Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-29
LIGHT OR HEAVY RAINS?
Signal Officer Barwick Eas an Opinion,
IYuf That is All

s1sBai Cmcer BarTlck EaS an opinion,
But That is All.
Those were very timely remarks in the
SUNDAY UNION on the prevailing land fogs
and the prospect Of dry weather" remarked
Signal Officer Barwick to a reporter last
evening.
Eyes, sir" he added, these lorg-con-
tinued land fogs may be regarded as a
pretty sure sign OF what we may consider as
a dry season. l took charge of this station
in March, 1881 since which time--end in
fact from the first opening of this station
in July, l677-the records show but one
spell OF foggy weather that in any manner
compares with the present, and that one
was far ahesd Of this, as the following
records will show.
That foggy period was in the year 1881,
commencing az early as November, and
prevailed from The 9Th TO the 18th. Each
morning vas toggy, although the sun did
make its appearance each afternoon On
almost every day during the nine days of
November tog, but in the December follow.
ing there were eleven continuous DAYS of
fog and clouds that obseured the sun. This
foggy spell began on December 9th and
ended on the 18th, making q total of
eleven days; and, counting the nine DAYS in
November, gave Us a total OF twenty DAVIS
OF fog, as against about fifteen foggy and
cloudy days, combined, for the present
month.
The records OF this Office show that the
season OF 1888 aud 1884 was not dry one
by any means, for there was precipitated
"a as inches Of moisture, 5 inches over the
average. The amount that was deposited
before January l, 1884. Was but . 81 inches,
y z ia hos for tIo,,
to date.
From the above comparisons, it is not
desirable to give positive advice TO the
farmer to plant his low-lyipg ground earlier
than usual, for fear ne might lose his seed
and labor also. That Contra Costa farmer.
whose remarks were quoted YESTERDAY
ought to know by this time that the most
unreliable thing in California is to Judge
the future weather or rain prospects by the
past"
You tried that yourself, last season, did
you not Sergeant" the reporter ventured
TO remark
Yes, had a ssd.experience in that re-
spect," replied the weather sharp, "for, by all
rules OF judging the future weather BY the
past, last winter should have been an excsp-
tionslly dry one; but, instead, it was an
exceedingly wet one, there having been
over 80 inches of rain measured.
The better and safer plan for the farmer
to follow is 10 take no stock in the coming
season being a dry one simply because
there has been so much foggy weather dur
ing the present month, but rather to wait
and see for themselves and SOW and plant
at the usual time.
THE fcggy spell of November and De-
cember, 1888, was followed by an exceed
ingly cold January. The lowest temper
allure recorded was 800, which is loo below
the freezing point. 1t is to be hoped that
no such cold weather is in store for this
part of the Sacramento valley during the
coming month of January"
Then you do not feel like venturing an
unqualified opinion this time, Sergeant?'
We'll, don't hesitate to say that the in
dications strongly favor dry winter-that
is, not rainless one, but one of unusually
light precipitation. STILL there is no guar
antee that such will be the case, and the
safe thing to do is to go ahead with farm
ing and horticultural operations Just as if
these land fogs had not occurred"