STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 307 



frost. Mr. Flint, who was an uninterested spectator except as to possible 

 future investments, declares he was amazed at what he saw, as regards 

 Placer County's capability for the culture of citrus fruits. He says that 

 there are oranges on the trees now as fine as were ever produced in any 

 country. • 



I l-eorge Rich, whose farm is near the Lake House, and who is one of the 

 extensive growers of citrus fruits in Sacramento County, reports that no 

 harm has yet been done to his trees. His trees, he says, are seedlings, 

 which are hardier than the budded fruit. 



Hon. William Johnston, of Courtland, said that he does not grow citrus 

 fruits to amount to much, but he expressed the opinion that the cold 

 weather is a good thing for deciduous fruits and vines, as the insects can't 

 stand it. He was willing to give up his orange trees if the cold will kill 

 the insects. 



J. Reith, who resides on the Lower Stockton Road, was also positive that 

 no harm would result to trees or vines from the cold weather, as the sap has 

 not started. He said that grain might receive a setback, as it looks some- 

 what wilted. 



John McNie, of Florin, said that no harm at all would be done to trees, 

 vegetables, etc. If it froze again to-night, young orange trees might be set 

 hack, but the others would not be hurt. In fact, fruit trees in general 

 would be benefited, because it would put them back, and retard the buds 

 from coming out too early in the spring. 



["Daily Record-Union," January 10, 1888.] 



Cold Wave once in Forty Years. — The Cold Wave of January, 

 1854, Almost Equaled by the Present Cold Spell. 



For the second time in thirty-four years, an extraordinary cold wave is 

 sweeping down upon the Pacific Coast. The Signal Service reports show 

 the.minimum or lowest temperature on Saturday and yesterday (Sunday) 

 to have been 19°. It has not been so low as that before since January, 

 1854, when the same temperature was recorded by the late Dr. Thomas M. 

 Logan, the then meteorologist of this city. For the sake of comparison, I 

 visited the city's free library to find a copy of the old " Sacramento Union " 

 for January, 1854, but there were no copies so early as that date, in the 

 library, of that particular paper. There was a copy of the Sacramento 

 " Daily Democratic State Journal." From the columns of its local news I 

 find considerable very interesting reading, just at present, for the citizens 

 of our city. If the dates were left out, the articles would very well refer to 

 the present almost unprecedented cold weather. The articles copied from 

 the above named paper, are as follows: 



Saturday, January 7, 1854. — Yesterday was a clear, calm, cold day. We were shown ice 

 yesterday morning, one and one quarter of an inch thick, the thickest ever seen, we 

 believe, in Sacramento. The night of Thursday (5th) was unusually cold. 



The following would do for a good description of the last three days of 

 our present cold spell : 



Monday, January 9, 1854. — The weather has been unusually cold, the past three days. 

 Yesterday, in riding a short distance in the country, we noticed, as late in the day as 3 

 o'clock, ice in considerable quantities in the marshes by the roadside. Such an occurrence 

 was never noted before. 



To show that the cold "wave of 1854 did not stop at Sacramento, the fol- 

 lowing article from the "Democrat" will prove: 



