DECEMBER, 1898. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 666
~
NOTES FROM THE NOVEMBER REPORTS OF THE CLI-
MATE AND CROP SECTIONS.
ARIZONA.
Mr. W. G. Burns, section director, remarks that-
A period of drought, remarkable, not so much on account of its duration as for its extent, prevailed in Arizona from September 15 to November 18, inclusive. * * * Taking into consideration t h e varied topography of the Territory, its vast area of 113,000 square miles and its changin meteorological conditions, i t is remarkable that this drought prevailei for so long a period.
Arizona lies between the area of high pressure over the
Pacific and under the Tropic of Cancer and the corres-
ponding high area over the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.
Between these tropical areas (which would probably be con-
tinuous belts of high pressure if the earth had a uniform
surface of water), the equatorial belt of low pressure intrudes
by sending an arm of low pressure along the coast of Cen-
tral America northward up the Gulf of California into
Arizona. The rains that come to Arizona vary with the
preseiice, or absence, of this extension of the equatorial low
and if drought prevails in Arizona i t is apt to be only a por-
tion of the area of drought extending northward over Cali-
fornia.
CALIFORNIA.
The deficiency of precipitation, on the average for 162 sta-
tions, was 1.20 inches, or ahout 55 per cent of the iiornial,
reckoning the latter a t 2.20 for the whole State. There
seems to have been abundant rainfall in the extreme north,
but little or nothing in the southern half and the central
valley. This area of drought, therefore, adjoins that in
Arizona and southern Nevada, and one common cause must
have produced the whole.
Mr. E. L. Coethen cornmunieates soine remarks 011 protec-
tion from frost, from which we infer that close wind-breaks
a t right angles to the flow of cold air cause low temperatures
on the upper side. A block of large trees below a block of
smaller trees would have the same effect. Fires a t these
points will drain off the cold a i r ; flowing water is a help,
but not sufficient in itself; clean culture and a wet surface
are the best conditions of the soil. Firing of any kind is
beneficial, if there is enough of it. Twenty to fifty coal bas-
kets per acre mill be needed according to the location and
size of grove. A little burning straw is a snare and deceit ;
dry straw is of little value ; smudge from wet straw should
be dense and cover large areas and lie lighted early. Coal
baskets should be filled a t the start and replenished before
the fire is too low, they need less attention than smudge.
Oil fires do good work, but the smoke is objectionable.
Evaporating pans give no visible results. An awning or cover
was found to be'of great service in the orchards a t Riverside.
Mr. A. J. Mitchell, in speaking of the protection of orange
groves, says:
Heroic remedies are necessary, and it is very generally concedetl that the only measure that promises success is the use of fires supplemented by other forces. Ex erience has forced the recognition of the iniport-
ance of d r heat as t i e only safe recourse when the temperature falls to 20' or {elow. Many groves are now liberally provicled with fuel, deposited a t certain intervals and su5ciently near to cause a rise in temperature when ignited. Mr. G. P. Kinney, of Piersen, says that during t h e winter of 1897-98 he haal to keep his fires going for nine nights, which was the longest period during the past five years. He places little piles of fuel between each of his trees and can fire an acre in a few minutes. He found that firing every fourth pile raised the surrounding temperature 5', and firing every third pile, 7 O ; by firing all the piles t h e temperature rose 1.5O.
The report of the Lake County Horticultural Society gives the result of an experiment made October 15, in partly cleared pine woods, where 30 fires were placed 50 feet apart each way; the thermometers were in the middle of each square and on the leeward of the fires, 5 feet from the ground. The fires were started at 8 p. m. and kept up for three
FLORIDA.
and a half hours; the size of the fires wan re ulated so as not to injure an orange tree 17 or 18 feet to the leeward. #here was very little wind and the dew-point was reached early in the evening. The air tempera- ture was 63' at 8:30 and 80' at 11:45 a t a distance from the fires; the average rise of the thermometer was 3.5' to do, and a few thermome- ters, placed 10 feet from the ground, averaged 2' higher still. Two and a third cords of wood were burned, of which one-half was light pine m d one-half green pine. This report is one of many that will be made this winter, and every such series of exact experiments and measure- ments give valuable data for determining what can be done under any given condition.
GE ORGL4.
