St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-29

growth of dependent population faster
than the local production of supplies. So
that large Importation Of flour, potatoes,
oats, hay and other neceSsarieS are
being made, Notwithstanding the heavy
freight charges, from Minnesota aud
other states to the East.
Thrifty Cinnamon.
The Chinese were early to see the op-
portunities for realizing quick fortunes
by engaging in the raising OF small
fruits and vegetables near the cities.
There are several small truck farms
near this city owned and worked by
Cinnamon. They raise nothing but
vegetables or small fruits, the hardy
varieties of which grow to perfection
and bring good prices on market
which is never fully supplied. The
Cinnamon have no monopoly of this
business.
The so-called arid lands are located
principally on the eastern slope of the
Rocky mountain divide, and extend
from the British possessions to the Gulf
of Mexico. They are arid because Of an
inequality. and not by reason of scare
ity of natural precipitation. At GER
tain seasons favorable winds pre-
vail to blow the watery vapor gen.
Grated on the Pacific ocean over
the coast of California. Oregon and
Washington. In natural course this
vapor would be deposited with some de-
gree of evenness over the land as far as
the Missouri river but for the barriers
interpOsed by mountain ranges, which
in the Northwest consist of the Coast
range, the Bitter Root, and the Rockies,
with many intervening spurs. The
vapOr clouds when they reach the coast
are warm, but while drifting eastward
and passing over the successive mount
ain ranges are condensed into rain By
the cold of the high attitudes, thus rob-
bling the clouds of a portion of their
moisture. Directly on the coast, and
for nearly a hundred miles inland be-
fore the Coast range is reached, the
winter season is one Of almost inces-
SAINT warm rain. East of the
Coast range the fall is somewhat
reduced, and comes frequently in the
shape of slushy snow. Between the
Bitter Root and Rocky mountains a
condition of dryness begins to appear,
which on the eastern slopes of the Rock
les becomes very pronounced. The
clouds which reached the coast satur-
ated with moisture are now perfectly
dry, as the result Of the enforced de-
posits, in the shape of snow, Oh each
mountain range and snow or rain in re-
duced quantities in the intermediate
basins. Hence. the vast plains extend
ing from the Rockies eastward, and en-
bracing Eastern Montana, Wyoming
and North and South Dakota, bereft of
their natural share of the moisture
which started at the coast, experience
the necessity Of obtaining their water
by other means than from the clouds.
There are four distinct winter eli
mates in the Northwestern states, which.
taking the principal cities as represent
ing their respective basins, give Janu
airy at Portland like Chicago May; at
Spokane it is like April; at MissOula.
March; and Helena much like Illinois
November. Eastward from the coast
tho rule is to get colder but dryer. From
almost continuous rain at Portland, in
steadily increasing degree it comes to
nearly continuous sunshine at Helena.
This influence is shown conspicuously
in the timber growth which surrounds
Puget sound with an almost i'm pene-
trable jungle, and gradually fades away
into the treeleSS plains of the DakOtaS.
The climatic influences OF the ele-
waited ranges are better cOmprehended
iu the statement that were they leveled,
or, in other words, if continuous plain
existed from the Mississippi river TO
the Pacific coast, the effect Of this Japan
current, which corresponds to the gulf
stream in sweep and warmth, would b e
felt as far as Chicago. The great plains
would become densely wooded, and
North Dakota as reliable for fruit cult
ure as Arkansas.