STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 187 



years, and the twelvemonths on the top, and the eokimn of totals for 

 each year, and another column for each whole season, areconyenient 

 modes of showing the differences of the same month in different 

 years, as well as the differences in the totals of each season or year. 

 And there is of course a general compactness in the annual table as 

 presented by Sergeant Barwick. The objection to running the table 

 on in line for thirty-four years and over, may be easily obviated by 

 dividing the table into as many groups as convenient. There are 

 special reasons, in fact, considering the question of the periodicity of 

 our dry seasons, which of late has received so much attention, for 

 dividing the table into such cycles as have been observed, and the 

 aggregate amounts of rainfall in each rain cycle clearly shown so as 

 to make continued comparisons hereafter, and that is the subject of 

 chief interest that I desire to call your particular notice to. True 

 those aggregates may be easier made up, and seen plainer in the 

 column of the thirty-four seasons, than by making the table to show 

 six and seven years in width, which appears to be their ascertained 

 duration, dating now from 1843-4 to the present time. This most 

 important discovery, together with the approximately uniform 

 amount of the aggregate of rainfall within the cycles, was first noted 

 and published by the Record-Union of Sacramento, September 5, 

 18S1, but escaped receiving the attention it deserved, perhaps, because 

 the caption of the article afforded very little clew to the vitally inter- 

 esting discoveries that it covered. It was entitled: "The Drought in 

 the East, and the Approaching Rainy Season in California." Some 

 exception might be taken to some of the incidental inferences drawn, 

 and especially to a heavy rainfall being anticipated for the season, 

 when it still only realized 16.51 inches; and their agricultural editor, 

 January 7, 1882, and public opinion, concurred with the probability 

 of rather light rains in that season. Sixteen and fifty-one one hun- 

 dredths inches was a fair average, however. But, before I pro- 

 ceed, and in drawing attention to tlie annual tables, I hope it will 

 be clear that the amount of each aggregate cycle should be footed up 

 and expressed in the table, and consequently be there for reference, 

 now and hereafter, with any other convenient forms of illustrating 

 points noted by the press recently, and showing the rains footed 

 up to January 1, always commencing with September; and, perhaps, 

 still other incidental matters that may have occurred to your Society 

 and others, convenient to be shown. The general attention of the press 

 recently is noteworthy, and may deserve careful perusal, especially 

 here and in San Francisco, and would well repay agricultural readers. 

 I had hoped to have made a resume of them, but I found that it 

 w^ould take more than all my time. There is much of interest, 

 although some erroneous deductions have been drawn, as may be 

 expected. Even Sergeant Barwick was so impressed wdth fear of the 

 consequences of a drj'^ season, just before the recent storm, that he 

 remarked: " We must hope for the best, but prepare for the worst" 

 Now, down to that time, we had only had Si inches of rain, while 

 dry seasons have brought us lOi inches, showing that 7 inches might 

 be due still for a low season. Just then, from the twenty-fifth to the 

 thirty-first of January, the welcome storm brought us 21 inches, and 

 it has been showering to-day, February first. The land has had a 

 good soaking, and can very well stand three or four weeks rest, with 

 mild winds, sunshine, cloud, and fog, and perhaps a little frost. 

 Such variety, and then our complement of even only 4.25 or 4.5 inches 



