The morning call., 1891-11-17
THE DRY SPELL.

The rainy season does not begin. and the
long protracted dry weather is giving rise
to uneasiness. At this time last year
great deal OF rain b al fallen - indeed 50
much that diseases caused by an excess of
humidity in the atmosphere were becoming
frequent November has generally been
wet month, and when the preci p.ation for
the month is light it generally means a dry
season. In the dry season of 1870 So when
the total precipitation at Sacramento vas
only 1916 inches, November was credited
with eos Of an inch; again in 1859, which
was a dry season, only 0.1J of an inch fell
in NOyemoe in 1925. when the season
rainfall was 11.J5, the observer only noted a
Sprinkle" of rain i'll November: in 1901
when the total rainfall was S47, only 05S
fell in November; in 1SI6-77. when the pre-
cipitauon was S.96. November showed 90.
On the other hand, when the precipitation
during the rainy season has been liberal
NOven Der has generally contributed its full
share. Thus, in 1929. when 80 inches of
rain fell inches fell IN November; in
1S6l-62, when 30 inches fell, November is
credited with 2.17; in lS67-6S. when the fall
was s.. %, ISL fell in \ 0yember: in 1880 SO.
when tie precipitation was 1921, November
contributed one-thirt of the total, or 1l.34
Inches and last year, as every one remem-
berS, November was the wettesL of the long
wet months. As only half the month has
passed it IS too soon to draw augurleS for
the season at present; but ii the drought
should continue, the farmers will do well to
make preparations for a dry winter and
spring.
As a rule the weather on this side Of the
mountains affords no clew TO the weather on
- - 49, > =
as likely as not to be dry there; when we
have a heated term they are quite often Wis
tied by a cold spell. Bnt this year the
scarcity OF rain has been observed all over
the continent Throughout the Atlantic
States the rainfall in October ranged from
10 to 20 per cent of the normal, and In sorle
of the Southern States there was little rain
The Agricultural Bureau thought it neces-
sary to put the planters of winter wheat on
their guard. During the current months
there have been several storms east Of the
mountains, but the weather observers state
that owing to peculiar conditions in the
atmosphere evaporation has been more ac-
tive than precipitation and that the soil has
derived little benefit from the showers
which have fallen. In New IOrk the de-
fciency in the rainfall has compelled the
Commissioners of the Croton Water WORKS
to issue their usual warning against the
waste Of water our city water works have
for some time been closely watched from
appTeheusions of a water famine
II is too soon TO indulge In speculatiOns az
to the net results Of the current season.
Four months and half OF the wet season
remain. aud in the East November is gen.
orally a pleasant month. with few heavy
rains. and many bright clear sunshiny days.
! Plenty of time remains for a copious
| drenching of the earth here ard there from
the sluice gates of heaven. But it is natural
to devote moment Of idle thought to the
possible consequences of general drought
| during the next five months.
If the precipitation in the valleys of CALI
fornia during the season of 1912 should
not exceed Is inches, which would mean
five inches or so for the region round Te-
hachapi, it would probably be prudent to
| look for wheat crop in this State not 10
exceed the crop Of 1885. which was 49, 00C
tons; and if the rain should hold off in the
East, and especially in the valleys of the
| Missouri, the Mississippi and the ONO,
| their wheat crop might not swell the total
| yirld of the country to 100000, 900 bushels
| Such crops would leave US but little surplus
available for export beyond the stock car
| Ileu over Iloil Inns year harvest, ana ii Dy
any unt0ward chance the crops of Russia
the Danubian countries and France should
not be more bountfful than they have been
this year. a state of things would arise
which Is not pleasant to contemplate. Two
successive years of famine could not fail to
cause political disturbances in Europe; and
1t is fact well known to students Of agri-
cultural science that crop failures often
| occur in sequences.
Happily the rainy season has only just
begun. and we may yet have all the mois
ture we need 1t cannot come too soon for
the valley of the Sacramento, or for that
matter, Tor the sewers of this city.