STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 447 



about September 5, 1886, upon which occasion the Chief Signal Officer was 

 traveling down the Sacramento Valley, and spoke of it as a triumph, and 

 the newspapers mentioned the matter in terms of praise. However, this 

 prediction, while an interesting scientific question, otherwise did little good, 

 there being no means to provide against them. I was led, after such com- 

 mendations by the Chief Signal Officer, to inquire further into these obser- 

 vations, and to determine the cause of damage. Last year, up to June, 

 the prospect for a large wheat crop was said to be never better. In this 

 month (June), came a severe north wind, and the wheat anticipated dimin- 

 ished, at once, millions of centals. It was late in the season, the wheat was 

 ready to cut, and it was found in this case it was not altogether the drying 

 up of the wheat, some being in the milk, but as well the thrashing or shell- 

 ing out of the grains from the ripe heads, done by the severe wind pre- 

 sumably whipping the heads together. Upon sure investigation it was 

 learned that a field on the south side of a stream running westward, and 

 that was skirted by a growth of tall trees, was not so much damaged as 

 the field on the north side. This being .true, and the same conditions of 

 soil, etc., existing on either side of the belt of timber, it seems remarkable 

 that the difference in yield may be attributed to the north wind shelling 

 out the grain on the north side, or windward, of this row of timber, and 

 leaving the grain undisturbed, or much less injured, on the south, or oppo- 

 site side. 



By extending this principle of observation or applying forest protection, 

 it will be seen that trees planted in rows east and west can be made to 

 save grain. The greater the number of these rows the more the wind will 

 be broken. I believe it possible, if further evidence establishes the above 

 to be true, by this artificial means to elevate and break up the wind from 

 the immediate surface sufficient almost to get rid of this troublesome visi- 

 tant's ravages. 



This north wind occurs with greatest intensity in the great valley of 

 California which embraces about one third of the agricultural land of the 

 State; is in area about 1,700 square miles; in width, from 40 to 60 miles; 

 and in length, from northwest to southeast, about 400 miles. Bordered on 

 each side by almost parallel mountain walls, whose steep barometric gra- 

 dients from north to south exist streams of air (wind) that flow (blow) 

 down this valley is undisturbed. 



In this natural trough, I believe it is for man, by artificial means, in 

 planting trees in rows, east and west, to give that protection that will make 

 the great valley of California from year to year, without interruption, the 

 greatest cereal producing valley in the world, not to mention the advan- 

 tages incidental derived to fruit and other producers of this famous valley. 



It will of course take some years to even appropriately accomplish much, 

 but it will result from the movement that you and others have started. 



You speak of it as being rather scientific; nothing to me is more simple. 

 Knowing the wind blows with destructive violence, that it can be obstructed 

 by rows of timber, it becomes only a practical question of advocating tree 

 planting. A sketch of the State of California, showing the mountain 

 boundaries of the great valley, with profile, will illustrate the trough down 

 which the wind blows, and, passing over, as it does, a level, unobstructed 

 surface, reaches a great velocity down to a few feet of the ground. On 

 that same surface place the obstructions (east and west rows of trees), as 

 illustrated in the profile, and the wind is broken in the leeward side, and 

 if the rows of trees are frequent enough, the wind will perhaps be elevated 

 to a height above all danger. 



I am very sorry that military necessity compels me to leave this State, 



