SCIENCE 



NEW YORK, DECEMBER 18, 1891. 



ARCTIC WINDS AND POLAR EXPEDITIONS. 

 Dr. A. Sup AN discusses, in Petermann^s Mitteilungen. Bd. 

 xxxvii., No. 8, the movements of the air in the Arctic regions. 

 His results are obtained from a study of Dr. Buchan's charts 

 annexed to the " Challenger" report. Dr. Supan divides the 

 year into three parts: the first extends from November to 

 May; the second from June to August; and the third con- 

 sists only of the months of September and October. During 

 the first of these a belt of high pressure runs from the Asiatic 

 to the American coast and divides the Arctic basin into two 

 parts. On the east the air flows to the Pacific, and on the 

 west to the Atlantic, low-pressure centre. The middle line 

 of this ridge Dr. Supan calls the Arctic " wind parting " 

 (Windscheide) . But during the period in question, this 

 wind-parting undergoes great changes in position, approach- 

 ing the Behring Straits during the months of November and 

 December, and in February beginning a rapid retrogression, 

 which carries it past the Pole and almost to the Atlantic 

 threshold of the Arctic regions. In summer the belt of high 

 pressure disappears, and instead a feebly-developed anticy- 

 clone is formed somewhere in the neighborhood of the Pole, 

 whence winds flow outwards towards the continental borders. 

 These winds must, in such high latitudes, be diverted con- 

 siderably to the east by the rotation of the earth. Lastly, 

 during September and October, a deep barometric depression 

 passes from the Atlantic Ocean along the northern coast of 

 the Old World towards the New Siberia Islands. On the 

 northern edge of this depression easterly winds must prevail. 

 The drift of the " Jeannette," as recorded in DeLong's log- 

 book, is a proof of the correctness of the preceding conclu- 

 sions, for it must be remembered that the ocean currents are 

 mainly directed by the wind. The vessel advanced or re- 

 ceded, along with the ice in which it was imprisoned, in 

 general, at those times when, according to the foregoing 

 theory, the wind-parting would lie to the east or west of it, 

 respectively. Hence it is evident that vessels entering the 

 Arctic Ocean from the Atlantic have to struggle, for the 

 greater part of the year, against the stream, while those that 

 enter from Behring Straits swim with it. Dr. Supan con- 

 siders, in the next place, the time that will probably be re- 

 quired by Dr. Nansen's expedition to perform its journey 

 across the Pole. The ice-block which transported the articles 

 belonging to the "Jeannette" expedition covered a distance 

 of 3,300 miles in 1,100 days, or about three miles a day. This 

 is a rate never surpassed by the "Jeannette," except in her 

 last forward drift, and, therefore, it may be assumed that the 

 ice-block did not retrograde so rapidly and for so long a time 

 as the ship. During the changes of the position of the wind- 

 parting it may have always remained in the region of the 

 'Atlantic current. It may also be inferred from the drift of 

 tlie "Jeannette" that the non-periodic displacements of the 

 ■ wind-parting are most marked in the neighborhood of 

 Behring Straits, so that Dr. Nansen is likely to make rapid 

 progress after passing the New Siberia Islands. Five years, 

 then, may be considered as more than ample allowance for 

 the duration of the voyage. 



While Dr. Nansen's route is undoubtedly the best for ves- 

 sels, the Pole may be reached with sledges by other routes. 

 M. H. Ekroll, a Norwegian, has designed sledges, according 

 to the Scottish Geographical Magazine, which may be com- 

 bined to form a boat. His expedition is to consist of six 

 members, and the sledges are to be drawn by a large number 

 of dogs, so that the speed may be increased and the supply 

 of provisions requisite reduced. Being able to travel over 

 sea or ice, the expedition will, to a certain extent, be inde- 

 pendent of wind and weather. Prom the eastern island of 

 Spitzbergen, somewhere about Cape Mohn, to which place 

 the expedition will be conveyed by ship in June, 1893, Herr 

 EkroU will make for Petermannsland, in order to avoid the 

 ice drifting to the west and north-west. To the north of 

 Petermannsland he hopes to find more compact ice, and to be 

 able to travel direct to the Pole. Should mishap occur, or 

 the movement of the ice be too rapid, he can retreat on 

 Spitzbergen, where a depot will be formed, but, under favora- 

 ble circumstances, he will return from his furthest point to 

 the east or west coast of Greenland, where also depots will 

 be formed. The success of the expedition depends in great 

 measure on the condition of the ice and the progress that can 

 be made against the wind, for in all probability the wind 

 will be adverse. Dr. Supan estimates the distance from Cape 

 Mohn to Petermannsland at about 435 miles, from Peter- 

 mannsland to the North Pole at about 590, and thence to 

 Fort Conger at 515. This distance of 1,540 miles would be 

 traversed at the rate assumed by Herr Ekroll, 11 kilometres 

 or about 6.8 miles per day, in 226 days. Herr Ekroll has 

 yet to find funds for his expedition. His country cannot be 

 expected to contribute more to such undertakings, and he 

 will, therefore, have to look for aid elsewhere. 



FUNGI INJURIOUS TO FRUITS.' 



At the close, a thought presses upon me that is the out- 

 growth of observations in the field, especially during the 

 past two years. Your attention is called to the idea, that 

 healthy plants of strong stock, well-fed and not overworked 

 by undue cropping, are the best able to withstand the inroads 

 of enemies of every sort. There may be exceptions to the 

 rule, but so few, that it can be acted upon with profit. The 

 half-starved plant is no better able to struggle among the 

 vicissitudes of life than the ill-fed and half-sick man. Blights 

 overcome the one as scurvy does the other. Therefore 

 the best conditions for the production of profitable crops are 

 the same as those that will most assist in warding otf its 

 fungous enemies. Let the seed, soil, and surroundings be 

 the best and a fungicide, so to speak, has already been used 

 when it will do the most good and render ihe application of 

 others, when needed, all the more profitable. In short, 

 strive to do the best for the fruit-tree, or shrub as such, and 

 a long step will be taken toward overcoming the enemies that 

 break down the weakest hosts first, because they are weak, 

 and gain thereby strength to overcome the strong. Having 

 done this, we are ready to take up the direct 6ght of the fun- 



' From a paper, by Byron D. Halsted, before the Ohio State Horticultural 

 Society. 



