Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-11

"'' VI niuiAt hupsuces Is often reduced az
lnuen as 10 TO % cgrees the degree Of re-
duction depending the amount Of ineistnro
present In the surrounding atmosphere.
temperatures beiw zero are rarely expe-
rienced even In theesireme northern por,ion
OF the state, and temperatures below freezing
II experienced In he southern portions Of
the state are OF shirt duration. lasting from
one to two days onii The average date Of the
first killing frost n autumn ranges from
October 10, over theeStreme northern portion
OF the state. to Dccuber .. along the mme-
diate coast, and thu last killing frost in the
spring ranges frofi February g. over tho
southern portion Of he state. TO April l, over
the northwestern prtion From these data
1t Is observed thatthero is only about one
mouth during the winter in which killing
frosts occur over III coast district and this
proves very favoraie for the cultivation Of
many semi-tropioai iiants and makes a very
favorable climate e winter health resort.
Winters over the east district are rare In
which more than tree or four frosts occur
while frequently bu'one severe frost ia expo.
rieneed. or none all. During tho past
twcnty-four years tore have been Ave win
tiers without froHt ad six with single frost
along the immediat coast.
Those who wish know something about
the daily changes ! temperature In Texan
are referred to speal bulletin No. OF the
Texas weather seryis, PIP. 8 to inclusive.
PRECIPITATION.
The precipitation ccord includes rain and
melted snow, and thAe data as q general rule
dennc or outline tn agricultural portions OF
any state. Different opinions prevail In re-
gard to the qucstlo OF what constitutes an
arid region. This question has been dis
cussed by many abb men, SUCH as Major j.
W. Powell DR.. u. :. Fornow, Professor G.
IL. Gilbert and othcs. Major Powell claims
that 900 inches perannum is necessary for
successful agricultur. 1t depends consdcra-
bly, on the temperaere and character OF tho
soil, the Iapidliy Nth which evaporation
takes place in tho sfface soil and the sur
rounding air, and tho pstrihution Of the rain
fall through the different months Ms 10 tho
quantity Of ,preolpitiuon necessary for sue
cessfu agricultural interests. Then some
crops require more raln than others which
must be taken into consideration. When the
rainfall during winlr months has averaged
2.j0 to 800 inchea dr month II is generally
considered that thcl is a good season In the
ground az far as cothn is concerned, and the
plant will develop anormul growth Of roots
at the outset and VII BE- able to Withstand
considerable drouth. and occasional showers
during the growing season insurea fair
crop Of cotton. But II tho monthly rainfall
during the winter imnths 10 much less than
the smallest amount named above the plant
viii not develop norial roots and VIII then
require regular raini ut short Intervals dur
Ing the growing and quitting seasons TO make
a good yield. with w cultivation Of maize II
" somewhat different MS this crop requires
good rains at unlfori intervals during the
growing season to iniire n good crop. The
precipitation In Marc and April and early
part Of May play tho most important part in
the cultivation Of oats II Texas. Wheat cultl-
walton Il carried on mcccasfully where the
precipitation Is fairly distributed from the
time the grain Is own until ready for
harvesting Mach what Is raised In portions
OF the pukotns, whSe the rainfall Is icss
than 700 inches. Gold crops of wheat have
been grown where IN, annual rainfall ranged
from 1871 TO ib.l lnchR,
'See paper entitled Summer Hot Winds on
tho Great Plains" bulletin OF the PhiluHophl-
cal Society Of aWshigton. Vol, XII PIP. 300
to 3iS inclusive.
Western Texas us trape country can hard
~ be exccllcd as the dry weather is eXccp-
tonally beneficial ia the ripening Of this
fruit. as diseases Which are aided by wet
weather are hardly ever experienced unless a
rainy season occurs about the time the fruit
commences rlpenlng, The soil OF Western
Texas IL very fertile md by means of irri-
CATION during the prevalence OF drouths is
made to yield abundant ops. Irrigation is
boing carried on to nslderable extent
over west and fnltwo I'm Texas. and VI
properly operate tliQ ru tlon Of the state
will become a tr0durise country In a few
years. As ruo 10 tbst5 rom s. to So an
aero to lrrigate during 100 crop season for
the FIRST year, INIT Afterwards the expenses
are not quite so grcat Is tho farmer generally
has the necessary supplies for this purpose.
However In trayoulnf the state we can ind
plenty Of agricultural aud shieh can be pur-
chased for small sim. where irrigation Is
not necessary o. ~ rl.nfoll Is abundant
for all agricultural purn0 60 and as a rule the
amount which mila Is well distributed
throughout the year
We find in studying the records that the
greatest annual rainfall n 57.13 inches at
Clarksyilo deduoed from thlrtecu years rec
ords made prior 70 ss6 no records have been
kept at this station sinoe 1Ss5. Tho next
greatest IS 5l.5S at Neligsa from ten years
records made provioug 10 1891. The normal
at New Vim Is 49,i, 4 Galveston 1855, and
at Houston 1907, r. iTam three to I'VE inches
lower than the noruhl obtained for these
places up to ana INCLUDING 1891. The pre-
been comparatively iEht, thereby reducing
tho normal at nearly ON stations whore rec
ords have been routhm0us. II ia found that
the lsohyctals, OF lines Of equal annual rain
fall traverse tho Giaa in northorly aud
southcry direction ne annual rainfall is
above IS inches over No eastern portlons Of
tho state and decrcast NJ the rate OF about
two inches in thirty miles until the cxtrcme
western portion of ihc ftntg Is reached where
the annual rainfall @ less than ten inches.
The least annual falrf1ll Ia 7.37 inches at
Fort Hancock from sN Years records: and
the next least Is 200 iarhei ut I'll Paso from
thirty-six years records The annual rain
fall ranges from % ~ inctes over the Llano
Estacado aud the wesitrn portion OF the Pan
handle.
Tho variability Of ialnfiu plays an i'm
portant part in NrrleilturRl and other In
terests. II Ia noticed ffom the records that
tho number OF fAlnr dayA vary In tho
same months over tho dihHfent portions OF
tho state and that tho sairiali distribution by
days Is not the Same ~ every scar. However.
We might say o. Hcrsrai average that
rain may be sntieputei ~ expected over the
Panhandle and Ilanb Eslleado about once In
eight days ron october 70 February, and
about once In ever nfc u six days during
the remainder Of The yilr, Over the southern
and eastern nortions o. the state rain may be
looked for on an ayerbgo every four or I'VE
days except from Jgne 70 January inclusive.
when the number oi rilny days are more
frequent especially alene the east coast.
During the winter SEASON coast rains are
quite common. as certain meteorological con-
dti1ns cause these slnwers While the weather
il generally clear 90 ihe Interior. ! have
noticed from the Weather chart that these
showers gcncfalis occur when the area
Of high pressure g. rrhiral over the South
Atlantic and East cur G,aiesi and an area OF
low pressure is MOVING 90 over the northern
portion OF tho castcin ribcky mountain Glope
and extends southvard IN the form Of a v.
The weather norsi0a % Texas IN credit
10 the national bureau, The gentlemen In
charge have had new Geld 70 operate IN Of
,ast torritliy aud VARYING conditions. They
have iaborrd hard aaii successfully. Their
bulletins arc tho mort aporiAni pebble aoeu l,