Mr. J. B. Narbury says that the value and development of
the peach in terest in Georgia has necessitated methods of
protection against frost. During the spring of 1898 several
damaging frosts occurred, but answers from a number of
peach growers showed that the location of the orchards is
very important, and that quite a number escaped damago
although no protection was used. Without an exception,
orchards 011 high ground fared better than those on low
ground ; when an orchard extended from the hills down into
the valley, little or no damage was delle on the hill while
trees in the valley had all the fruit killed. Orchards in the
lowlnncls when properly protected by smoke did not suffer.
Smoke niade from coal tar was used by Mr. John D. Cunning-
ham, who says:
I t not only produces a dense smoke but prevents the ravages of the curculio. I left several portions of my orchard unsnioked, and these
portions n ere injured by curculio, the others were not. This is the general testimony of the other cultivators of peaches and plums. I n general, nearly all that were thoroughly smudged were saved, while a
large percentage of unprotected fruit was lost.
[If the curculio can be thus easily checked, that alone
would make i t worth while to smudge with coal tar smoke.-
E D .]
ILLINOIS.
Mr. Charles E. Linney states that from 201 reports of loss
by lightning, during May-October, 1898, in Illinois, he con-
cludes an aggregate loss of $43,000.
A survey of the reports shows a very marked increase in the loss of
stock due to the wire fence, and the urgent need of frequent ground wires on those in use; a largely increased 108s of barns and granaries during the harvest season, probably due to storage of new grains and grasses; slightly more danger to stock on wet than on dry lands; lack of any marks upon stock in most instances; t h e general movement of thunderstorms from west or bouthwest to east m i l northeast; a very large number of buildings struck but damaged only slightly; and, finally, an area of inarked frequency in losses covering the northwest counties especially, and t h e northern district as a whole, with an apparent ab- sence of losses in central counties.
IOWA.
Mr. J. Russel Sage having, in his summary for October,
shown that a large portion of the cattle injured by lightning
were a t the time standing in close contact with wire fences,
and having also shown that by providing these fences with
ground wires the loss of live stock may be greatly diminished,
the Farmers' Voice of Iowa publishes the following coni-
riient upon this improvement by hlr. Sage :
We may scarcely overestimate the importance of investigations of this kind, tending as they do to reduce to the minimum the destruction of life and proi>erty by lightning. Properly protected barns and houses, scientifically constructed wire fences, and the many precautions which as a consequence nil1 be taken must result in increased immunity from the blighting effect of this death-dealing element. Farmers everywhere owe Mr. Sage a debt for his timely and intelligent efforts.
Weather forecasts in England are favorably considered by
a writer in the London Standard, who says:
The forecasting of our meteorological office i n London is based on long observation and an inductive system. * * * The prophets sometimes prophesy falsely, but for this, as we shall see, they are gen- erally not tCJ blame. During the twelve months ending with March, 1698, they were fully successful in 55 per cent, and partially so in 26 per cent; of t h e remainder only 6 per cent were complete failures. Thie
556 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. DECEMBER, 1898
81 er cent of verifications is within the range of 79 to 84 that ha8 pre- vaiyed during the past ten years. Of the storm warnings nearly 92 per cent were justified. Of the forecasta of fain for the hay harvest sea- son, 90 per cent proved useful. The succesBes are most numerous on the eastern side of England, and least so in Ireland and the west and north of Scotland. Most of our bad weather comes from t h e Atlantic and t h e observers get no intimation of its approach until it is near the western shore. As we live in an island country, with an ocean on the west, we must put u p with a changeful climate and occasional failures in weather forecasts.
LOUISIANA.
