The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-06-26
A LAND OF SUNSHINE.
Spain IL the sunniest Country In
EurOpe-sunahine and Corn
In Canada.

an average. The quantity of sunshin,
the atmosphere receives is very near
ly constant from year TO year, but the
proportion that reaches the surface oi
the earth yeries according to the dis
tribution of cloudiness. Sunshine Il
now recorded automatically at 6s oi
the regular stations of our weather
bureau. Every month the Monthly
Weather Review prints map show
ing the distribution of sunshine
throughout the country. For example,
the map for March last shows that the
northeastern United States, including
most Of the region of the great lakes,
had sunshine for less than one-third
of the daylight hours. There was a
much larger amount of sunshine in
most of the southern states and on
the great plains. OF course, the part
OF the country that always has the
greatest amount of sunshine is the
subarid regions of the southwest, says
the New York Sun.
The amount of sunshine, measured
In hours, Is automatically recorded by
various instruments. Some observers
use a sphere of glass by which the
suns rays are focused on a curved
sheet of paper at all hours of the day.
Others secure a Photographic print
Of the track of fine solar ray that
falls through a minute aperture on
sensitive paper. When there is even
n faint cloudinoss over the sun it may
be recognized by the faintness Of the
record, and when heavy clouds cover
the sun there is. OF course. no record
at all. Thus the number of hours of
sunshine is ascertained and it is easy
to reach mathematical statement
of the prevalence of clear or cloudy
weather.
If it were not for the many hours of
sunshine during the summer months
on the western plains of Canada, she
could not ripen her great crop of
wheat. There are three reasons why
that region gets an uncommon
amount of sunshine. In the first
place, there is not very much cloudy
weather. Then the circumference Of
the earth is so much less where the
Manitoba wheat fields are than it is
at the equator that the pace of the
daily revolution is also much less
Any given area of land in Manitoba
passes from under the suns rays
much more slowly than at the equa-
tor. Moreover, as everybody knows,
the farther north one goes the longer
is the summer day until at the north
pole She day lasts for six months. So
the length of the day In Manitoba,
the slow passage of the sun over the
wheat and the absence of cloud, make
the ripening of the grain very con-
tinuous, rapid and perfect. For the
same reason, corn may be raised in
Canada in the high latitude, for that
grain, of 54 degrees north.
To be sure, Manitoba, being so far
north, receives its sunshine more
"slantwise" than it would nearer the
equator, but the advantages above
enumerated fully compensate for the
lesser intensity.of the suns rays.
IN Europe, however, there is a great
deal more cloudy weather in the
north than in the south and so the
Of sunshine increases rapid
" from north to south. 1t is smallest
IN northwest Europe and greatest in
spain. Scotland has, on an average,
only 3.3 hours of sunshine daily the
year round, Ireland has about 81
iours, England nearly four. Germany
Is to five, France five to six, Austria
i've to seven and Spain seven to eight
lours daily. Thus Madrid has 1880
lours Of sunshine every year, yiennn
$40 hours, Hamburg 1,24O hours and
.ondon 1880 hours.
There is a good deal more cloud and
ain in west than in east England,
ecause the mountains in the west ,,
ondense the clouds and cause heavy
aims. So it happens thai the grass
ands of the country, which require
great deal OF rain. are found chiefly
4 the west, while the grain and fruit :,
egiOns are in the SUMMER and drier :
art of the country east of the noun
aims. for they mature best in q rela- /.
vely dry and clear climate.