104 REPORT ON THE STATE CABINET. 



reaction is doubtless greatly increased in the eastern part of our continent 

 and in the Atlantic ocean, by the fact already pointed out, that they are 

 the great wind-gap of the northern hemisphere. And although the 

 general causes of these phenomena may exist and be active in the southern 

 hemisphere, I doubt whether, without the peculiar conformation of the 

 mountains in our hemisphere, to give them intensity, their influence 

 would be particularly noticeable. 



Besides these local causes influencing climates, there are one or two 

 more phenomena suggested by the meteorological obsei'vations in my 

 possession, that I will put on record here as worthy of observation : 



1. The first is this : It has happened thus far, that when the winter 

 comes on gradually and continues cold through January and the first half 

 of February, without much of what is called the "January thaw," we 

 have an early spring, and the snow passes ofi"and the frost comes out of 

 the ground earlier than when the winter is what is commonly called an 

 " ojwn'''' one. The observations in my possession suggest this rule, and 

 perhaps it is what we should expect on general principles. 



2. Again : when there is a large accumulation of snow and ice during 

 the winter in the region northwest of us, and especially to the northwest 

 of the great lakes, the spring, though it may be an early one, is sure to 

 be attended with an unusual number of cold rains, chills, and even frosts. 

 The reason for this is obvious. 



It forms no part of my plan to discuss the distribution of rain ; but 

 there is one remark that is so connected with my subject, that I will beg 

 a few words more, for the purpose of saying it. As a genei-al rule : 



1. The amount of water that falls annually, decreases from the equator 

 to the poles. ' 



2. It decreases from the sea coast as we pass inward towards the centre 

 of the continent. 



3. It is, in the northern hemisphere, greater on the south and west 

 sides of mountains than on the north and east sides. 



Now, owing to these laws combined, it is doubtfiil if we should have 

 rain enough for successful agriculture in the western and central States 

 of the United States, were it not for our great lakes. On the coast most 

 of the rain comes from the ocean ; but in the neighborhood of the lakes, 

 as Geneva, for example, so far as I can judge, quite one-half of the water 

 that we have in the year, is by evaporation from the lakes, most of 

 which, being west of us, the storms come to us fi-om that direction, and 



