70 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



is just the coming back of what went up, instead of its being 

 carried over the mountains as it formerly was. 



Then there is another thing which is very interesting con- 

 nected with this problem which they are solving; and that is the 

 change of climate. I notice that, in giving a report of a lecture 

 that I gave the other night, the papers mixed things up a little, 

 as they sometimes do. They reported me as saying there were 

 formerly frosts every month in the year in Salt Lake City. It 

 may be true, but I didn't say that. What I did say was, that 

 there are parts of the valley where formerly there were frosts 

 every month of the year, where now they can raise corn and the 

 most tender vegetables with the greatest ease. No trouble from 

 frosts at all. The frost was so common in the valley, that when 

 the Mormons came to Fort Bridger, and old Bridger asked where 

 they were going, and they told him they were going over the 

 mountains to live, he said, " You may as well go back, for you 

 will find nothing to eat." They told him, " We have got the 

 seed that we're going to plant." " Plant ! " said he, " I'll give 

 you a thousand dollars for every bushel of corn you raise there." 

 It would take a large treasure to buy at that rate the bushels 

 of corn that can be raised in that valley now. In San Pete 

 County, especially, one of the first settlers who went there 

 told me that, every month in the year, they had not only frosts, 

 but quite severe frosts ; but when I was there this summer I 

 saw ail the agricultural products that man could desire, raised 

 in the greatest abundance. How is this to be accounted for ? 

 Why, this same condition of the country that rendered evapo- 

 ration so rapid when the Mormons first came there, caused 

 radiation to be excessive ; the air was perfectly clear nearly all 

 the time ; it was free from moisture, and therefore, when the 

 sun was down, radiation took place with very great rapidity. 

 The surface became cold, and the frosts were severe. But now 

 their process of bringing the waters down from the mountains, 

 making them fill the whole land and cover it with vegetation, 

 causes the moisture to rise up in the air ; the cold air from the 

 mountains condenses that moisture, and that protects the sur- 

 face of the earth like a covering, and therefore the frosts are 

 prevented. It is perfectly plain to me why they disappear, 

 although many of the Mormons look upon the change as a 

 miracle. It is a wonderful illustration of the operation of 



