STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 23' 



white, hard frost covered almosl everything thai was exposed oul of doors. 

 At 1:30 a. m. two shocks of an earthquake were felt; the last seemed to be 

 rather a continuation of the first. A Loud, rumbling noise or sound attended 

 the peculiar shaking or quaking motion, which apparently came from the 

 northeast, passing towards the southwest. The first shock was quite severe, 

 the rumbling sound, loud and sharp, gradually growing weaker, hut rising 

 again in intensity as the second shock was felt, then stopping short, and 

 nothing more was heard of the earthquake's rumbling noise; windows set- 

 tled in their frames, and all pendent objects swayed to and fro for a few 

 moments. Another shock occurred at 8:56 p. m. The first sensation was 

 an impulsive movement, a jog, ending with a tremor or trembling; a dis- 

 tant rumbling sound was heard during the vibration, which appeared t<> 

 pass from northeast to southwest. Lunar halo, 9 r. m.: barometer, .'!<> : ii) : 

 thermometer. ~>i ) degrees; balance of month weather hazy, with slight rains 

 for several days. 



February — No unusual phenomena occurred during the month — some 

 light showers and sprinkles of rain; frosty mornings; Lunar and solar halos, 

 with a few beautiful luminous sun-risings and sun-settings. 



March had her full amount of bluster, by raising a great dust quite a 

 number of times, with high winds and light showers during the latter part 

 of the month. The fifth was very clear and pleasant in the morning: at 

 2:30 p. m. a gale of wind came up from the northeast, which filled the air 

 with clouds of dust; the thermometer ran up to summer heat, which, with 

 the dryness of the atmosphere, caused the most succulent plants to wilt for 

 several hours; evening very clear and pleasant. An eclipse of the sun, 

 which it was said to have been annular, occurred on the 16th; no oppor- 

 tunity was given to see it on account of a thick, dark overcast that remained 

 all day; during the time of the greatest obscuration of the sun the dark- 

 ness of night was very perceptible for a time; a chill was felt in the air; 

 the thermometer fell 4 degrees in temperature and gradually rose again 

 when the eclipse passed off. The forecasting of the weather in the public- 

 mind — that eclipses are followed by storms within forty-eight hours — in 

 this case was verified, for a fine shower of rain fell on the 18th, which 

 broke the long continued drought for four or five weeks. 



April was what might be called a rainy month ; warm showers at fre- 

 quent intervals seemed to be the prevalent characteristic of the precipitation. 

 On the evening of the 8th, at 7:45 o'clock, there occurred one of the most 

 severe showers or storms that has been observed in Oakland for ten years 

 past. The rain fell in torrents, filling the streets and gutters with water; 

 vivid flashes of lightning illuminated the dark horizon every few minutes, 

 and loud peals of thunder crashed here and there, then rolled away in the 

 distance with muttering sounds. For one and a half hours this terrific 

 storm, swayed by different currents of wind, hung over Oakland with all 

 its fury, then passing away and leaving behind on its track brilliant flashes 

 of heat lightning that lighted up the huge cumulous clouds that carried 

 away the relics of the storm. No other meteorological phenomena occurred 

 during the month, unless it was a shower of rain and hail that fell at 5 

 p. m. on the 19th. Fine growing weather, with plenty of moisture, was the 

 marked feature in this vicinity. 



May, June, and July were more than usually marked by many overcasts 

 or high fogs, lasting late in the morning and coming up early in the after- 

 noon. Very dry weather supervened on the April rains, which in many 

 places dried up and destroyed entire fields of grain, and injuring them 

 more or less in every locality in the State. 