Mr. Alexander McAdie continues his papers on the forma-
tion of frost by one on the methods of fighting frost, and
considers especially the great freeze of February, 1895. He
says:
On t h e morning of February 7, 1895, when t h e temperature was 40’
a t New Orleans, the forecast was made that, in all probability, a tem- perature of 15’ would be reached by the morning of the 8th. The
temperature actually recorded at the time mentioned was No, being a fall of 2 4 O in twenty-four hours, and a remarkable verification of the forecast. This is important, because i t signifies that warnings can be given sufficiently long i n advance to permit of active measures by smudging, screening, warming, or flooding. The weather map of February 6 may be taken as typical of the con- ditions preceding heavy frosts or freezin weather. An area of low pressure is found to overlie Louisianaand %Tiasissippi, while over Man- itoba an area of high pressure exists. The high area moving rapidly southward brings about a great cooling of t h e air and t h e first step in the formation of frost is thus accomplished. To protect successfully, then, every fruit grower must watch the weather map. He should be in communication n-ith t h e Weather Bureau. H e should also provide himself with a reliable thermometer which should be read carefully about 10 o’clock at night whenever conditions are favorable for frost. The thermometer should have a free ex osure, and should be read some distance from t h e house. Two reacfings should be made, one with the thermometer five feet above the ground ancl one about six inches from the ground. The bulbof t h e thermometer should then be dip ed in clean water of the same temperature as the air. With the bulg thus wet, t h e thermometershould be whirled for about three min- utes at the end of a string about two feet long. If proper1 done, t h e temperature will be found to read several degrees lower t i a n before. This difference between the d r and wet readings is of great impor- tance. In a rough way, by doubfing this difference and subtracting it from t h e dry temperature, one can obtain the dew-point or a tenipera- ture a little above it. When the dew-point is below 40°, the fruit grower should remain on guard, take further readings, and begin to light the smudges. For example, if the temperature of the air is 4 9 O ,
and the wet bulb reading 3 6 O , t h e difference, 4O, doubled a n ~l subtracted from 42O, gives the dew-point as 34’. This rule holds where the tlif- ferences are small as, in general, they are likely to be in Louisiana. These instructions are intended for those who have but one thcrmom- eter. For those who have sling psychrometers, more specific instruc- tions are available. Having thue forewarned himself, as it were, of theapproach of frost, t h e fruit grower is ready to consider the ways by which t h e injurious effects of frost can be counteracted. It will be well to study natural conditions preventing frost. We find that on dates when frost was expected but did not occur, one of several conditions occurred. Either strong northerly or northwesterly winds blew during the night and thus thoroughly mixed t h e air, preventing t h e formation of pods of stagnant cold air ; or there were moderate southerly or southeasterly winds, warm and laden with moisture; or the night was cloudy or
foggy. In brief, the natural preventives of frost are thorough mixing, warming, adding moisture, and screening.
Mr. McAdie then gives some account of artificial methods
of protecting against frost and, especially, brings before the
notice of the planters in Louisiana some of the results of the
work done in California under the stimulus of Mr. Hammon,
whose newest bulletin on the subject is now in press.
MARYLAND AND DELAWARE.
Mr. F. J. Walz gives an outline of the plan to be followed
by the Maryland and Delaware section in the climatic studies
that are now in progress. The plan of work includes the his-
tory of local climatology, the description of instruments and
the general characteristics of weather and climate. Also, t,he
fullest details as to temperature, precipitation, humidity,
cloudiness aud winds.
MISSISSIPPI.
Mr. W. T. Blythe very properly says:
The record of unusual phenomena made by some observers, under the head of “ Remarks ” on their monthly reports is highly appreciated ancl enhances the value of their work in cooperation with the Weather Bureau. Special value attaches to their statements concerning the crops and the weather. There is no better agency than the monthly Section Reports through which to make known to t h e world the cli- matic features of the State and its agricultural possibilities.
MONTANA.
Mr. E. J. Glass states that the weather for the month of
November is generally characterized by a cold wave which
heralds the first approach of winter. During the present
November, this cold period occurred on the 19th a t nearly all
stations in Montana and lasted for several days, the coldest
temperatures were reported on the 21st. The maximum of
4 O on the 19th a t Glendive was 45O below the maximum on
the day preceding. Only three stations escaped the cold
wave on the 19th, and these were situated in the extreme
western portion of the State. The warmest part of the State
was that west of the Rocky hfountain Divide, and the coldest
was the estreme northeastern portion. (This accords with
the general experience that the cold air flowing from the
north southward keeps to the lowlands). At Glendive, the
Tellowstone River froze on the 2lst, five days earlier than
any previous record. At Missoula, on the evenings of the
29th and 30th, the wind was blowing a gale from the east out
of Hellgate Canyon while clouds, a t about 1,000 feet altitude,
were going in an opposite direction from the surface winds.
Such a phenomenon as this must stimulate local meteorolo-
gists to determine the cause of this lower opposite current.
If i t were 10,000 feet deep, then, one might conclude that the
westerly wind striking the main divide a t the head of the can-
yon deflected downward ; but the mountairi tops are not high
enough above Missoula to justify this explanation. More
likely, the lower current was due to the cooling of the air in
contact with the sides of the canyon and was, therefore, of
very moderate depth, perhaps 1,000 feet, a depth that could
have been determined by flying a kite or by climbing up the
sides of the canyon. If this be the true explanation, then an
explorer with a sling thernionieter should find the tempera-
ture of the air slightly warmer a t great heights than in the
valley below, showing that the lower or eastern wind is eim-
ply the underflow of cold air down the valley. If, however,
the temperature grows colder with ascent, then the question
would, primarily be, whether i t diniinishes according to the
adiabatic rate of lo F. for 183 feet.
