The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-02-08
SNOW.

During winter We frequently see the
ground covered with snow. Everybody
observes it's fall, but very few people give
themselves the trouble to inquire into
its nature and uses. Such is too gener-
ally the case with those objects which
daily come under our notice, and from
which we derive very considerable ad-
vantages. Often, indeed, the very things
most deserving of our attention are those
which we chiefly neglect. Let US hence
forth be more rational, and begin by de-
voting some moments to the considera.
tion of snow.
1t is formed by very subtitle vapors,
which, being CONCEALED in the atmos.
phere, fall down in flakes, more or less
thick. In our climate these flakes are
pretty large; but we are informed that
in Lspland they are sometimes 80 small
as to resemble 6ue, dry powder. This
is doubtless caused by the extreme cold
which prevails there; and it is also re-
marked that in our own country the
flakes are greater in proportion as the
cold is less se-ere, and they become less
when it freezes strongly.
The little fakes generally re1emble
hexagonal stars sometimes, however,
they have eight angles, and at others ten,
and some of them have an irregular
shape. The best way of observing them
is to receive the snow upon white paper ;
hitherto little has been said of the cause
of these different figures. The whiteness
of snow may be thus accounted for; it is
extremely light and thin, consequently
full of pores, and these contain air; it is
farther composed of parts more or less
thick and compact; and such Instance
does not admit the suns rays to pass,
neither does not absorb them on the
contrary it reflects them very powerfully
and this gives it that white appearance
which we see in it.
Snow, as it falls, is twenty-four times
lighter than water, which may be proved
by melting twenty-four measures OF
snow, and they will be found to produce
but one of water Snow evaporates con.
siderably, and the greatest degree of
cold does not obstruct this evaporation.
II has been doubted whether snow ever
falls at sea but those who have naviga'
ted the northern seas in winter affirm
that they have there seen much snow. 1t
is known that high mountains are never
entirely without snow and though q
small portion of it is sometimes melted, {,
new fakes soon replace it. The air be-
ing much warn o. in the plains than it is
on the mountains, it may rain on the one
while it SHOWS on the other.
Snow has several uses. As the cold of
winter is much more destructive to the
vegetable than to the animal kingdom,
plants would perish if they we're not pre-
served by some covering. God has then
designed that the rain, which during the
summer, descended to refresh and reani.
mate the plants, should fall in winter
like soft wool, to cover and protect them
from the injuries they must otherwise
have sustained from the frost and the
winds.
When the suow melts it becomes 8
fruitful moisture to the earth, and at The
same time washes away from the winter
seeds and plants everything that might
prevent or injlre their growth; and any
superabundauce of meltedsnow that then
remains, goes to supply che rivers and
springs that suffered during the winter
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