ii4 OBSERVATIONS OF A RANCHWOMAN 



the nuisance of the winter fire can be banished 

 from the mind an advantage not to be de- 

 spised in a land where the trained domestic 

 is not, and fuel is scarce and costly. 



The wide, radiant sunshine of this region 

 comes less as a surprise to one who has 

 tarried long under beneficent American skies 

 than to one fresh from the old country. 

 Even in unfairly abused New York a care- 

 fully-kept weather diary records as follows : 



For December = 21 whole days of unbroken sunshine. 

 For January = 20^ 



For February =12 



For March = 17 



Not a bad showing for a by no means 

 exceptional winter. And the statement 

 commonly made in various sections of the 

 United States, i.e., that winter rarely sets in 

 before Christmas, is very fairly accurate. 



Whilst 'falling weather' of any kind seldom 

 comes our way ^^ of an inch being hailed 

 late in June further north as practically the 

 first rainfall for the year we do have what 

 goes by the name of the Rainy Season, 

 furnished with what importance it may in- 