NEBRASKA.
hlr. G. A. Loveland rrpnblishes an excellent article on
snow crystals by G. H. Perkins of the University of Ver-
mont, that first appeared in Appleton’s Popular Science
hfontlily for May, 1898. The Editor hopes to present a sum-
mary of some of Mr. Perkins’ conclnsions in a future num-
her of the MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. It is a matter of
regret that the Weather Bureau ohservers have not as fall
access to scientific periodicals as their needs require. The
Chief of the Weather Bureau has arranged to have a few
scientific journals circulated aniong the stations, but much
more is degirable in this direction. Of late years Appleton’s
Popular Scientific Monthly has contained numerous popular
and instructive articles on matters pertaining to n~eteorology,
climatology, and physical geography. Among these we note
the following titles in Vol. LIII, June to October, 1898 : Page
307, “ Prindle on weather forecasts ;” page 467, F. W. Felch,
“The aurora ;” page 48, G. J. Varuey, “ Kite-flying in 1897 ;”
page 75, G. H. Perkins and W. A. Bentley, a “ Study of snow
crystals ;” page 577, G. W. Spencer, “ Geological waterways
across Central America ;” page 789, F. L. Oswsld, “Weather
DECEMBER, 1898. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 657
freaks of the West Indies.” Besides these meteorological
articles are numerous others relating to allied branches of
scie n ce .
. Mr. R. F. Young publishes some interesting remarks by Mr.
Daniel Bonelli, illustrating the climate and crops of southern
Nevada, who says :
This region is very different from the distinctly Northern States in that our growing season is longer by several months than in other tions of the State. We usually have no frost here until in Novemgzf, and our last crop of alfalfa, usually the sixth, and sometimes the seventh, is not cut until the end of November, and sometimes just
before Christmas.
The drought affecting southern California and Arizona has
also prevailed over southern and northwestern Nevada.
NEVADA .
NEW ENGLAND.
Considerable space is given by Mr. J. W. Smith to the
great storm of the 26-27th, which “ dwarfs all other meteoro-
logical features of the month.” The estimated maximum
wind velocity a t Block Island was 97 miles by the Robinson
anemometer, but of course, the individual gusts must have
been more severe. Not in the history of the present gener-
ation has there been such a record of devastation and death
on the coast of New England.
NORTR CAROLINA.
An earthquake shock was reported on November 25, as
follows: Mount Pleasant, 3:lO p. m.; Abshers, about 3 p. m.;
Charlotte, 3:05 p. m.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
Mr. J. W. Bauer has started a little investigation in order
to ascertain what effect the weather has on colds, or what
weather conditions are most favorable for catching cold. He
finds that there is adirect relation between both the inception
of colds and the increased severity of standing cases and an
abnormal or unusually wide range of daily temperatures.
The coughing spells of persons afflicted with a cold were gen-
erally more severe after sunset when there was a rapid lower-
ing of temperature, unless the persons were in a very warm
room during that time, or were taking active exercise out of
doors. If persons are more liable to catch cold when the daily
range of temperature is abnormally wide, then the weather
forecasts mill take on a new value. It occurs to the Editor
that, in the coldest part of the day, the temperature is apt to
fall so near to the dew-point that the particles of dust float-
ing about become coated with moisture, and settle so rapidly
toward the ground that when we go out of doors, we breathe
in an unusually great number of irritating cold particles of
moisture and, possibly, even the germs of disease. The irri-
tation that produces a cough may be due quite as much to
the cold particles that are caught by the lungs as to the cold
air itself. Will not some of our observers, regular and vol-
untary, try the experiment of breathing the cold air in through
a handkerchief, or some better form of respirator, arranged
to catch the dust and fog but allow the clean air to pass
through.
TENNESSEE.
The observer a t Madison, in Davidson County, reports :
On the night of the 14th, many extremely brilliant meteors were observed, completely traversing the heavens from northeast to south- west ; as many as six were visible at one time ; many were so brilliant that objects could be seen fifty yards away as readily as by moonlight, Thk shower of meteors lasted from 8:15 p. m. of the 14th to 1220 a. m. of the 15th.
