cut for hay, or is being pastured; 

 while the low lands will produce fair crops, it will not, however, offset loss on plain lands. 

 At this time it is somewhat difficult to ascertain what amount of acreage sown will be cut 

 for grain ; would consider it safe to say not to exceed seventy-five per cent. Of land culti- 

 vated for wheat in this State about seventy-five per cent is Summer fallowed, and twenty- 

 five per cent Wilder plowed; of the latter a very small proportion will be cut, and that 

 proportion will be on low lands. At this time we would estimate that we will sack about 

 25,000,000 bushels, which is a very liberal estimate. Of last year's crop there is on hand 

 about 15,000,0011 bushels; deducting 10,000,000 bushels for home consumption and seed, will 

 give us 30.000,000 bushels for export. 



The outlook on the first of May was not very encouraging; with less than 

 an inch of rain during the month of February, about .10 in March, and a 



