STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 243 



ANNUAL METEOROLOGICAL REVIEW 



OF THE 



STATE OF CALIFORNIA DURING THE YEAR 1888, 



BY THE 



Meteorological Department of the State Agricultural Society. 



Collated and compiled by Sergeant James A. Barwick, Observer Signal Corps, IT. S. A., 

 and Meteorologist to the State Board of Agriculture. 



Sacramento, California, May 1, 1889. 



Edwin F. Smith, Secretary State Agricultural Society: 



Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith my fifth annual weather 

 review for the year 1888, of the State of California, as meteorologist to your 

 Society. The greater portion of the State is herein represented, some por- 

 tions better than others — the cause of which is due to the impossibility of 

 getting those who ought to be interested in such matters to forward any data 

 whatever; this is especially so in regard to San Diego City and County. I 

 wrote to three different parties, including the Signal Service Observer at 

 San Diego, who is the only one of the three that responded, and his report 

 is very meager of meteorological data to what it could be made. If data 

 asked for is not forthcoming, then certainly I am not to blame, nor should 

 I be held responsible for the small space that portion of this State may 

 occupy in this review. I must confess that I myself am greatly disgusted 

 and discouraged at the small amount of interest taken by its people in the 

 climatic conditions of this State, which stands preeminently as the central 

 and best portion of the Pacific Slope, as well as the great and glorious 

 Golden West. Even our snowy neighbor, silvery Nevada, has had estab- 

 lished a '' State Weather Service," by its intelligent and far-seeing legis- 

 lators. Certainly, if that State deems a systemized and accurate record of 

 its climate should be blazoned and advertised to the world, what ought Cali- 

 fornians to think, whose glittering golden star of destiny stands out in mag- 

 nificent brilliancy, amidst the grand galaxy of twinkling emblems that deck 

 the blue field of our great American banner, the stars and stripes, whose 

 colors may never grow dim, nor its folds be trailed in the dust by an enemy. 

 Why, our Oregonian neighbors of the north elected members to their Legis- 

 lature, who, during their session of 1888-89, covered themselves, not with 

 ingratitude, but with everlasting honor and glory by passing a bill that gives 

 to the people of that community a " State Weather Service," whose climate 

 is never so good, healthful, or healing as our own. How long? Lord! 

 how long will our scions of civilization, monopolization, and culture travel 



