11 



The truth of this latter statement will bo apparent when it is 

 proved, as it has been, by statistics collected by our Secretary 

 during the past year from reliable sources, that most of the ^;raiii 

 land in California will, when Summer-iallowed, produce eig-ht- 

 tenths more grain per acre than when plowed and sown after the 

 rain}' season sets in. Yet not one-twentieth of the land devoted 

 to grain raising for years past has been Summer-fallowed. 



It is proper to remark, however, that great improvement in 

 the nmnner of preparing the soil and putting in the seed this 

 season over past years is manifest in every part of the State. 

 The efforts of this Board, through its Secretary, in calling the 

 attention of farmers to the importance of this subject, and the 

 drought of the past season, have both contributed to this change. 

 It is hoped that hereafter grain raising Avill be conducted with 

 greater econoni}'' and upoii principles which guarantee greater 

 and more certain success. As another good effect of the drought 

 may be mentioned the interest it has awakened in many parts of 

 the State upon the subject of irrigation. The experience of those 

 who have practiced irrigation for a number of years past, proves 

 that most any of our lands situated back from the river bottoms 

 proper, and which have heretofore been considered capable of 

 producing only small grains, and these only in favorable seasons, 

 may, by the judicious use of water, be made to produce in abund- 

 ance and with almost absolute certainty, most an}- crop embi'accd 

 in the husbandman's vocabulary in any climate or country. 

 This experience has also estsblished another important fact that 

 the best and only time necessary to use this water is during the 

 Winter season, when all our creeks and rivers are full and capa- 

 ble of supplying almost any quantity desired. A thorough sat- 

 uration of the soil at this time serves to mature any crop, or 

 two or three different kinds of crops, in a season, Avithout fur- 

 ther irrigation. The people of the counties of San Joaquin, Los 

 Angeles and Yolo have been the first to avail themselves of 

 these important lessons upon an extensive scale. 



C. M. AVeber of San Jotiquin county, has, during the last sea- 

 son, introduced water over his OAvn land, and that of some of his 

 neighbors, with the most gratifA'ing results. 



The particulars as to length of canal or amount of land that 

 may be irrigated have not been received, though written for 

 some time since * 



*NoT8. — Tlic Secretary received on tlie day after the annual meeting, from 

 Dr. Holden of Stockton, a letter, of which the following is an extract, and 

 which supplies the information written for : 



" I have ascertained' some interesting facts in regard to the profitable results 

 by irrigation from t'aptaiii Weber's ditches, which are supplied by water from 

 the Calaveras until June, the month the river usually dries up. The several 

 ditches run about five miles and irrigate about two tliousand acres, or tea 

 farms, small sections of which were last year cultivated to wheat ; the bal- 

 ance produced oat hay, and a superior article. The estimated value of crops 