A1 though several observers have reported individual bright
meteors during November, yet this is the first notice that we
have seen of anything like a shower of meteors. Such show-
ers are pretty sure to occur somewhere on the earth during
November 10-14 every year, and although these shooting
stars are of little importance to meteorologists, yet the astron-
omers are sufficiently interested in them to issue instructions
for the guidance of those who desire to make useful obser-
vations.
UTAH.
Mr. J. H. Smith, section director, expresses the pleasure it
gives him to issue the first number of the report for Utah in
the standard printed page. We believe this, therefore, cele-
brates the disappearance of publications by the milleograph
process. This process was invented by the officials of the
Weather Bureau less than ten years ago a t a time when some
method of publication was imperatively called for, but when
the ordinary printing press was supposed to be too expensive
a luxury. But time has shown that the Bureau can not afford
to publish its valuable records in any temporary or imperfect
manner. Newspapers, carbon or manifold copies, the mimeo-
graph, the milleograph, and even the lithograph methods are apt to be regarded as fit only for temporary use. It is, a t
the present time, impossible to obtain many complete sets of
these early publications of the Weather Bureau. On the
other hand, the present printed quarto monthly reports can
he bound into handsome volumes, and will a century hence
be available for studies in climatology. Few of us can real-
ize the numerous and novel uses that will hereafter be made
of our published climatological data.
VIRQINIA.
The Editor takes the liberty of repeating his former words
appreciative of the good taste shown in the colors of the baee
map printed in the reports of the Virginia section. Most of
the section reports show the base map in blue and the isobars
and isotherms in red, a few give both in black, but Mr. Evans
has chosen old gold for the base, and a blue-black for the
meteorological lines. Harmonious combinations of colors
are always to be preferred. Good taste is as conspicuous on
the printed page as anywhere else.
WISCONSIN.
Mr. W. M. Wilson, section director, reprints an excellent
article from the Milwaukee Sentinel, describing the weather
service in the West Indies. I n this article Professor Moore
states that the present Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. James
Wilson, instructed him to increase the usefulness of the
Weather Bureau as much as possible, and, especially, to ex-
tend its benefits as far as possible to those sections of the
country that have heretofore been neglected. It was Secre-
tary Wilson who conceived the idea of extending the weather
service of the United States over the islands in the Gulf of
hfexico and the Caribbean Sea. I n less than one month from
the time that Congress authorized the extension, twelve ob-
servers were sent to as many islands in the West Indies, the
stations were fully equipped, the meteorological apparatus
set up and arrangements made for cabling observations to
Kingston and to Washington twice daily. Our observers had
scarcely reached their stations when the most destructive
hurricane since 1860 began to form to the southeast of the
island of Barbadoes.
WYOMING.
Mr. W. S. Palmer, section director, gives a suggestive table,
showing the mean temperature for the whole State and for
each November from 1891 to 1898; also, the average precipi-
tation over the whole State, year by year. The normal, or
average for eight years, is, temperature, 31° F., and precipi-
tation, 0.76 inches. But the point to which we wish to call
attention is not mentioned by him,viz, that the years of higher
temperature are, also, years of small precipitation, and the
years of low temperature have rather large precipitation.
558 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. DECEMBER, 1898
~
0
24
30 31
28
By rearranging Mr. Palmer’s table in the order of tempera-
tures, we get the following result :
Inchen. 1.M
1.30 0.79
n. 83
Year.
~
1896
189s 1895
1893
1891
1897 1803
1 894
1895.5
1893.5
Tempera- Precipita- ture. tion.
28.2 0. Yi 0.52
By averaging the first four and the last four years, we get
values for the two groups, as shown in the last two liries of
this table ; and there can be no doubt but what there is a defi-
nite relation between the average November temperature and
the total November rainfall. Similar relations exist for nearly
all parts of the globe. A large precipitation generally meane
a proportionately large amount of cloudiness and, therefore:
a small amount of sunshine. There are, however, some re-
gions where the heat received from the sun during clear
weather is so Rmall that a continuous cloudy layer, acting ae
a blanket to prevent radiation, maintains a higher tenipera-
ture while a t the same time giving more precipitation.
NOTES FROM THE DECEMBER REPORTS OF THE CLI-
MATE AND CROP SECTIONS.
ALABAMA.
Mr. F. P. Chaffee notes that during a severe hailstorni at
Montgomery on December 2, lasting about four minutes,
there was no unusual change either in temperature or press-
ure, such as usually acconipany the fall of hail during the
summer season. The rapid oscillations of the barometer
during hailstorms, as shown by a barograph record, are not
yet completely explained. Doubtless, in many cases a satis-
factory explanation can be given, but not in other cases. A
comparative study of the hailstorms without barometric fluc-
tuations, as compared with those that show such, would
doubtless be very instructive.
