10 



when it became evident that the hay crop in a large portion of 

 the State must prove a failure, and consequently command a high 

 price, many persons resorted to the tule lands at the mouths of 

 the San Joaquin, Sacramento and Cosumnes rivers, in search of 

 the desii-ed article. Here they found thousands of acres of nat- 

 ural meadows, upon which were cut and secured, according to 

 statistics collected by the Secretary of this Board, and careful 

 estimates made by men of good judgment engaged in the busi- 

 ness, not less than fifty thousand tons of a very fair quality of 

 hay. According to the same estimates, there were left standing 

 uncut at least an equal amount. Yet within sight of these 

 extensive meadows, much of them unclaimed and unappropria- 

 ted by anybody, large flocks of sheep and herds of cattle have 

 been reduced by starvation since the rainy season commenced 

 from twenty-five to fifty per cent, in numbers, and probably 

 thirty-three per cent, in the weight of those yet ahve. Again, 

 when this hay was cut and freighted to localities where princi- 

 cipally demanded for use, the expense upon it per ton, as a gen- 

 eral thing, amounted to more than an ordinary stock cow or 

 bullock would sell for, and consequently to Winter such an 

 animal upon it, would cost more money than the animal would 

 sell for when wintered. 



These are extraordinary cases in an extraordinary season, but 

 to a certain extent they occur every year, and to the full extent 

 may occur again. To prevent such recurrence, and to bring 

 about a healthy change in the management of this branch of 

 agriculture, are objects worthy the attention of those who may 

 hereafter control the transactions of this Society and the econo- 

 mies of the great interests of the State. 



The vast amount of staging on this coast, and the transporta- 

 tion of goods and machinerj^ from navigation to the various 

 mining localities in this State, Nevada and the surrounding Ter- 

 ritories will, until such times as railroads shall supersede these 

 modes of conveyance, continue to create a great demand for 

 valuable horses and mules, and large quantities of grain for their 

 subsistence. To raise a horse or a field of grain ma}' not gener- 

 ally require a greater degree of skill than is possessed by any 

 ordinary farmer. But to raise and prepare for market a large 

 number of good horses with profit to the owner, and well adap- 

 ted to the business for which they were intended, requires a good 

 degree of knowledge of the principles of breeding, the economies 

 of feeding such animals, and the judgment to apply such jsrinci- 

 ples and economies for the attainment of the end in view. 



To make a given number of acres of land produce the largest 

 amount of grain and other food that it is capable of producing, 

 without deterioration of the soil, for a series of years, requires a 

 much greater degree of skill and scientific knowledge than is 

 usually exercised, at least by the generality of farmers iu this 

 country. 



