Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-19
Statistics and immigration.

The State Board OF Agriculture, in its late
report submitted to the Governor, discusses
pretty fully the subject of collecting statistics
of the lands crops, ETC., of the State.
It shows that the statistics, as now
collected and returned to the Surveyor
General by the Assessors, are not only good
for nothing on account of their partial and
unreliable character, but that the publication
of them has been an actual damage to the
State. The Assessors have only collected, or
pretended to collect, statistics of past
years and crops. They have returned
for instance, in 1880, the acreage
of the several kinds of crops in 1879 and the
product of 1879 They have also returned
for the same year the number of bearing
trees and vines for 1879, so that all the
statistics gathered by them were of a past
year, and Of no practical value, even if they
had been trustworthy and full. The fact
that the Assessors set value on land and
other property-as trees, etc.-may have
operated to induce people to withhold infor-
nation from them but as the Constitution
now exempts growing crops from taxation,
there is now no reason why this in
formation should be withheld if there,
was before. The greatest value Of statistics
Of the productions Of a country to the coun-
try itself consists in the use that can be made
of them in advance both by producers and
by commercial dealers. If, for instance, we
had a system by which the production of
wheat of this State could be calculated early
in the season, 1t would be OF great benefit to
the farmers who raise wheat from the fact
that the information going abroad would regu-
late the number Of vessels sent to this coast
for that wheat. So with reference to our
canned fruits, SO with our wines, wool and
other products. The State Board of Agri-
culture propose that the Assessors be required
to return TO the Secretary of the Board at as
early date each year as possible the number
of acres in wheat, in barley, oats and all
cereal crops, the number Of vines in bearing,
the number Of trees of each kind of fruit,
etc. Ali this information TO answer
as basis for future Californians.
Then, as the seasons advance they
propose that the Secretary call in once
a month at least, and during April, May,
and June, the critical period for each crop,
perhaps twice month, the condition of each
crop and each variety Of fruit. This con-
dition not to come from Assessors, but from
intelligent practical men from various sec
tons of the State or from each county.
Upon the return of these conditions having
the number Of acres, it would be possible all
the time to keep the people informed very
correctly as to the probable product. This
information would act as q guide to the
farmer in making his calculations upon prices
to traders as to the amount of crops TO be
handled, and to the freighters it would give
them information so that they could prepare
the proper number of vessels, etc, and thus
the whole business of the country would
move on harmoniously and advantsgeously to
all For immigration purposes, or as an in
ducement to valuable class of immigrants,
the report proposes that there be created, or
that the State Board Of Agriculture be EN-
powered to act es a bureau of immigration.
and required to collect, not only general facts
and statistics relating to the natural resources
andadvantageso of the State, such as the temper
ture of the climate, the richness and peculi-
arity of the soils, the annual rainfall, the
water courses and navigation, the distribu-
ton and facilities for OBJ aiming and growing
timber, ETC., but the artificial Improvements
and advantages, such as public roads, post
Offices, schools, churches, markets, railroads,
etc., showing the general advancement of an
enlightened civilization. Then the peculiar
characteristics of each section Of the State,
the necessity for irrigation or the non
necessity, the adaptabiiity TO different kinds
Of crops and all such information