The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-07-20
OUR VALLEY
By s. p. WERNER
V |

vi
The temperature of the valley
presents the wide ranges said by
some students of the influence Of
environment upon human develop
ment-such as the late DR.. Otis
Mason, of the Smithsonian Insti-
tution-to be highly promotivc of
activity and of the development
of high physical and intellectual
powers. The Rhythmic seasonal
alienation" as some of them de-
scribe it, is regarded as stimula-
tive and energizing. The Their
mometer ranges approximately
between 100 deg. f. and 20 deg.
below zero, but the hottest days
are nearly always followed oy cool
nights, and extreme cold, spells are
of short duration and infrequent
occurrence. Those maximum and
minimum figures are unusual. The
summer mean is about rs deg. the
winter As deg. The Spring and
autumn temperatures are almost
ideal for comfort and pleasure.
The fact of the cool nights in
summer, conducive to sound sleep,
has long been one of the most
powerful attractions to vacation
lists from lower attitudes. The day
will doubtless come when persons
blessed with adequate fortunes
and air-mindcdncss may fly up
from their homes in the Glow
country" in airplanes after the
days work to spend the night in
their mountain homes. 1t is only
an easy two hours by plane from
the center of the coastal plain to
Hendersonville.
The rainfall in the valley is both
one of its chief assets, when its
implications are properly under
stood, controlled, and used, and
the source of some Of its major
problems otherwise. The upper
end of the valley is one of the wet
test areas in America. The annual
mean precipitation over the whole,
can be hardly less than sixty
inches. Taking the words of Dr..
McGee, the eminent geologist and
|conservationist, that water is
mankind's most precious gift from
nature" one might claim for the
valley a pre-eminence in blessing.
But sometimes we have entirely
too much, and occasionally entire
ly too little. The yearly amount,
however, is always fully adequate
for all purposes; and how to con-
troll, direct, conserve, and utilize
it so as to make the best of it
is both a problem and an oppor-
tunity. Millions of dollars have
been expended 20 get water from
distant sources to the arid lands
of many parts Of our West; sure
ly it is as justifable to spend a
fraction of those enormous sums
in conserving and controlling
water where it may eventually re-
duce land to as ruinouS a cOndi-
ton as those deserts unless wise
measures of prevention and utiIi-
cation are taken.
This heavy rainfall is somewhat
unevenly distributed both season.
ally and geographically. Some
months witness very heavy rains;
in others there may be almost
none at all. 1t is also practically
impossible to forecast when these
extraordinary conditions may a.
rise. There have been freshets in
spring, summer, and autumn;
drouths in the same way. The
causes of this irregularity in pre-
cipitation are involved in world.
wide meteorological considerations
and may eventually be explained
but they are not yet fully under,
stood.
But there is a remedy for this
irregular precipitation, which will
be fully presented and discussed
later. Suffice to say now that our
valley enjoys the visits of a giant
power every year, and our chief
problem is how to put the GRANT
to steady and useful work instead
of allowing him to ravage our
coasts uncontrolled.
As long as our forests were vir-
gin, the rainfall was broken bv
leaves and limbs. the wafer co,l,oJ