The San Francisco call., 1898-01-28
FROST IN THE
 CITRUS BELT. Coldest Snap in South ern California for
 Years.
Considerable Damage Is Done to Orange and Lemon
 Crops.
Gentle Rain Now Falling in Some Sections, With Indications of
 Its Continuance.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 27.-The past two nights have been the coldest ex- perienced in Southern California for years. In some localities the mercury dropped to 25 degrees. and in low places it even went to 20 degrees. There Is no doubt but serious injury was done to citrus fruits, and in some instances young trees were killed to the ground. This latter is especially true of young lemon trees. The freeze did not re- suit in great loss, as oranges in low places had been pretty generally pick ed and shipped. On high foot-hill ground the oranges were not injured, and a large proportion of the groves here are planted on high ground. A gentle rain Is now falling with indica- tions that 1t will continue for some days.
 RIVERSIDE, Jan. 27.-The past week has been a cold one in this part of the State, and the visit of frost has done some damage to citrus fruits in the more exposed portions of this valley. Just what this damage amounts to it would be hard to estimate, but a care full canvass among the fruit growers and shippers would indicate that the loss was probably not more than , per cent of the crop. Riverside was par ticularly favored in this last cold spell by the prevalent south winds, which prevented the thermometer from fall ing much lower than 1t did. Tuesday night was the coldest for the week, and then the glass ranged from 30 degrees in favored places down as low as A in exposed points.
 one thing that beyond doubt saved the fruit was a change in the wind about 2 a. m., which brought up a heavy lot of clouds. Since Tuesday night the cold has moderated and all danger of further trouble seems past. The past two months have been cold all over this part of the State, fruit has been damaged everywhere and River side has not escaped. Good judges of the conditions of things estimate the total damage to the orange crop here at from to 15 per cent, most of which occurred in the lowlands.
 SAN BERNARDINO, Jan. 27.-The thermometer reached the lowest point for the season last night throughout the valley, and, if all reports that reached the city to-day are true, the frost was heavier than 1t was two years ago. F.. J. Underwood, who rep resents the Haight Fruit Company at Riverside. is responsible for the state ment that not an orchard in that col ony escaped. The mercury registered g degrees in the orchards while the smudging was going on.
 Special reports made to the Horti- cultural Commission state that the more elevated groves at Highlands were only slightly injured, while the fruit and the trees on the lower slopes of the town were dameged 20 per cent Special reports from Rialto place the damage to the navel oranges in that vicinity at per cent, while the other varieties suffered more.
 Prior to last night the fruit at Coltor was not thought to be damaged more than per cent, but a considerable quantity was injured last night. It is feared that many of the small trees are extensively damaged, but the larger trees have in most instances es- caped. The most conservative men dc not estimate the loss of the orange and lemon crop above 25 per cent, but state. ments have been freely made on the streets that half the crop is frozen,
 REDLANDS, Jan. 27.-That the oranges in Redlands suffered from tho drop in the temperature of this morn. ing there can be no doubt, but to what extent it is hard to say. The early par of the night and up to 3 o'clock tn, thermometer did not register lower than about 32 to A. but from unti about the temperature ranged some what lower. readings ranging from 2 to 26 and 28, according to locality ant exposure. It is almost safe to say tha- the average temperature in Redland: was about 2S degrees.
 As to the amount of fruit injured f is difficult to say. It is not though that navels and seedlings are hurt tt exceed 10 per cent, while the sweet: and St. Michaels are damaged not tC exceed 15 per cent. Smudging was don, by some, and it is claimed by thos, who smudged that it caused the ther mometer to raise from 2 to degrees Packers are not shipping beyond tn, average for this time of the year, anC the growers seem to be confident tha a minimum amount of damage wa. done.
 At the present writing it is tryin. hard to rain, and the indications ar, that by morning a long-sought rair will be on hand.