The Nevada journal., 1857-12-25
Tue Law OF RAINY SEASONS in CAL

lroRNIA.-All pecuniary interests de-.
pend primarily upon the productions of
the earth, otherwise upon agriculture
and this depends prominently upon the
relative amount of rain and sunshine
during a given year or season. Hence
the determination of the natural laws
regulating these is of the first import
ance. But more especially is this the
case in California, since here not only
our vast agricultural interests, but also
our immense mineral interests, depend
dire city upon the amount of rain we are
to receive in given year. The follow
ing article, therefore, as tending to
awaken inquiry upon the law of our
seasons, cannot fail of possessing some
value, even if it be too early in time to
carry with it certainty of truth. That
laws obtain in all departments of nature,
is an admitted fact among intelligent
men; hence that there are laws govern
ing rain and sunshine, wet and dry sea-
sons, is as much truth as that there
are such governing day and night. The
only difference is, that in respect to the
first, there prevails greater ignorance,
and also n,ore modifying circumstances
exist, than in respect to the last. But
to the intelligent the investigation of
| the one will seem no more worthy of
ridicule than the other. Hence, we pre-
sent these thoughts upon the subject of
a law of our wet and dry seasons, tho
aware we may receive a little of the
jeering of old fogy ignorance, and be
called weather prognosticators.
Within the last twenty years great
progress has been made in the collec-
ton of data from which to establish
through systems of meteorology, embra-
cling all the phenomena of storms and
seasons and atmospheric changes.
Among the principles determined, is
this: that the seasons revolve around
the world from east to west, the same as
do day and night but the rapidity of
this revolution has not yet been deter
mined. Therefore, if hard winter
prevails in any given region one year !;
then, some where to the west of it, at a
distance yet uncertain, a similar hard
winter may be expected to prevail the
next year, modified by local and other
circumstances. SO much, scientific men
have considered as established. If this
be the case then, it is of vast import
ance to determine the distance of year
y revolution, for then it becomes an
easy thing to determine, with much cer-
tainty, the character of any approach
ing season, for months before its arrival
| We could then prepare for the winter
according to its coming variations, much
rs now we prepare for the winter at all,
| during the previous summer.
Now, so far since the settlement of
California by any number of Americans
in 1916. our seasons, 1. e. our winters,
have each year corresponded with re-
markable regularity to those of the pre-
viuus year in the western portion of the
great Mississippi valley, or of Kansas
and Nebraska. The seasons of New
York and New England seem too far
east too reach us in the revolutions of a
single year. If they did, we ought, o
year ago, to have had severe winter
here, for such they had in New England
the year before that. But in 1856 and
so, the year of the first great troubles
in Kansas, the winter in the western
Mississippi valley was only moderate
one, only an occasional snow storm
Some few, watching the operation of
this law, were expecting hard winter
here year since, because of the severe
winter the year before along the whole
Atlantic coast. They were disappoint-
ed. The severe winter which was ex-
pectcd here prevailed no farther west
than the Rocky Mountains, and the
whole western Mississippi valley, expe-
rienced weather Of unusual severity
But this winter, we may look for sea-
son that shall correspond with that of
Kansas or Nebraska the last year, one Of
severity.
If this suggestion shall prove true,
that our winters are to DE the same as
those of the previous year in the West
ern Mississippi valley, so that we can
prepare for them the summer before with
tolerable certainty, its advantages in all
respects must be immense. 1t is import
ant that we carf lily observe the facts
to arrive at the truth, if possible. The
western revolutions of seasons is certain:
what we need to discover is the law of
rapidity for this revolution. S.V.
~ IN