Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1885-01-09
THE SC0URGE OFFAMINES.
Gradually Disappearing in
Civilized Countries.
The 0ause Of Famina3, and Why They
viii 4 be Abolished

The earliest famine on record is
that which occurred i'll Egypt under
Joseph's ministry Ills well-known
mode of meeting it, by holding stores
m reserve during abundant years, has
since been followed in divers coun-
tries, in France, for instance, at the
beginning Of the present century, and
at Naples, under the reign Of Charles
the Third, in the middle of the last
century. The conditions of agricultu-
raj produce in Egypt were, and still
are, exceptional,
Everything there is dependent. not
on local rains, for there are none, but
on the rains which fall far away,i in the
equatorial regions where the Nile
takes its source, without receiving a
single afiuent after the seventeenth
degree of latitude Those rains deter
mine the inundation Of the soil Of
Egypt-the uaique, but indispensable,
condition of a harvest.
In Joseph's time, and thousands Of
years before him, Egypt was decima-
ted by famine whenever the Nile
failed to rise high enough to irrigate
the soil and cover it with fortilizing
moisture and mud.
Neighboring countries, the coasts of
PhPnicia, Asia Minor, Greece, Sicily,
and Northern Africa did indeed
escape the scourge, thanks to the local
rains that fell there. They were able.
frequently to supply the needs of
Egypt. But in those days maritime
commerce did net exist. Egypt,
blockaded on two sides by deserts,
could only count on the wise admins
tration Of her own resources. At a
later period maritime commerce res
cued Egypt from dangers of starvation.
in abundant years she enriched herself
by the export Of superhuous grain; in
years of insufficient inundation she
was able to purchase grain from
abroad and receive it at the port of
Alexandria.
In Egypt of the present day, at no
distant future, when posts of obser-
walton shall have been established in
Abyssinnia and beyond it on the course
of the Nile and its affiuents, come.
ed by telegraphIc wire with /
the Egyptians viii know, several
months beforehand, and within foot
or two, the hight the Nile will attain
at each inundation, and can take their
measures accordingly.
In other countries, famines depend
on the rains which either do not fal
or fall in excess, in each distinct local
ity Thisevil is more severely felt in
countries where man is monophanous
in his diet where he sustains life ey-
clusiyelY OF almost 50. ON one single
article Of food, a, in India and parts
of China, onrice and quite rec emily. in
less degree in ireland, on potatoes
If rain fails, rice the thrstiest Of
grain giving plants, fails also; if rain
is in excess in quantity and continu-
ance, the destroying fungus spreads
and the potato rots.
Periods Of drought EVIDENTLY follow
some general law, depending on the
upper currents Of the atmosphere
They constitute a grand problem
which belongs to equatorial meteorolo.
gy rather than to anything that can
be observed at the Poles. Mr.. Fave
consequently holds that it is the Tor
mer which ought to be closely studied
whereas stations within the Polar cir
cles, besides being cruelty painful and
dangerous, can furnish only very indi-
rect contributions 10 meteorological
science
An attempt has been made TO con.
nect.dry and rainy periods with the
and minima Of spots on the
gun But nothing has been proved to
bring conviction. The final conclusion
is that there is no correspondence he
tween the two sets Of phenomena, and
hat it would be in vain to predict in
droughfs Or famines from
he presence or absence Of spots on the
sun
Our comfort is that, amid the ire
Iuent variations Of those phenomena.
compensatlons without doubt
,ccur throughout the whole globe and
rom one year to another IT rain fails
N one portion ofa continent, il will
lot fail throughout the whole Of that
ointment; in any case it will not fail
yer a whole hemisphere. Conse-
uentlv, if harvests fall short in one
ountry they will be abundant in other
lore or less distant regions.
But at the present day commerce and
are able to carry the super
uities Of one country to other less IA
ored districts
For civilized nations the scourge Of
lmine no longer exists. 1t happens
lly in vast monophanous populations
India and China, who are isolated
ON the rest of the world, or in certain
arts Of south America deprived Of
cans Of communication.
There is a small riyulet near Dormi-
US mill, in Irwin county, that has
en- a puzzle to us for two years The
ream is governed by the moon dur
g dry weather At the last quarter,
w moon and first quarter, il is per