METEOROLOGY OF 1 897. 
45 
§41. Figure 12 represents the precipitation by months, 
and shows both the rainfall for 1897 3.nd the normal as ob- 
tained from observations extending over a large number of 
years, varying from 15 to 19 years for different months. 
The figures show clearly the preponderance of precipitation 
during the growing season. Each of the five months from 
April to August averages more than one inch of rainfall, 
and none of the other months have as much. Two-thirds 
of the rainfall of the year is received in these five months, 
and as this period, especially with the addition of March, 
includes practically all the growing season for fair crops, the 
importance of the distribution is evident. With this distri- 
MONTHLY NORMAL 
Fig. 12. 
bution, the small amount of rainfall which we have is as 
effective as a much more abundant rainfall, but with a large 
proportion falling during the winter months. 
