206 TRANSACTIONS OP THE 



A WINTER FAIR. 



CALIFORNIA'S PRODUCTS SHOWN IN DECEMBER, FRESH FROM TREE AND 

 VINE— THE OROVILLE CITRUS EXHIBITION OF 1888. 



By Me. S. S. Boynton, Editor of "Oroville Register." 



The residents of Oroville and vicinity, realizing that we have here the 

 finest citrus fruit belt in the Golden State, last year determined to show 

 the world what this portion of the State could produce in this line. So 

 gratifying were the results, so widespread was blown the fame of our orange 

 groves, so rapid the influx of people, so many hundreds of acres were set 

 to the orange, the olive, and the vine, that this year it was determined to 

 hold a second Citrus Fair, on a larger and grander scale than had ever 

 before been attempted in California. For this purpose a mammoth canvas 

 tent, covering over ten thousand square feet, was erected and arranged for 

 exhibiting the winter fruits and flowers of this part of California. This 

 temple to Pomona, the goddess of fruit, was opened to the public on Mon- 

 day evening, December 17, 1888; and below will be found a description of 

 the grand display. 



THE PAVILION. 



The pavilion for the second Citrus Fair is a mammoth building one 

 hundred and sixty feet long and sixty-four feet wide, with arches sprung 

 from side to side so as to leave the whole space clear of all posts or pillars. 

 The center of the building is thirty-four feet high, thus making a magnifi- 

 cent structure for the display of fruits. The area of the floor is ten thou- 

 sand two hundred and forty square feet, while over thirty -five thousand 

 feet of lumber was required in the framework of the building. In the 

 main pavilion there is twenty-seven thousand feet of canvas, and in the 

 extra roof about fifteen thousand feet more. Owing to the material of 

 which it is formed, the pavilion is as light as though made of glass, while 

 at night it is brilliantly illuminated by thirty-six electric lights. The 

 space inclosed is nearly three hundred thousand cubic feet. 



A Citrus Fair in Oroville, Butte County, California, during the month of 

 December, is of more than local importance. Oroville is situated at the 

 base of the Sierra Nevadas, in 39 degrees and 30 minutes north latitude, so 

 that the exhibition of citrus fruits in that town during the winter season 

 may be taken as an ocular demonstration of the climate of a large part of 

 Central California. 



Readers will bear in mind that the great cities of St. Louis, Baltimore, 

 Philadelphia, and Cincinnati all lie in about this latitude, and that all the 

 Southern States are south of this parallel. In making any comparisons of 

 climate, as well as productions, this must be taken into consideration. 



We annex a table showing the average annual temperature of a number 

 of localities on the Atlantic Coast, but all south of the latitude of Oroville: 

 Norfolk, 59°; Lynchburg, 57°; North Carolina: Charlotte, 61°; Hatteras, 

 62°; Fort Macon, 62°; Smithville, 63°; Wilmington, 63°; Asheville, 54°; 



