The age-herald., 1898-02-02
THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS For the State of Alabama During
 the Year 1897. INTERESTING STATISTICS Issued by the United States Department of Agriculture Compiled by F. P. Chafee,
 Section Director at Montgomery.

The United States department of agri- culture has just issued an annual sum- mary for 1897 for the Alabama section of the climatic and crop service of the wealth CT bureau.
 The publication is authorized by the sec retary of agriculture under the direction of Willis L. Moore, chief of weather bureau and is compiled by Frank P. Chaffee, sec tion director, stationed at Montgomery
 The following general climatic summary for the year 1897 for the state of Alabama will prove of interest to every class of citizens, who are subject to climatic in- fluences:
 The climatic conditions in Alabama dur ing the year 1897 were marked by wet and backward spring and unseasonably cool and wet spell during the greater part of August and a generally dry and late fall The late spring was detrimental to cotton, which also received a decided set back by the deficiency in warmth and excess of moisture at it's most critical stage in Aug ust, but the late fall matured a large por- tion of the crop, which in the middle of October was not at all promising. The monthly rainfall for March was heavier in many portions of the state than for any March of which the weather bureau has a record, causing almost floods in the larger rivers and submerging lowlands, while dur ing the fall months the deficiency in mois- ture caused such low rivers that naviga- tion was suspended in the Alabama rivers for several weeks and many small streams and wells were dry. The rainfall for the year was partial to the northwestern and southwestern counties and was least in central portions of the state.
 There was but one real severe freeze dur ing the year, which occurred during the last few days of January, and it was not so severe as to seriously damage fruit trees. The month of June was marked by number of destructive wind storms, which, while causing considerable damage to crops and property in a number of places, were mostly of local nature, and fortunately caused no loss of life.
 Ternperature-Average for northern sec- tion, 62.4; for southern, G6.1; for state, 64.2, which is 1.2 degrees more than the yearly normal but 1.4 degrees less than the aver age for 1898: highest, 105, at Hamilton. June 2, Pine Apple, June g, Scotsboro July and Decatur July 8; lowest. below zero at Valqey Head on January 2s; nual range for entire state, 112 degrees; the greatest yearly average was 6S3 at Citronelle and the least, GOA at Madison.
 Precipitation, Gin inches and hundredths) Average for northern section. 47.74; for southern, H.92; for state, 47.S3, which is 1.S0 aess than the nearly normal, but 3.5S more than the average for 1886; greatest yearly, 6318 at Mobile; least 25.92 at {. Clanton; greatest monthly, 20S3 at Newburg in March; feIsst none at number of stations in September and at few in October.
 Weaher-Average number of rainy days, 80: clear, I'll, indicating more than the average amount of sunshinc partly cloudy, 76; cloudy, 11S.
 Wind-Prevailing direction, north; high est hourly velocity, 54 miles from north west at Montgomery, June 18th; total year ly movement, Montgomery, 57,207 miles; Mobile, 64,954; Pensacola, Fla, S4,165; average hourly velocity, 6.6 miles at Mont- gcmery and "A at Mobile
 Frost-Average date of last killing in spring; northern section, Aprl 4th; south ern section, March filth. Average date of first killing in autumn: Northern section November 6th southern section, Novem- 1ar o5th