The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-10-22
The Cold in F lorida.
WHY IT is MORE sEvERE IN SOME SEC
TIoNs THAN OTHERS.

TONS THAN OTHERS.
The following theory as far as is known
is original with the writer, who has had
the experience of ten years in Florida
during the Winter; besides passing sew
eral Summers there. Careful observation
during these years haSled to the follow
ing conclusions IT heSMriter' S first ideas
of climatic effects in Florida were those
of many others, that the further you
went south the less tile severity of the
cold. But ON several occasions the first
frost we had at Orange Park, came with
a southwest wind that entirely upset
the old theory, and Why is this SO, was
a natural question.
Florida, as is we'll known is the con-
tinuation of the S. ES5ine OF the Allan
! tic coast States, which1orms its terminus
! in the Gulf. What giykss tits seui-trop-
! zeal clir1ateys and .EnaaJss SSNaa section q
the Ia .- Lnjtffs' not that N snow mes,
| than Georgia, becausefn some sectlonS
of Georgia snow falls Very winter, and
thermometer often ebfs even to zero;
therefore two or thl4te hundred miles
southwark. even in Fbrida, would have
the same effect as to.4emperature that
the same distance has1n Virginia to the
Carolinas.
What makes Observation-Disclosures is not
its north and south relation geographic
ally. but that wonder N nature, the Gulf
Stream, which runs a1ong its entire east
ern shore, with its temperature OF $50.
This immense bodyf OF warm water
sweeping along the d9ast from the Gull
of Mexico, is what m$kes Florida WIN
ter climate.
Now we come backsto the heading of
this article, after having brought out the
principal factor of FYorida's wonderful
climate, the Gulf Stream. (lts influence
is shed ON no other Southern State to
any extent, its cOurseAbelng so TAR from
land.)
Now, to the cold waves. The tact IS
we'll know, that all the cold waves NOV
ing southwark, commence in the n. W.,
and move in southcasterly direction.
These billiards of cold sweep down from
the n. W., generally to the west of the
Blue Ridge mountains, until they reach
lower Georgia and Florida. This inten-
sity is modified as theytravel southwark.
Now comes local element that will
show why sometimes our coolest winds
and frosts come from the S. W.. This
local element is the warm winds which
pervade Florida emanating from the
Gulf Stream. Ii for few hours prece-
ding the arrival of the cold wave from
the north or northwest which reaches
Florida, the local winds have been from
the southerly direction, that has blown
the warm current from the Gulf up to
the northern portion of the peninsula,
this cold wave as soon as it strikes this
warmer local current will radiate to the
east or S. E., going across the northern
part of the State, while the middle and
southern portion willto great extent
escape; on the other hand, if the local
winds (previous to this cold wave reach
! ing Flordida,} have been blowing from
northerly direction they have blown
the warmer currents of wind from the
Gulf Stream down the Gull and PENN
sula of Florida; but the cold wave will
travel until it strikes the warm current,
then it will radiate across the State,
if some ways down, as it often is; the
cold sheers across and in 4 N. Il. direc-
ton up as it were. 1t is under this last
condition, that the northerly portion OF
Florida gets its frost and cold from the
southwest. Before we get it we feel the
chill of such an atmosphere as being
near. But the coolest blast that brings
the freeze, frost is radiated upon us as
above stated. Hence it Is easy to see il
the parties who have in years past held
up in the locality of q frost line, could
only have controlled the local winds,
they could easily have arranged matters