The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-03-16
WEATHER CONDITIONS
EHE s.DUTCK WEATHER PRoPH-
ETa' is NOT ALARMED.

~. NiI' Is NOI ALafsHlCO.
The Summer Will be Moderate in
Temperature With No Long Perio-
DDS of very Hot Weather.
Up to Monday night there had been
o great dearth of rainfall throughout
this section as well as throughout the
entire country. This was not merely
a local condition, but letters from
the cattle ranches in the Southwest
. indicate that cattle are actually suf-
sering for the want of water. Wells
in some sections Of the country are
Becoming exhausted and creek beds
are said to be dry as tinder. The
total shortage in rainfall in the last
nix months is about seven inches.
But VIM. P. Houseal, the Dutch
weather prophet is not at all
slarmed or disconnected. He de-
clares that dry March is necessary
to a bountiful crop, especially # fol-
lowed by showers in April. 1nforma-
ton brought by travelling men from
an parts of South Carolina is to the
effect that the dry spring has per-
nitted many thousands Of acres TO
be plowed waiting for the rain to
make the seed germinate.
His Forecast.
Following is the Dutch prophets
forecast of spring and summer tenn
perature and precipitation:
f'Present conditions in temperature
and precipitation will mo doubt cause
forecast for spring and summer to
be interesting-when rain is needed
to make up the large deficit in the
former condition, while it may be ex-
pected that the past periods Of April
and MAY of last year may be repeated
this year.
s"The unusual departure from nor
NAL conditions in the amount Of pre-
cipitation is placed around nine
inches at this date. AS an encour-
age1lent to farming interests the old
proverb, "A pint of March dust is
equal to a bushel of corn at harvest,
should not be overlooked in our cal
culations as to what the weather will
bring US in the long run.
tnThe chief precipitation period OF
the spring centres around March is,
which Is the central equinox storm
period. The storm can be expected
to distribute itself throughout the
South Atlantic and East Gulf States
three days ahead of the same period
after the 18th. The dates Of the CEN
trail period of similar disturbances
OF more or less intensity for the year
are the following:
'April Il, May II, June Z, August
I, August 29, September rs, Octobe;
23. There will be no equinoctial dis
4urbance of any great intensity eth
er during September or October. che
greatest disturbance Of this character
centres around November IS as af-
fecting the usual course Of these au-
9rmnal visitors from the tropics.
''The periods indicated for the
dates given here are for general pre-
clpitation and they need not neces-
sarily cover the whole country in or
der that the forecast may be veri-
fed.
-'These general periods will nat
urally cause lesser periods to form
in the precipitation area. The pre-
diction is here made that so far as
the matter of precipitation for the
spring and summer is concerned all
indications point to an even distribu-
tion Of rain for the middle and east
ern sections of the country.
"These lesser periods are central
for the dates of March 4, April 1, %,
May 26, June 23, July 20, August II,
September 13, October 10.
'. ''The theory upon which these
forecasts are based indicates an ear
lier spring than 1910 when this fore
caster said: "The danger Of severe
frosts will extend into April, and
even in May the weather will be an
seasonably cool. 1t will be at least
six weeks from March Is until the
cool periods pass into summer heat
The veriflcation of the 1910 forecast
was seen when the frost on May 80
occurred with disastrous affect as far
south as the 35th parallel.
"a favorable indication for seas
enable conditions at Easter is the
unusual amount of high pressure
which has prevailed in the South At
lantic section since the storm period
of October 1920. This condition
prevented one of the coldest waves
of the winter from making the low
est thermometer readings ever zen
in the South, not excepting February
IA, 1899, when it dropped to eight
degrees below zero at Newberry and
six below at Columbia. There is no
waste in nature and the meterologi-
cal conditions which prevail in De-
cember have their effect on condi-
tions six months afterwards.
"The summer will be moderate in
temperature with no prolonged or
excessive periods Of intensely hot
weather. w. P. Houseal."
"Columbia, March 13, 1911"