The Press., 1885-07-09
CLIMATIC INFLUENCE OF THE

CLIMATIC lNFLUENCE OF HE IN
 Graduating Essay of Frank E. Fenner, of Guf9
 vile, read at the Stsrrs School Commencement Ex-
 ercises, June 18th, 1885.
 All true success in agriculture is directly dependent upon the fertility of the soil. Hence, this becomes the chief object to be attained by the Intelligent agricnlturist. Fertility is defined by Webster as being "the capability to produce fruit in abund- ance." Plainly, then, the only condition necessary to constitute fertile soil is that it contain the clements of plant food, in proper combination, or that it contain the clements found in the chemical compost tion of the plant. These are few in mum Der, and vary in importance with the diff ferent plants some being found in excess in one class of plants while others pre- dominate in other classes. But the one all important element or compound, neces- sary to- vegetation of all kinds, is water. No plant can live, no seed can germinate without it's presence It enters into the structure of every plant, and often it is found to be not only large in excess of any other single element, but of all others which form the plant. Some of the root crops illustrate this fact the potato con- tains 95 per cent, the turnip 92 per cent. and even the apparently dry cereals con- tain on an average IA per cent of water. From the composition of plants, then, we can readily see how necessary it is that they should be supplied with water in abundance. It is, in fact, an indispensable necessity. It is as essential to the life of plants as it is to the life of animals
 A soil may be barren simply from the absence of water. An illustration of this may be seen in the cultivated portion of Utah, which was once 8 barren desert, but is now one of the most fertile and pro- ductive regions of the United States, and been made so by irrigation. The soll con- tained all the other clements of fertility, but the water alone was wanting. It is asserted by some that the Great Sahara Desert might be brought to state of equal fertility, if water could be supplied to it by similar methods. .-.... = Since then, water is so necessary to veg citation, its scarcity in many places during certain seasons has suggested many ex- periments to ascertain how to supply it to the growing crops which suffer so severe ly from our annual summer drouths, and irrigation by means of a system of open drains has been adopted almost universally as the most economical and effective meth cd which can be devised. In some Eu-
 
 | water through pipes upon large areas of highly cultivated land has been tried and found to be too expensive, except for those who do not need to economize in their farm work. .a sra~.~t
 Fifty years ago there was no need of this artificial supply, for the rain fall was sufficient to furnish full amount of mois- ture to all vegetation. But since that time l there has been constantly decreasing amount of rainfall and snow. Nature seems to be infiicting upon New England at least, the penalty of our transgressions of her laws. We speak of natural laws as being constant and unchangeable and so when we find that such change has oc- cured, we are not to conclude that the laws are changed or have become inopera- tive, but that man has changed the condi- tions and obstructed their operations. Nor is it difficult to trace the lessening fall of snow. Plainly, man in his ignorance, or in his indifference to the sure result of his action'in so vital matter as this, or sim ply from his love of gam to himself, caring nothing for the interests of others, by clearing away the forests, has become cause. Only a fractional part of the orig inal forest area of America still remains, and even this is rapidly diminishing; so that the influences have almost ceased, which hundred years ago caused the most abundant supply of moisture to the springs and streams, the great reservoir, from which Nature might constantly replenish her store in the upper air, and through all these provide so layishly for all vegetation. l These influences are easily understood. Water is evaporated, or, under the infu- ence of heat it is expanded, until it be- | l:rrl,% os ol, :A it rises. While in this vapory state it is collected into clouds, or condensed, by at mospherie currents. These floating mass es have only to come in contact with some cooler body to be condensed still more and precipitated to earth. This cooler body may be in the form of current of air, or the cloud may drift upon the cool side of a mountain and be made to part with its moisture. a
 Another fruitful source of rain is found in forest regions, which attract the clouds and cause the moisture which they con- tain to be condensed and precipitated. The utility of the forest does not end here, for the rain, falling upon the humus, or dry leaves, is absorbed by them as water is by a sponge, and is protected from rapid evap- oration by the shade which the trees af- ford. Rain, falling in forest, is like wa ter in reservoir, to be drawn from grad ually, to supply the springs and streams which depend upon this source.
 The decrease in our rainfall is found to be in almost exact proportion to the de- crease in our forests. The fall of snow has also become less. until at present large snow-storms are commonly and properly termed Sold fashioned" for the change has been so great that now perennial vege- tation does not receive proper covering in winter. The cause of this, as well as the decrease of rainfall, may be traced to the absence of forests. When they were present there was abundant moisture pass ing up from them, which needed only to have it's particles frozen together to fall in the form of snow.
 With the depletion of the forests we have different climatic conditions. We have lost the regulating influence and must suffer the consequences which come in the form of high winds, sudden changes in the temperature, floods, and most important to agriculture, small amount of rain in