The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1869-05-22
The Influence of Climate.


The United States has grown to
be vast country, extending from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, and
from the North, where the cereals
have little more than time to ma
ture, to the South, where the su-
gar cane and cotton plants flour
ish; and, by the energy of our
people, this territory is traversed
by railroads throughout its entire
length and breadth-to say moth
ing Of its great rivers. And as
almost everybody is willing to
settle wherever he can advance
most largely his worldly interests,
it is reasonable to consider the in
tiuence Of climate upon man, his
health, wealth, and happiness.
Each varying climate of the
world, within certain limits, has
it's peculiar plants, birds and
beasts. Man is not much restrict
ed in his habitation; he clothes
himself, and can live and thrive
almost anywhere, though his ener-
gies of body and mind are devel-
oped the most in the temperate
latitudes. Look at extreme north
ern and southern countries: not
one of them has contributed any
thing to science or to art, to great
discoveries or improvements. Eu-
rope is about One-fifth the extent
of Asia or of America, and rather
inferior in fertility of soil, yet
that continent and its islands pre-
sent a surface crowded with peo-
pie in the highest state of civiliza-
tion and refinement. Their wealth,
manufactures, and commerce are
the wonder Of the world. Their
mighty cities are embellished
with art, the reflection of genius.
They enjoy the greatest political
Importance, and, in q great meas
ure, hold the power Of the world
in their hands. That continent
has q mean temperature of from
70 to 60 Fahrenheit. 1t is the
most favorable that is known fol
| developing the energies of man.
| Speaking of Europe and the
United States, we may remark
that the climate Of Virginia, Ken.
tucky and Missouri seems very
similar to that of France. The
climate Of California resemble,
that Of Spain; their extent o
square miles is about the same
California has about five hundred
thousand inhabitants; Spain ha'
1 about fourteen millions.
1t has long been known tha
mere lines OF latitude do not by
any means indicate precisely th,
varieties Of climate, for there ar
many other causes which operatt
to that effect. Therefore it be
came necessary to indicate climat,
more intelligibly. Humboldt wa
the first to trace upon maps lines
connecting all points having tht
same mean annual temperature
or nearly. These lines are terme'
, Isothermal, sfgnifying equal heat
t From North to South ther
are four of those lines laid dowl
upon Isothermal maps. The lin
80 Fahrenheit is the culminatin!
: point Of dense population an,
prosperity. Within about two dc
grees north and the same south G
it, all or nearly all the great cite
of the world are located, including
those of China and Japan. CeI
tainly the people when they gath
;, cred there knew nothing Of lSotE
ermal lines. But they felt then
selves cheerful, strong, able, entel
prising. They planned, scheme(
;, worked hard, and prOspered, b.
cause everything favored them.
The climate influence, next
Importance to temperature, is th
meteorological, or amount of W;
ter fall. The natural laws whic
govern winds and rains are littl
understood, still some leadin
J, facts are known. Rain is MOI
abundant about the equator, an
the quanty decreases both towar
the north and the south poles
The influence of the hot sun upe
- the vast expanse of the southel
ocean seems to act like a pump
a. a. drawing up or evaporating waite
producing vapor, clouds and raj
: At the same time nature has pr
vided very strong andregular Gu
IS, rents of wind to carry those ra
clouds over the lands and dist
butte them according to the pee
liarities of their localities, b
somehow in very variable guam
10 ties. In the West Indies al