118 PROCEEDINGS OF^ THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



some points, and scattering it in others, which projects incoming matter in paths 

 sometimes wide off the orbits they would have followed but for planetary 

 action. 



The sun has a sphere of attraction beyond which its influence is practically 

 nil ; but the dimensions must be enormous. From the remotest parts of this 

 sphere cosmic matter moves sunward, very slowly at first, but increasing its rate of 

 motion as it draws nearer and nearer to the solar system. The distance from our 

 system will be so vast that off in space the lines of their motion must be practically 

 parallel. 



And here it should be understood, that no matter whether my speculations as 

 to the origin of the chemical elements are correct or incorrect, the fact remains 

 that cosmic matter, solid and gaseous, really exists in space, and moves in orbits 

 around the sun, and so far as the weather is concerned it does not matter how 

 they originated. 



Matter coming from beyond the orbit of Neptune, will, when moving in the 

 medial plane of the planetary orbits pass near the orbits of Neptune, Uranus, 

 Saturn, Jupiter and Mars before it reaches the Earth, and will have its path 

 changed more or less by any and every planet which it may pass near to ; and as 

 those atoms and masses are passing sunward in vast numbers, and at greater or 

 less distances from the planet, their paths will intersect and cross each other at a 

 distance, as shown in the figure. 



It is not possible to represent sizes and distances correctly in a figure, but it is 

 easy to see if cosmic particles came into the system in the direction of the parallel 

 lines and passed on each side of the planet B, they would cross and fall on an 

 inner planet at C in greater numbers than at other points. If we suppose B to 

 represent Jupiter and C the Earth, the earth would receive more meteoric matter 

 when it was passing through this focus than before it reached it, or after it had 

 passed through it. All the outer planets would act in the same manner on 

 incoming matter, and this matter comes from all directions. Some will move direct 

 and others retrograde ; large numbers moving in opposite directions will collide, 

 destroy each others' motion of translation, and fall on the planet within whose 

 sphere of influence they may be at that time. 



The great mass of the planets Jupiter and Saturn will probably cause them to 

 be the disturbers of incoming matter, and we may consider them to be so situated 

 as to act most powerfully to produce changes. They will shift their position in 

 relation to each other constantly, and as Jupiter's period is 12 years and Saturn's 

 30, they will not be in the same position in relation to each other, and their 

 position in the zodiac, for two revolutions of Saturn and five of Jupiter or 60 

 years, 12x5 = 60. So we have two cycles, one produced by .Tupiter of 12 years, 

 the other by Saturn of 30 ; and a cycle of 60 when both will act together. These 

 may be causes of weather. Can we trace or find such cycles in our meteorological 

 record ? 



Here is the rainfall record at the Toronto Observatory. 



Sixty years ago Saturn and Jupiter occupied nearly the same position which 

 they do this year (1902) ; we had a sun spot minimum in 1843 and a great rainfall, 

 43.55, and our avei'age is only about 26. 



Starting from 1843 as our zero year, we find a 12 year cycle fairly marked by 



