The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-07-25

ana that the last Few years has shown
evidence of the fact, especially in the
newer regions of the west. IA. ba.
oeen to the interest of sertain peop,e
20 promulgate the belief that +ba
bringing under cultivation or vast
areas OF wild lands would EFFECT >
change in climate and cause an In
crease In the rainfall. A few saaso.,
able years seemed to confirm that ha-
lief and 1t has been acted unop acoo,5
thousands of new farms
nave oeen opened up and the price of
lahd mas been increasing year by wear.
reputation has shifted westward
money has been plentiful and tha
newer states show every evidence of
prosperity.
some time ago a little book was is-
sued which humorously classified bu.
mainly into two classes-bromides
and sulphides. The bronides are
j those who gibIy repeat the opinions
OF others as being their own. "ob-
/ yes the weather is cold. bur the g r.
/ is so dry that we do not feel H." atc
| etc. Because we have had several
years of plentiful rainfall MANY bava
! imagined that there has been n ner-
manent change in the climate ana
nave repeated the manufactured onty
Ions OF others till thev became al
most anchored in this belief. This
season has served to shake beIiefs
somewhat and there Is likely tn he
revision of opinion among the bro
mides "'o
Few facts in regard to climatic
changes and freakishness will not
come amiss at this time. Climates
nave not changed to- any appreciahIa
extent during historic times. whera
we see evidence of change thew have
come about during the geologic ages
and IL VIII take ages not decades n
change the climate OF any partic,,Iar
section of the country. Take the o,,as.
ton OF rainfall At one or the portt.
western forts a reasonable acc,,~a+a
record of precipitation covers nariod
Of over fifty years. Nv dfvidipe eft.,
years into periods of twenty-f1va tan
ahd nVe years, respectively, 1t was
louno that the average annual rain |
IAN LOT the two twenty-five year Pc
rioos old not vary an inch, there was
Wioer divergence between the ten |
year PERIODS and a very marked diff |
ference IN several OF the f1ve-year ne
RODS On further examination OF the
record there appears to be a rough
periodicity of about nine years between
seasons of abundant and deficient rain
ian. This confirms the cycle theory
ana some OF our old settlers have
oeen anticipating a period of scantv
precipitation. They are prepared for
lt and while the showers this vear
nave been infrequent 1t simply means
financial loss to most of our farmers
but not disaster. TO those who. moor.
" prepared, have pushed out too far
from their base OF supplies It NAV
mean acknowledgment and disaster
The bromides will have to revise
Lneir climate wisdom Our climate has
not changed but experience has shown
1s how to- turn apparent disaster into
victory We know how to conserve
he moisture better than we did wears
lgo We know what crops To raise !
ma now TO withstand drougi1ty con-
iitions better than our nefghbors IN
ne east. Our states are no more fire. 6
luent sufferers from lack OF rainfall |
nan some OF the older states. Less I
nan thirty years ago we searched d /
en-acre held In Illinois for enough /
oasting-ears for dinner and carried =
= ali the crop in basket. The cat !
le were then turned into the field I
or pasture The older states experi- :
nee wet and dry weather cycles lust | a
ne same as we do In the northwest q
ut they cannot get along with q de- t
cheney OF moisture as well as we can. 3
here II not much talk of changes IN 1
Innate IN those sections and we win q
2 better OFF when he get rid or the r
mistaken notion Of climatic changes ls