The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-05-16
PEVVLItRITIEs Or OrH TEXtS
CLIMATE.


few years, and now receives liberal
encouragement from the government
of the United States. Its practical re-
suits, reduced into convenient form,
accessible to the masses of the people,
will become of incalculable value. by
| them the farmer, Orchardist and gard
cner will finally he governed in the
management of his crops. Every
science which tends to improve the
cultivation of the soil (the basis of eve
~ other pursuit and upon which life
| itself depends in civilized countries,
| should be nourished by men of all avo-
! cations. We make no prctensions
whatever to scientific knowledge (as
such) on any subject, but in the sense
that science is but a demonstration of
natural laws, as affecting cultivation,
health, longevity, ETC., we may have
the benefit of practical sense, exercised
by years of observation, intensified at
all times by the desire to learn and be
useful in our day and generation. This
by way of prelude to some remarks on
the distinctive peculiarities of the eli
mate of Texas. Wepurpose, in this ar
ticle, to speak especially of the sea
breezes and northers which are so well
known to all of our people.
1t is conceded by all well informed
men in this state, 1--WE mean, of course,
well informed on this subiect), that
the sea breezes of summer and the
northers of winter cover Il common
district or belt of country, and indicate
approximately the region subject to
larger or shorter drouths. Those hav-
ing large geographical acquaintance
know that the center of this belt
strikes the coast of Texas between
Corpus Christi and the pass of Mata-
gorda bay. Go west from Corpus
Christi or east from Matagorda pass,
and the force of the norther diminishes
till, on the west about Monterey and
on the east at Nermillon bay, in
Louisiana, it may be said to cease.
Granting these facts, it follows that
there is a grand center current to this
great atmospheric pressure, passing
from its source on the great plains or
Rocky mountains, as the fact may be
hereafter determined, almost due south
till it strikes the gulf of Mexico, and
passing over it, greatly modified in
temperature by eight hundred miles OF
warm salt water, strikes southern Cuba
and Yucatan at Sisal Celeston, Cam
peche and Champaton, with nearly the
same balmy, eXhilarating softness as
characterizes the southern sea breezes
on the coast of Texas. In November
and December, 1865, and January, 1866,
we were at those place during the prev
alance of northers, which, as we after
wards learned, were extremely severe
in Texas; yet there we walked on
the beach in shirt sleeves, feeling the
precise exhilaratiOn we had so often
experienced on the Texas coast at Ill
dianola, Corpus Christi and Galveston
from the southern sea breezes in mid
summer.
The conclusion, then, seems strong
that the northers of winter and the sea
breezes of summer, in Texas, are
counter currents, covering substantially
the same area of surface and, by some
law ofnature, mutually neutralizing or
eaualizing each other.
Bearing in mind, then, the fact that
the norther belt has its central current,
the same as mighty river, we desire
to call attention to fact, by way of
comparison, which we have no where
seen mentioned, but which substan-
tiates the theory we have advanced,
and fact which may have practical
value to many hereafter. 1t is this:
That while the northers, as expert
enced on the coast, say from the mouth
of the Trinity to the mouth of the Rio
Grande, come from nearly due north
course, the same winds, at the same
time, strike this part of the state (tak-
ing Dallas, Mckinney or Sherman as
central points, from nearly north
west direction, with somewhat the
same but reduced intensity. We sim
ply assert this as presumed fact after
over thirty years residence in the coast
center of the mortimer belt, followed by
three winters in Dallas.
Now, how does this come? We dc
not assert, but snggestively ask scien-
tific men to consider this proposition,
viz: the norther having its central cur,
rent from north to south Tor nearly
sol, the same as the central current oi
the Mississippi and the Amazon, is not
the northwest wind striking the from
tier of the belt at Sherman, Mckinney
Dallas and Corsicana, the same as the
oyerfiowing waters of those streams
seeking outlet whenever depression
exists? The waters of the Mississippi
penned up by high banks or levees
and driven with great force, the mo
ment a break occurs, rush off to th'
right or left by lateral outlets from thu
greater volume.
Such is our explanation of what w
assume as before stated, to be the fact
to-wit: that while severe northe
may prevail on Matagorda or Corpu
Christi bay, the same wind at Dalla
will flow from about northwest +
southeast; or in other words, it is tn
overflow of the draft from the gram
central current, seeking its equilibrium
wherever there is vacant space. w
present this as a general proposition
subject to notifications by the inten
sity of force and the precise center il
different gales of the kind.
That the heavily timbered countr,
: of east Texas is practically the easter
boundary of the northern belt, we hav