The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-06-16
For the Gate City.

1
MKssRs. EDITORS :--It was my intention to
have handed the following remarks to be
published with the meteorological report for
the month Of May. was not able to com-
plete them in time, but the subject is still in
tsrssting, and you can publish them now, or
with the report for the current month, or not
at all, at your option.
The unusual quantity of rain which fell in
this locality during the last month caused
no little uneasiness among our agricultural
lets and others more or less interested, and
led msny to place wrong estimate upon our
climate.
The quantity OF rain which falls in dis
trict il no criterion Of it's adaptation to agri-
cultural or horticultural purposes. Our most
accurate observers agree that rain does not
supply one-tenth part Of the moisture neces-
sary for the support of vegetable life, and
that nine.tenths Of the rain which falls, flows
Immediately away or is evaporated. For cor
roboration Of this, turn We to portion OF
the South American continent. On the coasts
of Chilli and Peru rain is almost unknown,
vet vegetation is luxuriant almost beyond our
conception-and it is we'll established theo-
ry that deserts produce no vegetation-not
because no rains fall on them, but because
they have not the power Of condensing aque-
our vapor.
The first thing which arrests the attention
Of the American on his arrival in England,
is the humidity of the atmosphere and the
apparent quantity of rain which falls there ;
but the fact is, that not more than half the
quantity falls there that falls in this country.
| 1t is then the hygrometrical state Of the
atmosphere, as indicated by the dry and wet
Thermometers, and not the quantity of rai1
precipitated in given region by which w
can correctly judge Of its fitness for agricul
tural purposes.
Few persons have any idea Of the quantit,
of aqueous vapor contained in the atmos
phere. On consulting the tables furnished
by the Smithsonian Institute to its observers
; fnd that cubic foot Of air at the dew
point, or, in other words, when saturated
contains 1850 grains Of water when the ther
mometer stands 80 deg; 5,828 grains whel
at 60 deg; 1912 grains when at 80 deg.
and 19, l29 grains when at 100 deg. Henc
; we shall cease to wonder that vegetation
fourishes without rain in districts wher
aqueous vapors predominant.
Plants imbibs large proportion of shei
sustenance from the atmosphere.
I When we consider the constituents o
. plants, this appears strange and unaccounta
BILE, and We are very apt to exclaim, scepti
I cally, how can slick and alumina, carbon an,
sulphur and their various other elements b
, thus furnished2 and it is one of those fact
in chemical science which are scarcely capa
8 BILE Of being comprehended or explained eve
by those who have profoundly studied thi
branch Of natural science. But there ar
many facts in chemistry of which we are cog
, infant, without being able to comprehen
them--for instance starch and sugar consis,
If am not in error, of the same weights O
i. the same substances, but differently coDjoin
I ed; yet how different their properties an
uses Man can put together the same pro
portions of stone and cement he can com
bine the same colors, and produce thous
and varied impressions on the sense of sight
but in the hands Of Omnipotence matter
infinitely more plastic. In his hands, and a
{ his bidding, the same particles. can unite il
, the same quantities and yet produce the mos
dissimiler Impressions, and that on all on
senses at the same time.
All this may appear mere twaddle to some
: but others Of your readers may probably b
J interested. To such offer these remarks
not as containing anything new, but as
. subject for more mature reflection. S.