JUNE, 1925 261 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW
NOTES, ABSTRACTS, AND REVIEWS
THE ART OF PLUVICULTURE
By DAVID STARR JORDAN
[Reprinkd fmm Sdence, LXII, NO. im, July 24, im, pp. 8l-wJ
It is remarkable, when we consider the varied attem ta in our country to grow rich without risk or effort, that one orthe most certain enterprises of this sort has been almost completely over- looked by trade schools, as well as by the Argus eyed press. The professions of crystal gazing, clairvoyance, kleptomania, and the like, receive due attention from the press, as well as by the police, all efforts to benefit humanity by these means bein everywhere discouraged. The ancient arts of astrology an6 horoscopy, however, have their quarter column in most of our leading papers, while the modern diversions of pluviculture, chiropractics, and hormonism are everywhere treated with re- npect. Of these none can be more scientific than is pluviculture or rainmaking, as it is commonly called. Yet nowhere, so far as
I have noticed, is the method of operation made clear, nor the economic laws which make it, not only valuable to the farmers, but a sure thing in general. Even the astute Father Ricard goes on with his prophecies, apparently oblivious to the work of other scientists right within t h e range of his storms and sun-
For successful rain making it is necessary to find first a region fn which rain is expected but has failed to come. The first ele- ment is then to find a few hundred ranchers willing to give, let us say $8,000 to insure a storm, worth easily let us say $50,000 to them. The pluviculturist has next to build a modest shack or to set up a tent for his chemical operations. Next he repares certain chemicals in accordance with a secret formula. %hew may cost
150 more or less according to the likelihood of further demands for extension of his operations. What the formula is naturally no one has explained. Let me suggest a formula of my own. Take first 10 pounds of pulverized chlorate of potash and an equal amount of granular cane sugar. Mix them carefully in a
wooden tub .and when ready pour over them a liter (or pint) of sulphuric acid (c. p.). This sim le and inexpensive preparation
will produce surprising results. &ese may be brilliantly enhanced by using a pound of magnesium ribbon, to one end of which a
lighted match has been applied, the whole sent into the air b attachment to a sky-rocket. This is most effective toward night or after clouds begin to form. Then certain salts of stron- tium yielding red light, barium yielding green, and other salts yielding lights of different colors, should be set on fire. That this formula of mine has been used by any profeasional rain- maker, I do not know. I am sure that any pharmacist might furnish something equally good. Some also use an old-fashioned fanning mill to condense the air, but that is less impressive. Now that the chemietry has been provided for, the most im- portant point followe-the economics o!, the rows. There is an international institution known 89 Lloyfs” which insures anybody against anythin after a study statistical or meteoro- logical of the chances. %it charges 8 modest premium which naturally varies with the probabilitiee. If ou want a clear day for a picnic or a football ame, Lloyds w 6 for 8 consideration insure you against rain. Lloyds do not control the weather, but while l&g the premium charged you will receive enough to finance your pleasure or your sport next time. You can insure a
beseball player agdnst striking out, or an aimhip from falling into the sea, in accordance with Fientifically accepted robabili- ties. Every well-regulated stadium or other center of cuqture 8
spots.
‘client of Lloyds.
~
Now let the rain maker insure himself against a rainless da. I do not know the premium which Lloyds would charge. fn California it would vary, being relatively low in March, especially in the north, risinghigher to 100 per cent, or even more in July. Let us suppose that a dry period should occur in March the month of all month when r a n ie most desired in Coarse hold, let us say, in Alcalde, and in Calexico. Let us take a high esti- mate, assuming thst the premium charged $2,000, on amount ‘of insurance m case of a dry day being $8,000. The balance sheet of rain making is shown below:
A. I n c888 of rain- Received from the peo le of Alcalde ______________ $8,000 50
Paid for premium to Lloyds ..................... 2,000
Balanceofpro6t ___________________________ 6,950
Paid for chemic& an 2 housing __________________
B. In case of no rain- Received from Lloyda __________________________ $8, OOO Paid for chemicals and housing ________-_________ 50
, Paid for premium to Lloyds _____________________ 2,000
Balance of profit ___________________________ 5,950
The eo le of Alcalde pay $8,000, and receive rain worth C. I n A, case of rain-
%5(?008.
D. In Bi i&eof no rain- The people of Alcalde pay out nothing and receive nothing They are then ready to try again. The tranesction thus involves therefore no lose to anyone except t o Lloyds in case of B. And this eat corporation knows how to recuperate elsewhere. & under A, of course, the people of Alcalde would have had their rain anyhow.
Once in Sen Diego County and. once again in Fresno County the rain came as a desolating deluge, doing much damage and relatively very little good. It is said that under these conditions the cautious pluviculturist saw fit to take no chances and never collected his fee. It was Barnum, was it not, who stated the lesson to be drawn: “A sucker is born every hour.” Herbert Spencer insisted that “to save men from the consequences of their folly would fill the world with fools. ”
For this reason perhaps the press discourages crystal gazing8 and applauds the pluviculturist.
There is one element of risk.
THE FLOODINO OF A PASTURE BY HAIL
Many remarkable results of hailstorms have been noted in this REVIEW, but perhaps none more remarkable than that reported by Mr. Edwin T. Larsen, official in charge of the Weather Bureau Office a t Charles City, Iowa. Three photographs, which, unfortunate1 are not clear enough to warrant reproduction, show e extra- ordinary magnitude of the deposit.
These pictures were taken on the day following a severe hailstorm which occurred in southern Floyd County, Iowa, on June 11, 1925. The fall of hail was heaviest over the drainage area of a creek, known as Bloody Run, which enters the Cedar River 3 milea southeast of Charles City, Iowa. This creek bed is normally dry, but during the storm it carried a stream 20 feet deep and 100 yards wide. The hail, which was stated by the residents of the storm area to have fallen to a depth of 2 to 4 inches, was washed from the adjoin- ing fields into the creek by a torrential fall of rain. The picturea were taken at a turn of the creek where the hail waa carned out of the creek bed and deposited in an adjoining pasture, where a woven wire fence assisted in holding the hail until the water sub- sided. About 1% acres were covered with hail t o a depth of from 2 to 4 feet. The total precipitation during the storm can only be conjectured, but i t was evidently considerably heavier than at the Charles City station, where 1.76 inches occurred, of which 1.60 inches fell in 50 minutes. Only a light fall of hail occurred at the station. The hailstones were said to have approximated hen’s eggs or golf balls in siee, and at the time the pictures were taken hail up to 2 inches in diameter could be readily found in the drift.
HAILSTORM CF SUNDAY AFTERNOON, MAY 24, 1925, AT BALTIMORE, MD.
.By J. H. SPENCEB
[Weather Bureau, Baltimore, Md.]
Following the hottest weather ever recorded a t Bdti- more in May (maximum tem erature, 98’, at 3:30 p. m., 23d), the weather continuecf warm during that nigh$, with a minimum temperature of 69’; then the tempera- ture m e rapid1 on the 24th to a maximum of 87’ at
11:30 a. m. T L was followed by.a sli ht fall to 83’
at that hour the temperature fell 16’ in about 10 mmutes and 8’ farther (a total of 24’) by 4:35 p. m., when the fall
between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 . m., an 8 at 1:30 p.m.
a cool wave from Ontario struc R- Baltimore. B e n i n g