AZ vs. CA:02 California Exhibits, Vol II; Nos. 58-113A

page 40

Frost sensible Temperature morning blow up from the Gulf. Passing as they do over the dense vegetation of the Delta lands, the air is cooled, and although I have no temperature records to offer in proof, I am confident that the mean summer temperature in this section is several degrees lower than at Yuma or than any point along the line of the S.P.R.R. I do not expect to find this country entirely free from frost, though I think there will be certain belts in it that are practically so. 1 know of no location in California where the thermometer has not, at times, reached 32 deg. At Yuma, the U. S. Signal Service records show that in the past 17 years, there have been a total of 2 frosty mornings in Nov., 6 in Dec, 28 in Jan., 3 in Feb. and 1 in March, the latter being on the 15th. day of March 1891, when 31 deg. is recorded. In the production of plant life, the number of clear days in the year plays an important part. The Yuma records show, for 17 years an average of 277 clear days, 62 partly cloudy, 12 cloudy and 14 rainy. I annex and make part of this report Meterological Records for Yuma, Salton and Indio. In a study of the temperature records, allow me to caution you to deduct 20 deg. from all summer records and 10 deg. from winter records as I think this is about the difference between the sensible temperature here and in New York.