THE CLIMATE OF MICHIGAN. 713 



The occurrence of peculiar phenomena, such as hail, tornadoes, tor- 

 rential rains, etc., cause more or less destruction to crops. They are all 

 local in character and hardly need be discussed here. The aggregate 

 loss to farmers from these severe weather conditions is not large, but 

 individual losses are sometimes heavy. 



Just a word should be added to the effect that the climate is not chang- 

 ing, and therefore favorably or unfavorably affecting agriculture. Many 

 persons seem to believe that the climate is dift'erent now than it was a 

 half century ago, but a careful study of accurate records made for long 

 periods shows no change in average conditions. Chart XVII was con- 

 structed from records begun in 18G3 at the Michigan Agricultural Col- 

 lege, by Dr. R. C. Kedzie, and carried on by him for nearly forty years, 

 with almost no interruption, and continued since his death by other 

 observers. This chart shoAvs irregular fluctuations from year to j'ear, but 

 no permanent change, or tendency to change in any direction. The 

 average of any ten consecutive years' records, during the period, either 

 of rainfall or temperature, will be found to be about equal to that of 

 any other period of the same length. 



SUMMARY. 



The purpose of this paper is to describe the climate of Michigan, and 

 explain its peculiarities, and then to correlate the climate as described 

 with the agriculture of the state. 



The influences which control climate are four, namely latitude, alti- 

 tude, environmental conditions, and the location relative to the normal 

 storm paths. 



The temperature decreases in this and other sections about one degree 

 per one-hundred miles in distance away from the equator. A rise of 300 

 feet in elevation causes a drop in temperature of about 1° F. The pres- 

 ence of the Great Lakes causes marked differences in the climate of 

 Michigan, as compared with other sections. The windward side of the 

 lakes have a much more equable temperature, more snowfall and cloudi- 

 ness in winter and more sunshine in summer, than interior regions. The 

 fact that Michigan is in the direct path of cyclones and anti-cyclones 

 results in frequent weather changes, more precipitation which is well 

 distributed, and invigorating weather conditions generally. 



On the whole the climate of Michigan is not extreme in temperature, 

 either in summer or winter, the rainfall is sufficient for most crops, the 

 greater portion of the j'ear's supply falling during the growing season; 

 the cloudiness is greater in winter and less in summer than in regions 

 remote from the Great Lakes ; the humidity is rather high throughout 

 the year, especially on the lake shores; the prevailing winds are west- 

 erly, often high on the lakes but decrease as they pass inland. Severe 

 local phenomena such as hail, tornadoes, torrential rains, etc., occur 

 infrequently. 



The usual cereal crops grown in the central valleys are raised in 

 Michigan. Corn can be grown about as successfully in southern Michi- 

 gan as in the '*Corn Belt," but the seasons are often too short in the 

 northern portion of the state to mature tlie crop. Wheat, oats, rye, 

 barley, potatoes, beans, sugar beets, are all important crops, Avhile many 

 minor crops are also i^roduced. There are localities where each seems 



