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POMOLOGY, GARMOTNO, FORESTRY, HORTICULTURE, RURAL ARCHITECTURE, BEES. 



Vol. II. Des Moines, Iowa; Leavenworth, Kan., Sept,, 1871. 



No. 



MARK MILLER, 

 Editor ami Publisher, - - De» Moines, Iowa. 



PR. J. STAYMAN, 

 As$o<Aale Editor, - - Leavenworth, Kansas. 



DR. WM. 51. HOWSLEY, 

 Correfponding Blitor, - - Leavenworth, liansas. 



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Climatology — loTva and CallTornla. 



By Jacob Stautfer, Lancaster, Pa. 



Ed. Pomologist and G-abdener; — My atten- 

 tion was called to an article on the comparison of cli- 

 mates in relation to fruit culture, on page 175, cur- 

 rent volume of the Pomologist, from the Pacific 

 Rural Press. 



The writer refers to the report of the Secretary 

 of the State Agricultural Society of Iowa, for 1870, 

 noticing the remarkable drouth in the early part 

 of May, June, and July, and the sad results, in 

 burning up the pastures and producing a general 

 failure of truits, after abundant promise m the lux- 

 uriance of the bloom. Although nearly eight inches 

 of rain fell during the months of May, June and July, 

 and from January to September over 27 inches, yet 

 the drouth destroyed all the fruit crop, while in 

 California, this year, the whole rain-fall in the cen- 

 tral portion of the State up to July, has not reached 

 eight inches, notwithstanding the apples, pears and 



all other kinds of fruit bid fair to be one of tlie 

 most abundant and the most excellent ever had, 

 and this too in the dryest portion of the State, and 

 upon the dryest lands. 



This feet is put forth for a scientific explanation 

 admitting that it is " undoubtedly true to a great 

 extent, that fruit is fed and sustained in its growth 

 from the atmosphere "— " but then " the writer con- 

 tinues, "it must be remembered that the atmosphere 

 is much dryer in California than that of Iowa." 

 " Why is not the fruit of Iowa thus fed and sus- 

 tained in its growth ? " " Why is it ? Will some 

 of our meterologist explain?" 



Before answering the question it may be proper 

 to state that climatology embraces a wide field of 

 observation, such as the nature of the topography 

 or the extent of the country, its inclination and 

 local exposure ; the direction of the chains of moun- 

 tains by which it is intersected or which are in its 

 vicinity. The more or less favorable conditions of the 

 soil to radiate, absorb and evaporate; the proxim- 

 ity to or distance from the ocean, the air currents 

 induced or even the changes produced by cultiva- 

 tion. All or some of these causes modify the re- 

 sults deduced from the consideration of latitude and 

 elevation alone. 



Apart from these diversified considerations, it is 

 easy to estimate the amount of solar heat received 

 by any given space on the surface of the earth in 

 the course of a whole year, as that depends on the 

 number of rays and the obliquity of their direction 

 — for example, a zone of a degree in breadth, is pro- 

 portioned to the cosine of its latitude ; and the 

 efi'ect of a single ray in consequence of its oblique 

 impact is diminished also in proportion to the cos- 

 ine of the latitude ; the diminution of the mean tem- 

 perature, therefore, in going from the equator to 

 the poles, must be proportional to the square of the 

 cosine of the altitude. 



This is the scientific explanation — altitude aflccts 

 the temperature ; that a greater degree of cold pre- 

 vails in the upper regions of the atmosphere is well 

 known, by the snow covering the summits of high 



