Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1919-05-15
SOUTH DAKOTA
IS WET, ASSERTS
u Prof fESS0R
Only in Sense Of Having Sufficient
Rainfall During the Five
Growing Months.
ANNUAL RAINFALL 20 INCHES
Eastern States Have No Adgan-
tages Over Sunshine State"
So Named in Contrast.

vermillion, May 15.--Who save that
South Dakota is a dry state? DR.. S. S.
Visher says it's wet-wet as anything.
DR.. Visher shaws that the average
loon league; he's a geoiogist and auth
or of "The Geography of South Da-
kota.s a new bulletin just issued by
the University of South Dakota.
While instructor in geology at the
University DR.. Visher made a field sur
vey of the state with Ellwood G. Per-
isho. From facts gathered in his study
DIR. Visher shows that iii eaverage
rainfall of the eastern half of South
Dakota in the five growing months is
heavier tnan in New York, Ohio, Mich
igan, or Minnesota. Only eight inches
of water is necessary to grow wheat
but South Dakota receives more than
II inches in every portion of the state
The average annual precipitation is 20
inches
The seasonal distribution of rain in
so per cent normally fails during the
growing season. 1t is due to this sea-
sonal distribution that the native
grasses furnish naturally-cured hay on
the South Dakota prairies. The open
ness of the winters also encourage
grazing.
The suil.il Dakota far.rsf ,istss not
need ta turn Big Ben ahead an hour
to get a long day Of sunshine. Geo
graphical position gives South Dakota
continental type Of climate with. hot
summers and cold winters. The north
eastern quarter OF the state is coolest,
the southeastern quarter the warmest,
while the southwestern has the least
cold in winter. Extremes of tempera-
ture in South Dakota are 115 degrees
and SO degrees.
The maximum and minimum temper
atures are important because they,
rather than the average, influence the
physiological activities and limit the
range of species. The high maximum
in South Dakota and the high rate Of
rainfall stimulates the growth of corn.
The influence of the extremely low
minimum is not particularly Injurious.
There will be nc more wild Dakota
billiards. like the one in 1888 which
gave South Dakota a reputation for Sc
we're winters. The weather has not
Changed but in 1888 the early settlers
We're living in temporary quarters, i'll
prepared for cold. The telegraph and
telephone can give warning for prepa-
ration now, for severe storms approach
slowly. 4
Maximum temperatures over 100 de.
grees have been recorded at most of
the weather bureau stations in South
Dakota outside of the Black Hills and
minimum temperature below 40 de-
grees. For the state as a whole July
is the 1armest month when the aver
age temperature is about 72 degrees
ana January the coolest when the mer
curry sinks to:.13 degrees. The period
between the last killing frost in spring
and the first in autumn averages near
ly 130 days. The lower Missouri val
ley has $50 days of growing season.
South Dakota is called the Sun
shine State, = not because it has more
sunshine than other states, but be
cause OF the contrast between Solit.
Dakota and the eastern states ano
northern European countries from
which most of the early settlers came
Still South Dakota has more sunsfin,
than clouds. In 191O-1s AS per cen
of. the days Of the year were clear
4 80 per cent were partly cloudy: "a pc
cent were cloudy. In eastern SoutI
Dakota there are about ~ rainy day.
a year. South Dakota has few Leader
days In the year. The annual snow
fall is IA inches. Both the snowfall an,
the rainfall vary greatly when yearl.
& figures are compared The weather i
as variable as in most sections Of north
ern u HI tssii ttssi States ,sSS 3sfS
Many old settlers claim that TIL
climate Of South Dakota ;s changing
Drougs.s are Jess disastrous now thai
i nthes early days Of wind ana sgrass
hoppegsS but the, eaaaHs Is Fobabg du
to better crop adjustment. The popl
iatIen is not so near, lhes margin q
want ard a bank account viii tideEoye
an occasionaly yunsuccess year. I'll
United Htates sa Weather Bureau slia
iny4atigateda the :. ctihhgsng clifilate
X nd. .beerr iinsdcee la, estafI Iislsin
that, xherernass sbesii q change. q
Once spcns q, time people 'iissd % tai