The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-08-03

is passive except when it is
turbed' by some planets equinox; tn
mists and vapors are injected and i'm
fused into the sun by Mercury's per-N
turbation. and then thrown out by So
lar energy to form nists and sleet on
the earth, and that during the so-called
Jupiter period the carrying capacity
of the earth's atmosphere becomes dis.
ordered and weakened, so that it can
not transport and diffuse humidity,
thereby causing consuming droughts I'M
places and destructive cloudbursts IN
other localities. One who actually be-
lieves that kind Of absurdity is really
beyond the reach Of influence by evil
dence and argument. The bare state.
ment of such propositions is a sufficient
refutation.
Students in the primary class in me-
teorology learn that the ever-chanSlng
phenomena of the weather are all ref.
cradle to. the action of the sun upon
the earth and its atmosphere, vapors
and gases; that the constantly radiated
energy of the sun supports heat, light
and electric force in the solar system.
The planets possess no form OF inde-
pendent energy whereby they may
'perturb" the sun and increase its po-
tency.
The libraries of the United States
Weather Bureau contain the substance
and much Of the detail Of all that Is
known Of weather wisdom, ancient and
modern, and the scientists Of this Du-
reau certainly are familiar with the es-
sence Of this knowledge. Those who
are in a position to know are well
aware that every possible effort Is be-
ing made to extend our knowledge OF
the laws that control weather condl-
tions, and meanwhile to give to those
who are vitally concerned the most
trustworthy information Obtainable. 1t
is a matter of common experience that
the notable success of some CONNER
cial article Of merit is sure to food the
market with spurious goods OF the
same class, which unscrupulous vend-
ors spread before the indiscrlminating
public. The rapid strides Of the UNI
ted States Weather Bureau in recent
years toward popular favor through
the widespread dissemination OF the
forecasts : service made possible
larger by the phenoILenal spread OF
the telephone and the development OF
the rural delivery seryice-has appar-
emily given a new impetus to unsci-
entific. not to say INSCRIPTIONS, fore
casts, based upon some theory OF cy-
cles or Of planetary control. And the
Chief Of the Weather Bureau Is be-
lieyed to be not only justified, but
morally enjoined to counteract as far
as possible the mischievous effects OF
the work of astrologers, who pretend
to foretell the character OF coming
seasons or the progress Of storms and
ordinary weather conditions for
month or year in advance, and whose
unfounded and unreliable forecasts are
too often given undue circulation by
the less careful publishers.
The problem Of seasonal forecasts Is
receiving at the hands Of the ablest
and most painstaking students Of both
continents a comprehensive considera-
ton that is certain to be fruitful and
far-reaching N its ultimate results.
SO important and so pressing is the
WORK and so promising is the field that
the Chief Of the Weathc- Bureau Is
building and equipping large observa-
tory, wherein the best talent available
will soon be employed to study the in
tricate and profound problems OF the
atmosphere, whose solution promises
improvement over present methods
and results in forecasting and may lead
in time to seasonal predictions on q
truly scientific basis.