A YEAR OF WEATHER AND TRADE. 447 



consumption of pork products, poultry, etc., which depleted supplies 

 and raised prices in these lines. The natural consequence of a short 

 corn supply was thus seen to be higher prices for cattle and hogs. 



During the first week of May, nearly the entire country east of the 

 Rocky Mountains had highly favorable temperature conditions, but the 

 unsettled crop conditions in the southwest were the reason of a failure 

 to give much support to Missouri Pacific and Atchison stocks. Through- 

 out May unusually heavy rains . in the northwest retarded farm work 

 and interfered with trade there. During the week ending May 24, 

 Chicago, where the average daily temperature excess was 12°, reports 

 ' the feature in the drug trade was the increased call for soda-water 

 supplies caused by the hot weather. ' The coal strike, which had begun 

 to attract considerable attention, was much less of a burden on the gen- 

 eral public than it would have been if the weather had been cooler. 



The examples above given, which are but a few of those that are 

 available, show clearly enough something of the effects of the weather 

 upon trade, industry and financial transactions. No attempt has been 

 made to estimate the financial loss or gain due to the weather conditions 

 of any single week, or month, or of the year as a whole. Approximate 

 estimates of this kind can be, and often are, made in individual cases, 

 as in the case of the damage done by some storm to crops or to trans- 

 portation interests in some particular section, or in that of the money 

 value of one rain to cereals, fruits and vegetables in a time of drought. 

 But it has seemed to the writer that no useful purpose could be served by 

 attempting, in the present article, to make any such rough estimates as 

 are alone possible. 



The principal object of this investigation was to ascertain, if possible, 

 whether the relation between weather and trade could be expressed in 

 fairly exact meteorological terms. In order to study this subject, the 

 Weather Bureau charts showing the weekly (or, in winter, the monthly) 

 temperatures and precipitation, and the departures from the normal tem- 

 peratures and precipitation were used. On these several charts the 

 stations were located at which trade was reported as having been 

 affected by the weather. Cities where trade had showed effects 

 which were ascribed to the temperature were noted on the charts show- 

 ing departures from the normal temperature, a sign being used in each 

 case to show whether the effect was beneficial or otherwise. Cities 

 where the reports indicated favorable or unfavorable effects of precipita- 

 tion were noted in like manner, on the charts showing the departures 

 from the normal precipitation. In some weeks there was found an 

 extraordinary agreement, the good effects of 'seasonable' weather upon 

 trade being found at cities situated within, or close to, districts of nor- 

 mal temperature or precipitation, while the unfavorable effects of ex- 