ARIZONA.
Mr. W. G. Burns notes that the month has been remarka-
ble for the general severity of the weather, the average defi-
ciency of temperature was nearly 5 O , a snowstorm prevailed
on the 9th and loth, over three-fourths of the Territory, and
the fall amounted to nearly 30 inches a t some mountain sta-
tions. But notwithstanding this unusual phenomenon the
citrus fruit did not seem to have suffered any injury. It is
hard to believe that such unusual weather in Arizona may
not be followed by similar unusual cold and snow over the
regions to the eastward. Thus, we notice that in New Mexico
the month has also been very cold, the average for the State
being below the normal with an unusual amount of snow in
the mountains. Arkansas shows 3.9O below the normal, but
the average rain aiid melted snow was not above but rather
below the normal. Louisiana gave a temperature of 5 .2 O
below the normal, but the precipitation was also below.. Iu
general, therefore, as we proceed eastward from Arizona, the
temperature was uniformly below the normal, but the excess
of rain and snow which prevailed in the Rocky Mountain
region, disappears as we approach the Mississippi River and
enter the region where low temperatures are produced by the
southward flow of the cold, dry northers. This antithesis
between cold, wet weather on the west, and cold, dry on the
east is but an ordinary case illustrating the great variety of
combinations that occur in climatology.
CALIFORNIA.
The report for Deceniber prints quite an extensive memoir
by Dr. Marsden Manson, on the laws of climatic evolution.
This is a problem that has always interested the geologist,
but has, of course, very little to do with the practical prob-
lems of modern meteorology. As a rule we must utilize our
knowledge of present conditions in order to throw light upon
the nature of the cliinates that prevailed in past ages, and
we can scarcely utilize the latter in studying current clima-
tology. As bIr. Manson’s memoir will, probably, be published
in the Prvceedings of the British Association for the Advance-
nient of Science, i t will, doubtless, attract the attention of
the geologists who are especially interested in it, and who, if
we mistake not, have already taken in to consideration the
special ideas that Mr. Manson has dwelt upon. The same
mail brings us the latest discussion of this subject by Lord
Kelvin in a pamphlet entitled The Age of the Earth, pub-
lished by the Victoria Institute in London. The study of
this pamphlet shows us that, even after making the most
generous allowances, the subject is still beyond our grasp.
The exact scientific work of the last century has not yet
afforded a sufficiently secure basis for argument as to what
was the temperature of the earth’s crust, or the condition of
the earth’s atnioephere niillions of years ago. Still men
must attempt to reply to the questions that crowd upou us
when we study geology aiid paleontology. It becomes evi-
dent that there must have been some form of climatic evolu-
tion, hut the hest theories that we can elaborate to-day are
liable to be upset to-morrow, because they have involved so
many assumptions and must give place to facts when these
have been estahlished by the general progress of knowledge.
W’e woulcl not discourage scientific speculations as they play
nn iniportant part in stimulating the search for facts to sup-
port them ; but when facts and principles are once well estab-
lished, these coustitute science, and the speculations with
which they did not harmonize, give place to something else
nearer the truth.
COLORADO.
With regard to snow in the mountains, Mr. F. H. Branden-
hnrg says:
While it is true that more mow usually falls after January 1 than before that date, agriculturists of Colorado and abutting territory Rttach great importance to the amount received early in the winter, for these mows solidify, and consequentlydo not melt until late in the wason, thus furnishing a water supply after the mows of spring have melted and passed off.
He adds that during Decemher the snowfall has been very
large, the temperature low, and the winds high. These are
the conditiozls that usually go together in mountainous coun-
tries. He ventures general predictions as to the amount of
water that will be available for irrigation during the sum-
mer season of 1899, which we condense as follows :
Arkansas watershed : the flow will be much greater than in 1898,
snd of longer duration. South Platte watershed: the flow will be much greater than for a number of years, and be prolonged beyond the usual time. Rio Grancle watershed : a heavy and prolonged flow. Gunnison watershed: the flow will be very close to the normal. Grand watershed : prolonged and plentiful water supply.
GEORGIA.
Mr. J. B. Marbury publishes a detailed letter from Mr. T.
0. Skellie, who maintains that the failures in the peach crop
have been generally due to frost, and can be prevented by a
proper attention to frost protection, either by smudges or by
any other practicable means.