The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-09-02
VOL IS.
Battles of the Clouds.

Prof. Tice or Vennor, writes to the
following effect concerning this
all important topic:
There are two principal atmos-
pheric forces constantly battling
against each other in the basin of
the Mississippi, a dry semi-tropi-
cal wind and a cold Northern wind
or "waye.n These two winds ex-
ert a marked influence on the eli
mate of all the States drained by
the Mississippi, and consequently
affect crops either favorably or
unfavorably, according to location.
Should the cold wave push south
ward to any great distance, the
yield of corn north of line drawn
through Southern Iowa and Cen
trail Illinois would be very small,
while south of it to the Gulf of
Mexico there would be excellent
crops. Should the hot dry wind
prevail, very little corn would be
raised and in fact very little of
anything south of the above-mcn-
toned line. North of the line the
wheat crop would not yield well,
the air being too damp for the
ripening of the grain. This state
ment is borne out by proofs flrn-
ished during the last two years.
Last year. from the LIST of May
until late in the fall. no cold wave
entered the United States from
the north except one about the
2lst of June, which was feeble and
of short duration. The semi-trop-
ical wave moved northward to the
British possessions, and the meet
ing of the two winds in those up
per regions resulted in heavy aud
almost continual rains that flooded
all the low-lying districts from the
lakes to the Rocky mountains and
from Minnesota northward for
several hundred miles. Vast arm
les of clouds moved northward to
the battle field in the British do
minions, and cyclones, which are
ever found in the front line of q
semi-tropical wave moving north
ward, swept those cold and inhos-
pitable regionsin many places with
terrific fury. The result in the
United States was remarkable
absence of cold weather, although
IN Central Asia the winter was ex-
cccdingly severe. We felt only
the natural cooling off of our air
due to the short days and the in
direct rays of the winter sun.
With the longer days the semi
tropic wave again pushed forward.
During the early part of March of
this year the clouds moved for
ward and northward and at re-
markably early period, and in very
short time the freshness and beau
ty of spring was everywhere visi-
bic. Another dry summer -was
threatening us, even more appall-
ing than the last one had been.
Happily about the middle of March
the first great "northeaster' swept
down through Russia and Poland
into Austria and two weeks after
wards swept the Mississippi val
ley, as such waves invariably do.
For fully a month the great armies
of clouds that had gone north
came back day after day and night
after night. Abont the 23d of
April we had n light frost. From
the Red river of the South to the
North Pole Jack Frost held high
carnival. 1t was a certainty now
that the threatened dry season
was put back at least two months.
In the latter part of May the semi
tropical wave made a few msuc-
cessful attempts to move up again,
causing thunder showers in Ark.
ansas and variable nights, some
cool and some warm. AT full moon
qst day of June the forward move
ment was taken up again, backed
by q nearly vertical sun. For two
weeks there were heavy clouds,
storms and rains in Arkansas, fol-
lowed by the beating back of the
Northern wave. We were again
threatened with drought. Forum
ately another full moon ION the Cd
day Of July changed our luck and
the clouds swept southwark again,
at the rate of sixty miles an hour.
All through July the battle fields
between the two contending forces
have been in Mississippi, Arkan-
sas and Missouri, where last years
drouth held undisputed sway, re-
sulting in frequent showers, cool,
pleasant weather and general pros
perity. In the North warm wealth
cr would be welcome, but it is
doubtful whether any will be ex-
perienced this year. The turning
point full moon, 18th JULY has been
turned and dry weather has so far