]IEP0]ITS OF LOCAL SOCIETIES. 355 



Their change 44^, ours 2G°, a diflerciicc in our favor of 18 degrees. At St. Joseph, Mis- 

 .souri, on the same ni.i;ht there was a change from 52' above zero to 2 above the next 

 morning; a change of JJO dogroci?, to IJidoit 44° and our 20", 



I might couLinuo these coiii})arisoiis indefinitely, but it is uniieecssary. I 

 liave this to say however — these comparative diirerenccs are not exceptions, but 

 the rule, being nearly as great every winter. Fortunately for us, we are not 

 confined to the record of tlie thermometer, to prove the correctness of our 

 claims to su])eriority of climate. We have other proof that is conclusive on 

 that point. Notwithstanding tlie extreme cold of 1872 and '73, we had a good 

 peach crop the following summer, amounting to about fifty thousand baskets; 

 while the combined production of all other localities in the Northwest was far 

 below tliat amount. This is conclusive proof of the correctness of our record^ 

 and cannot be successfully controverted. After tFic foregoing statements, the 

 following question will naturally arise : " If the winter of 1872 and '73 was as 

 cold as that of 1874 and '75, why was our peach crop so near a failure in the 

 latter case, when we had so good a crop in the former?" My answer is as 

 follows : 



In the fall of 1872 our peach buds were well ripened, and in the best possible 

 condition. In the fall of 1874 they were also well ripened, but in November 

 we had an unusually warm spell of weather that swelled the buds very much, 

 and I had some that blossomed out on young trees. This left the buds in very 

 bad condition for winter, and in December I predicted, as several in town can 

 here witness, that if we had a severe winter our peach crop would bo a failure, 

 and yet, after all these unfavorable circumstances, we had between twelve hun- 

 dred and two thousand baskets of peaches, and this is the only time that we 

 have ever failed of a good crop. Of all other kinds of fruit, we had a fine crop. 

 In view of the foregoing facts, I feel justified in claiming that it was not the 

 cold winter that spoiled our peach crop, but the unfavorable condition of the 

 buds in the fall, as the record proves beyond a reasonable doubt. 



I now invite your attention for a short time to our record of the present win- 

 ter, compared with other points, to see if it sustains us in our position, that 

 these differences shown in our favor, are nearly uniform at all times when our 

 record approaches zero : 



Dec. 0th. — Beloit, Wis., -20°; South Haven, 10° above morning; evening 6° above. 



Dec. IGtii.— Beloit, -12°; AVatertown, Wis., -18°; here 2° above. 



Bee. ISth.— Beloit, -12°; Dowagiac, Mich., -12°; here 8° above at G A. M.; clear, 

 light wind, west ; about 7 o'clock wind changed to east ; at 8 A. M., zero ; at that time 

 wind changed suddenly west again, and in one hour it W'as 10° above ; clear, with mod- 

 erate wind. 



This shows clearly the influence of our lake. A simple change of wind from 

 west to east, for one hour lowers the temperature 8°; then a change restoring 

 the lake breeze one hour raises the temperature 10°, and this is only one out of 

 many similar changes. During the present winter it has been from 15° to 20° 

 below zero at Lansing, and various other places in our State, wiiile here we have 

 had only one morning below zero this winter, December 10th, it was 2° 

 below.* 



This is a very comprehensive subject, and a whole evening might be profita- 

 bly occu})ied in its consideration, but in the brief time allowed on the present 



*The records introcluced here are taken mostly from Signal Oifice reports, the balance from the 

 various newspapers of the country. The reports from here are copied from my own record. My 

 thermometer han.a^s on a post four "feet from a building that breaks off the west wind, though it is 

 exposed to that from the north. 



