The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-05-05
(,ur1OSil1cN Of ScienCc.-NO. ;.

VAPOR. - Whence comes the rain ! Whence are
those aeeting clouds ? Whence the refreshing dew
are questions which are given to the curious and inves-
tigating or rather TO such they suggest themselves, in
the multiplicity Of natures beautiful operations.
That there is a constant succession Of similar opera
tions-causing the vicissitudes of the weather, and con-
trolling in a great measure the labor Of mems hands
in nature. is evident from the fact that year after year,
nearly every section of the globe has about the same
amount of wet and dry weather yearly, and though diff
ferent ATTITUDES have different amounts of wet and dry
lays-owing to their proximity to The equatorial regions
in series Of years those amounts correspond There
falls a larger amount Of rain under the Equator than
any where else, and yet there are fewer rainy days than
in latitude GO North. In one place in the equatorial
regions, rain falls yearly to the amount of 81 inches,
and at st. Petersburgh to the amount of II inches in
iepth. At ST. Poterbsburgh, however, the number of
rainy days is more than double the number Of rainy
days at the Equator. Therefore at the Equator it must
pour in torrents. They have also two dry seasons and
two wet seasons, as We have here in the Ncrth, causei
by the trade winds blowing in one direction steadily six
months, and by their changes causing two seasons i'll
each.
From the great ocean, from the seas, from every lake,
from every pond, from every water puddle. there is a
constant, irresistible, and at the same time an imper-
ceptible evaporization. Set a bowl of water out in the
yard, and in two or three days it will have all disappear
ed-especially if the weather be hot. Has the sun
dried it up? Nay verify; it has all gone away in
insensible Particles, and you may see it in yonder cloud
From the great body Of water on the face Of the globe
as a reservoir, is going on the great cloud forming pro.
cess, which like a gardeners water pot, though on u mag
nifcent and God-Iike scale, is calculated to dispense
blessings to all the children of men. Evaporation is a
purify ing process; though the waters from which vapol
arises is impregnated with minerals of various kin Is
they never find their way into the golden tinted cloud
All is purity there, and rain water is pure water.
When yapnr comes in contact with a colder current
of air, it ~condenses and falls in the form of rain. Hence
heat is essential to the formation Of vapor, and cold tt
the formation of rain drops Or snow fakes. Hence il
rains very little in sandy, desert countries, the heat
arising from the arid wastes dispensing the vapor
Hence it rains very msch in woodland countries, from
the fact that a cold current of air seems to be in motion
above the ever moving branches Of the trees. Hence
the eagerly wished for shower often passes off; follow
ing some water course or strip of woodland, because O
their attractive currents of cold air.
Vapor is a complete emblem of life and Immortality
Rising insensibly into the ETHEREAL heavens, it puts on
new aud subtitle form purified from all eafth's dross, j
comes to us the welcome messenger, dispensing new life
and beauty to every plant. 1t finds its way again int
the great reservoir, only TO be transferred again to TIT
upper regions, and thus on aud forever unweariedly j
performs its allotted tasks, an emblem of death aut
resurrection l.. N. CoUNTRYMAN.
Nininger, April 18th, 1858.