The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-16
SNOW BLANKET OVER
US. WILL AID CROPS
Proves rs Profitable ~ Early
Spring Rains. Say Weather
Bureau Experts.
ANOTHER STORM EXPECTED
States Growing Winter Wheat
Are Chief Beneficiarics Of
Recent Falls.

WAsHINGroS, Feb 1.-THE recent gem
eral snowstorm in the course OF the last
three days. which has covered the United
states from Montana to Maine and from
the Canadian border well into the Caro-
linas and Tennessee with blanket vary
ing in depth from SIX inches to q foot or
winter wheat. according to the Weather
Bureau experts in Washington.
Across the northern interior States
from New England 10 the Rockies. there
has been an average amount Of snow from
the opening OF the winter until now. The
greatest benetciaries among the winter
wheat growing States will be Maryland,
the Nirstnias and kentucky.
The weather Bureau expects more snow
In the lake region and in New York and
New England during the first part OF the
coming week. \ continuance Of reason
ably cold weather in the middle Atlantic
states and on "A line west AS far as the
Mississippi River. 1t is expected, will fur
ther benefit the snow covered farms.
Explains Great Beneat.
DR.. Lyman j. Briggs Of the biophys.cai
division OF Investigations OF the bureau OF
plants industry said of the recent snow
storms:
Heavy SHOWS are always Of greatest
benefit to the Western section of the great
plains region. Eastern Wyoming. eastern
Colorado. Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma
ana the Dakotas under ordinary circum-
stances have the best crops in seasons
after heavy winter snowfall.
THE reason for this Is that the content
OF moisture deposited deep into the ground
through long continued presence OF deep
SHOWS gives vegetation q better start In
the spring. 1t is the equivalent OF more
abundant spring rains, which are less and
less certain the further west we go. II
can be noticed readily how much better
the young green shows and later develops
In places where snow has long lain In
deep drifts.
more and heavier SHOWS In the Rocky
Mountains Of course spell a better water
supply for the irrigated regions In the
rapidly decreasing areas devoted to graz
ing. particularly winter grazing, snow is
not such a desideratum. but as the graz
ing areas decrease in extent the snow
detriment also decreases.
I'm the prairie States, except In the
southern tier where winter wheat Is
grown. snow 10 an unimportant factor
II hinders the Pressing and thawing OF
the soil which ID "A natural physical bene
At to arabic lands. Hut where wheat
or winter rye is planted the blanket OF
snow preserves the young roots from the
detrlment Of hard winter and gives the
grain a better start late in March and
carly April.
Again, In the Appalachian fruit coun
try, which extends from Pennsylvania tc
Georgia. the value Of the snow IL not
able. 1t preserves the trees from the
dangers Of extreme low temperatures
This 10 only modern benent SO far as
the apple crop 10 concerned. but In Of tire
mendous value to the peach crop. Snow
is dangerous to peaches only In the yer!
late winter and early spring. II through
extraordinarily high temperatures Il
early March the peach buds have swol
len prensturely. n wet snow followed b,
colder weather will destroy the crop. bu
the recent broadcast dispensstion OF snow
has come too early to do any damage.
"Where the eastern and central West
ern States viii chiefly benefit through tn,
recent snowstorin 10. ~ have ,ssid be
fore. In the winter wheat and In the win
ter rye, This bensat 10 impossible I,
caicNlate Either y busi,sls - y agiiar