CHAPTER XXV 



ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF WINDS, RAINS, 

 CYCLONES, CLOUDS, TORNADOES 



The economic importance of anything means its relation- 

 ship to mankind, especially in connection with his material 

 interests. A thing which is economically important may 

 be beneficial to man, or it may be injurious, or it may be 

 both. So it is with winds. They do much good, but they 

 may do much harm. In both cases they are of much 

 economic importance, and fortunately, they do more good 

 than harm. 



Windmills and sailing vessels are very ancient devices 

 whereby man takes advantage of wind to get work done. 

 But these, and all other devices in which the relationship 

 to wind is under man's control, sink into insignificance as 

 compared with the great natural effects of wind on man- 

 kind, effects over which he has no control and which do 

 not depend in the least upon anything which he has de- 

 vised. Of these natural effects of wind, the distribution 

 of rainfall is the most important. It is wind which brings 

 the rain. Could we get along without rain? 



Uses of Rain and Snow. The great fundamental occu- 

 pation of mankind is agriculture. For agriculture at least 

 twenty inches of rain per year is generally necessary. 

 There are some exceptions to this, but not many. It is 

 drought which the farmer usually fears more than any of 

 his other enemies. 



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