Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1915-12-09
Very truly yours,
D. F. HOUSTON,
Secretary.

ClOSOU. @
Very truly yours,
D. F. HOUSTON,
Secretary.
Mr.. McDOWelPs Conclusions.
Amongst the valleys of the southern
Alleghanies sometimes winter is sue
ceeded by warm weather, which con-
tinuing through the months of March
and April, brings out vegetation rap
idly, and clothes the forests in an
early verdure. This pleasant spring
weather is terminated by a few days
rain, and the clearing up is followed
by cold, raking winds from the north
west, leaving the atmosphere of a pure
indigo tint, through which wink bright
stars, but if the wind subsidies at
night, the succeeding morning shows
a heavy boar frost; vegetation is ut
terly killed, including all ann OF
fruit germs, and the landscape cloth
ed in verdure the day before now
looks dark and dreary.
1t is precisely under this condition
OF things that the beautiful phenome-
non of the "Verdant Zone" or "Ther-
NAL Belt" exhibits itself upon
mountain sides, commencing abou
three hundred feet vertical height
above the valleys, and traversing
them in a perfectly horizontal line
throughout their entire length like a
vast green ribbon upon a black
ground. It's breadth is Jour hun
dred feet vertical height, and from
that wider, according to the degree
the angle of the mountain with the
plane of the horizon. Vegetation of al
xy;A1s- kJ,n 1;noiko ~ R6in 0nnn g
by frost; and such is its
influence hat the Isabella,
the most tender of all our native
grapes, has not failed to produce
abundant crops in twenty-six consec-
utive years; nor has fruit of any kind
ever been known within these limits
to be frost killed, though there has
been instances where it has been so
from a severe freeze.
The Thermal Belt must exist in all
countries that are traversed by high
and deep valleys, as the
natural causes that produce it are as
lnfallible as those which produce the
in the clouds; and the only
reason why it's visible manifestations
ire peculiar to our southern Allegha-
MES is the fact that their precocious
vegetation is sometimes killed
by a frost, while the same thing does
rot happen in the mountains further
The philosophy of the subject, which
claim to have discovered and pub
lished the 18th of April, 1858, is the
following:
Frost is but crystaIized dew, and
only form during clear still
when the atmosphere is in
repose. The atmosphere.
when at rest, falls into a series of
strata. n lying above the other, the
heaviest stratum becoming the base
of those above it, and all take posi-
tons according to their weight and
density upon THO r1inc1ple of gravita-
ton.
Heat is the agent shat produces this
result. This heat is of two kinds,
both from the same source; the pri-
mary one being the suns rays direct,
and the other the heat reserved or re-
tanned by the earth. This heat is ever
.radiating, and in cold, clear, still
it mounts upward through the
cold, damp air, taking from it it's
%caloric, while the letter rushes down
in a cold frost, producing currents,
and hence the lowest ground in a val
ley is ever subject to the hardest
frosts. The warm, dry, light current
keeps mounting upward Like cork in
water until it reaches a stratum of
atmosphere too thin and light to sup,
port it, when it consequently falls
back and forms it's warm, dry, genial
stratum upon the top of the lower or
frost stratum and hence in cold,
frosty nights is produced the phenom-
of the "VernaI Zone"
It is a fact that car be well attest
ed, that all attempts to cultivate the
grape in u low, damp valleys have
utterly failed, the fruit being attack
ed before fully grown by what is
called mildewblight, while the few
vines that grow upon the small farms
lying high upon the mountain sides
have ever matured their fruit in the
greatest perfection; and the true e
son of this is, that all good varieties
of grapes have thin skins, are of ten
der organization, and easily affected
by a damp atmosphere and chill dew.
And on the mountain, being within a
comparatively dry thermal zone, they
grow in an atmosphere peculiarly
adapted to the delicacy of their tender
organization. In view Of these facts,
I say confidently that any well-con-