The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-27

which flows northward in the channel be-
| tween the Bahamas and the coast of the
! Atlantic, as far as Newfoundland. The
| island and banks of Newfoundland divert
the gulf stream from its course to the
north and direct its flow, mainly, to
the westward coasts of Scotland, Ireland
and England into and through the Bay
of Bseay, to the northwest coast of
Africa.
Between the gulf stream and the At
lantic coast. a cold body of water from
! high northern ATTITUDES moves continually
towards the equator The reason why
these vast bodies Of water do not obstruct
each other and neutralize the forces of
the motion of both of them, so as 10
bring them to a standstill is, that the hot
water of the gulf stream, being lighter
| than the cold water from the Arctic re-
gians. flows on top of them, as great
river in the ocean, The cold water forms
the banks and the bottom of the gulf
stream with nearly as much distinctness
as the lands form the banks of the Coosa
river. This is true in nearly the entire
length of the gulf stream, which is
nearly 5000 miles.
where this great river in the ocean
has its origin is a matter of some con-
tentions among geographers and phiioso-
phers which | will not attempt to dis
cuss. We know of its existence as GER
tainly as we know the existence of the
sun. moon and stars and their courses,
and that is enough to enable us to aseer-
tain its effect on the climate of the cot
ton belt
Is Prime Controlling Cause.
"As the gulf stream is a prime con-
trolling cause that produces this climate,
its inheritance to the cotton belt cannot
be over estimated. Nor can the fact be
neglected that the gulf Stream and the
Apalaehian rangs of mountains each finds
It's course, in parallel lines, until the
gulf stream begins its eastward course
at point opposite Cape Hatteras, North
Carolina.
THE Appalachian rangs IS about the
same distance from the gulf stream, In its
flow through the Gulf of Mexico as 1t
is in the northern flow between our At
lantic coast and the great banks of the
Bahamas.
"The gulf stream is the same temper
AZURE in all seasons of the year IN the
same latitude, and it's flow is about four
miles an hour, without intermission. The
| temperature of the gulf stream Is 10 10
| so degrees Fahrenheit at all seasons OF
! the year, regulated by latitude in giving
off heat Along this stream there is mild
and perpetual summer. The temperature
| IS o degrees above that of the ocean. 1t
Masses from the east into the Caribbean
sea and moves westward, but not in the
distinct flow of a river, and then north
ward between Cuba and Yucatan into the
Gulf of Mexico.
"A series of islands, more than 1900
miles in extent. with narrow passes be-
tween them, occupy the seas between
Yucatan and the Saint Thomas group,
that separate the Gulf of Mexico from the
Caribbean sea. They are Cuba, Hayu
and Porto Rico.
when the gulf stream enters the Gulf
of Mexico It revolves around a circuit OF
TA11 nj a
| bottom and has caused the circular coast
around from Yucatan to Key West. IL
passes southwark along the western coast
! of Florida and makes 1t, and Cuba, too
hot for the cotton plant, as a fibre crop,
| then, concentrated in width OF ninety
miles, it rushes out across the Atlantic FOR
its long Journey to the coasts of Europe
and Africa.
Thermometer Is All Controlling
"out of this majestic group of facts
and all the inquiries they suggest TO
scientific people, l select only one great
fact that relates to the cotton belt. II is
| indisputable and the thermometer proves
that 1t is all-controlling in the culture OF
| cotton l select the regular and permanent
| supplv of heat and moisture through this
arrangement of the earth in its creation,
and their distribution over the cotton belt
| OF the United States, as the distinguish
| ing and uhfailng cause OF its superiority
and permanence over that which exists in
any other great region Of the globe. This
| distribution of the heat and moisture, as
| far to the west as the 100 degree meridian,
| and as far into the interior as the higher
lands of the Apala chan range, is erected
| through the cooperation of laws that con-
| troll the evaporation and condensation of
water first into vapors and then into
| rain | will not attempt a discussion of
| these laws or the certainty of their opet-
| alton, but will state a result of these
processes that insures a crop in the cot
ton belt. There are greater and smaller
crops of cotton In that belt but the gen
erai progress is towards greater crops
with astonishing rapidly. and there Is no
such thing as a cotton famine. or a Sc
rious failure of the cotton supply. 1t Is
the steadiness of climatic conditions that
saves our cotton belt crop from dlsas-
trous failures. This fact looks to the
future for reliable return for labor and
skill with a degree Of certainty that IS
not found in any industrial business pur-
suit and, in turn, IT assures the perma-
nent and increasing value of our cotton
lands There is less of risk in cotton than
in any other crop.
At am quite sure that It is the consen.
sus of all opinions, and Of the general eX
perience of we'll Informed cotton-grow-
ers, that a great and practically the ex-
elusive advantage of our cotton belt, is
due to the control of the gulf stream In
the regular and timely distribution of
heat and moisture.
Value of Gulf Stream.
THAT wonderful man, Commodore
Mathew r Maury, in his great work on
the physical Geography of the Seas de-
scribes the gulf stream as being a thou
sand times the volume of the Mississippi
river and its course as being distinctly
defined acros. the ocean as a line of deep
blue water walled In between the cold
green sea ON both sides. So that a ship
entering its current passes her Prov
| through the warm blue water and the
| vessel from waist to stern, Is passing out
| of the cold green waters.
THE heat that IS carried on the waters
of this great river in the ocean is stored
while they roll beneath the equator and
is evaporated into and taken up by the
| hot dry winds that come from equatorial
| Africa, the south Atlantic and the vast
plains of South America, as they cross
the current of the gulf stream. There they
are saturated with water, and move to-
wards colder ATTITUDES TO edualize the
temperatures of the world.
"These movements that are as essential
in the economy OF nature as the cireula-
ton of the blood in the human system.
bear these vapors. charged with heat and
moisture until they meet colder air NOV
ing to the equator, in return currents to
regulate the atmosphere of the globe.
When these currents meet the warm
winds from the tropics give up their
moisture and it descends in warm rains
to the earth The meeting place of these
cold and warm currents is, practically,