186S 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



261 



iment at the mouths of rivers, thus filling up a 

 portion of the bed of the ocean ? There are but 

 two primary sources, from which the water comes 

 to that portion of our continent east of the Rocky 

 Mountanis. The main reservoir is the Gulf of 

 Mexico, and the principal agent of communication 

 is the trade winds of the tropics. Tliis gulf of 

 tropical water is much warmer than the two oceans 

 in the same latitude, for it is the recipient of the 

 tropical current from the west of Africa ; and this 

 water being excessively warm, produces a large 

 amount of vapor which is held sus])endcd in the 

 air. The trade winds are deflected from their nat- 

 ural course, first by the continent of South Amer- 

 ica and its northern ranges of mountains, then by 

 the Cordilleras of Mexico and the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, its whole volume is carried into the broad 

 valley of the Mississippi, between the Rocky 

 Mountains and the Alleghany range, charged with 

 the vapor of the gulf. It carries water to supply 

 this great valley with its huge rivers and lakes, 

 and an enormous surplus to roil back into the 

 ocean and gulf, from which it was taken. Tliis 

 water l)eing warm, retains its warmth, and gives 

 the valley a climate, at times, warmer than is due 

 to latitude. It passes up the valley, and a portion 

 is carried eastward to supply the great lakes and 

 rivers on the slope of the Alleghany range, and is 

 frequently carried beyond these mountains into 

 the Atlantic States, where it flows into the broad 

 Atlantic. Whenever south winds prevail, this va- 

 por passes up the valley, giving it a climate much 

 wanner than is due to latitude. Another source 

 from which this valley receives moisture, is the 

 Arctic Ocean, whose northern winds and shifting 

 storms are frequently felt during the cold months 

 of winter. Yet at any time, this valley is liable 

 to sudden changes, as the wind comes from its 

 sources in the north or south. E ist of this valley 

 the supply of rain comes principally from the 

 broad Atlantic, driven by tlie south wind among 

 the valleys and mountains of New England and 

 the States east of the Allegliany range. This va- 

 por is carried far away into the mountain valleys, 

 and by mingling with the westerly current is scat- 

 tered over the eastern slope of these mountains, 

 and a portion of it is carried back to the ocean to 

 descend in the form of rain on its waters. The 

 surplus rolls off in the form of rivers, to the ocean. 

 and thus the equilibrium is kept up all over the 

 continent. West of the Rocky Mountains, the 

 supply comes from the Pacific, in the regular belt 

 of westerly winds. It is a well known ftict that, 

 in California, there is a surplus quantity of raiii in 

 the winter, and a deficiency in the summer. This 

 is owing to that great law of nature, wliicli produ- 

 ces summer and winter by the turning of eacli 

 part of the earth alternately to the sun. In the 

 winter, when the sun passes directly over Rio Ja- 

 neiro, its rays fall ol)liquely on our continent. 

 This draws the northern belts of air from their 

 summer position ; bringing down the westerly belt 

 on the shores of California, it must have a ten- 

 dency to bring a large amount of va])or from the 

 Pacific, and convey it up the slopes of those ranges 

 of mountains on the coast, and over them into 

 the great basin west of the Rocky Mountains. 

 But owing to the heights of the Rocky Mountains, 

 the vapor is all de])osited on the western side, 

 which gives the land an undue quantity of mois- 

 ture. In the summer, when the sun rolls its migh- 



ty course over the G'.df of Mexico, the westerly 

 current is driven northward beyond the latitude 

 of California, and the trade wind assumes its 

 northern limit, it l)rings California into the belt of 

 calms and conflicting winds, frequently from the 

 east, which can bring little or no rain on the thirs- 

 ty soil of that region. Thus, in summer, Califor- 

 nia suffers for want of rain, while Russian Amer- 

 ica coming in the belt of westerly winds, is wt-U 

 supplied. The western shore of Niexico is much 

 like the climate of California. Pcrliaps the most 

 singular region in America is the Groat Salt Lake 

 Valley, situated in the midst of mighty ranges of 

 mountains, where there is no communication of 

 its waters with the ocean. But splendid rivers 

 flow into Great Suit Lake, without increasing its 

 volume of water, and other lakes that are scat- 

 tered through this valley, receive tributaries of 

 considerable size, yet there is no way for these 

 waters to pass ofl" to the ocean. Then why do not 

 the waters rise in the lakes? The reason is obvi- 

 ous. This valley is surrounded by lofty moun- 

 tains over which no vapor passes, consequently P'^ 

 water comts from the ocean to fertilize the soil. 

 This is a miniature world. It receives no vapor 

 from distant huuls and imparts none. Its secret 

 is, its evaporation and precipitation balance each 

 other. All the water that rises in vapor falls again 

 in the valley, and flows back into these lakes. 

 The weather may be wet or dry ; the ground may 

 be saturated with water, or parched with drought, 

 and the lakes remain nearly the same. The rivers 

 may be swollen lo their utmost height, or be at 

 low water mark, and the lakes are still the same ; 

 for all that is distributed over the land is taken 

 from the lakes, and returns immediately to the 

 lakes. All this water existed there at the time of 

 its last upheaval, and will remain there as long as 

 that part of the earth remains in its present form. 

 It will fertilize the soil and fill the lakes aliernate- 

 ly through all time. But why is there such a sur- 

 plus quantity of salt in this valley, as to make the 

 water of the lakes much softer than the ocean ? 

 The earth is impregnated with salt everywhere to 

 a great extent, and the water in running over the 

 land dissolves the salt and carries it to the lakes, 

 as other rivers carry it to the ocean ; and as ages 

 on ages roll away, this solution of salt is continu- 

 ally carried into these lakes, and as the water 

 evaporates, it leaves the salt behind,. for salt never 

 eva))orates, for if it did, it would descend in rain 

 water, where it is never found. Thus all the sa- 

 line substances that are carried into these lakes 

 remain there, till the water has received all the 

 salt it will hold in solution, and when it has re- 

 ceived more than it can hold in solution, it will 

 crystalize in the form of salt. Winds and hurri- 

 canes may pass over this valley, but they are con- 

 fined within its mountain walls, and never pass 

 Ijcyond. A\'ith the Rocky Mountains on the east, 

 and the Sierra Nevada on the west, ar.d vast 

 ranges of broken and lofty hills on the north ai.nl 

 soutli, it is shut out from ail the rest of the world, 

 and is a little world of itself. 



South-west of this valley, and separated from 

 it I)y lofty mountains, we find a sandy desert, 

 made so by the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada 

 on the west, which prevent all vapor from piissiu;^ 

 over their summits from the Pacific. It is cut off 

 from the valley of the Colorado by lofty hills, which 

 act as a wall between this desert and the tributa- 



