STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 19 



Our estimates, however, proved wholly at fault, as about the time the 

 growing wheat reached the stage it was most susceptible to damage 

 from its most powerful enemy, it came, although nearly thirty days before 

 its usual appearance, and as the growing crops had advanced nearly that 

 much, it came over them at about the same period of maturity as it did 

 last season, and much damage was done in the large grain growing sec- 

 tions. 



From the most accurate information to be had, since harvest, we have 

 placed the yield of wheat in this State for 1887 at twenty-six million bush- 

 els. Prior to the appearance of the devastating winds, that came this sea- 

 son early in May, estimates by competent persons placed the yield at from 

 thirty-five million to forty million bushels, and judging from the appear- 

 ance of the grain in the fields, at that period, we think the figures were not 

 exaggerated. 



Prices, however, from this time on through harvest were far in excess of 

 the usual figures, occasioned, not by any report of the condition of crops, 

 but by the speculative spirit that suddenly pervaded the wheat market 

 and proved so disastrous to many of the large operators, but w r as a boon 

 and benefit of no small degree, for the time, to the fortunate producer who 

 took advantage of the sudden inflation and gathered in his shekels upon 

 delivery of his wheat. 



The losses, when the crash came, were principally confined to those who 

 had jumped into the vortex of speculation and were carried down in the 

 swim. Happily the number of real producers borne down was compara- 

 tively small. 



Farther on will be found a complete statistical record of the fluctuations 

 of prices in the market during that period, as well as the statement of 

 exports of wheat and flour from San Francisco during the year, together 

 with the table showing amount on hand at the commencement of 1888. 

 For this valuable matter we are again indebted to Mr. T. C. Friedlander, 

 the obliging Secretary of the San Francisco Produce Exchange. 



METEOROLOGICAL. 



The meteorological department of our society has grown so rapidly dur- 

 ing the last three years, that it is now desirable to have it in charge of an 

 observer, under the direct supervision of the State Board of Agriculture, 

 for reasons hereinafter given. 



The history of this department dates back to the birth of the society. 

 That we are the promoters of it from inception, you have but to refer to past 

 reports for verification. For many years prior to his demise, Dr. T. M. 

 Logan furnished the valuable data published in the early reports of this 

 society, and referred principally to San Francisco, Sacramento, and a few 

 other points. After the death of Dr. Logan, in 1875, this department dete- 

 riorated, and fell back to almost nothing — that is for a period of several 

 years — during which time no statistics were published in the annual reports 

 of this society. 



The United States Signal Office was first established in Sacramento in 

 1877, but from some cause no data was furnished from that office until 

 Sergeant Barwick was placed in charge in 1881. For that year, climatic 

 statistics covering several pages were furnished by Sergeant Barwick for 

 our annual report. After which, Sergeant Barwick' was duly elected State 

 Meteorologist by this Board, and since that time our meteorological statistics 

 have grown from a few pages, until they embraced nearly two hundred in 

 the report of 1886, and from a mere local report in 1881, to a general one 



