Evening star., 1938-07-28
OF STARS,
MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science PROGRESS
in Field, Laboratory
and Study.
By THOMAS r. HENRY.

The country probably has passed
through cyclic drought period Of about
six years and entered a time of normal
or abundant rainfall which will con-
tinue for ten years or more.
Something of the sort seems probable
from comparison with records OF the
past, according to DR.. j. B. Kincer, chief
of the Genealogical section Of the
United States Weather Bureau, although
1t is impossible to make definite predic-
tions. But after the long succession of
dry years. starting in 1880, there have
been two years OF close to normal mois-
ture in succession.
Rainfall last year was normal or above
normal everywhere except In the dust
bowl area This year the record for the
country as q whole has been more than
II per cent above normal, with an aver
age Of 1915 inches Of rainfall every
where except in the tier Of States from
New York to Florida, Louisiana, North
States have not experienced anything
which could be called q drought"
The tWO-year succession, Mr.. Kincer
says, gives promise that I'VE are out of
the woods" He has known it was coming
all past history were to be shattered.
This has really been a short drought
period compared, for example, to the
last major one. from 1885 to 1895. It
has been. however. more severe.
Following such dry era the succeed
ing period Of abundant rainfall for the
country as a whole, judging from the
experience Of the past. lasts from 10
to Is years There can be no very
exact predictions. 1t must be remem-
bered, Mr.. Kincer stresses. that some
where in the United States there is an
abnormally dry period every year and
usually an abnormally rainy one. In the
midst of the wettest years the country
has known there have been limited areas
where crops failed for lack Of moisture
and in the midst Of the wettest years
areas where crops have rotted in the
fields because there was too much rain
fall. But every now and then, following
no predictable rule, droughts occur IN
families for from five to ten years in
succession. 1t is such a period that the
country has just passed through.
The reasons for the cycle still elude
meteorologists. 1t is associated in some
way with the shifts in position Of
"centers of action" Of great air masses
in the upper atmosphere. Ordinarily.
it has been supposed, q dry period also
is q hot period and q wet period one
during which the temperature falls to
normal or below. While this is gen.
orally true, Mr.. Kincer says. statistics
which he recently has compiled do not
support the generalization as we'll as
might be expected. Heat and drought,
chill and rain, are the results of in
dependent causes which interact on each
other in complex ways.
For 50 years, he finds the tempera-
ture of the country as a whole has
been advancing. although with notable
temporary receSsions. This is partic-
ularly true OF the springs and autumns.
On the whole. winters have been just as
cold and summers no hotter. But
warmer Mays and Novembers have the
most intense psychological effect. Folks
are impressed by the fact that there is
seldom snow on Thanksgiving.
There Is no reason to suppose that
this long upward trend OF temperature
is at an end DR.. Kincer says, although
during the rainy season the ascent OF
the curve may be greatly retarded.
Moreover, he stresses, even with the as
sumption that the drought family period
Is ended. some parts Of the country very
likely will suffer from dry weather all
the time.
The country's dairy industry is turning
to the commercial possibilities OF cloth
ing made out of milk-or rather out Of
the casein content OF milk. which Is
the main ingredient Of cheese. A good
deal Of attention will be given this sub
ject at the fall meeting of the American
Chemical Society at Milwaukee next
month. Already milk wool" is on the
market in both Japan and Italy. High
claims are made for it-that 1t Is service
able, that 1t hardly can be told from
real wool, and that 1t is much closer to
real wool chemically than rayon fabrics
are to real silk.
Hundreds Of Wisconsin creameries, ac-
cording to the. American Chemical
Society report, have installed plants for
making casein out Of the residue Of milk.
The State now produces about 10000 900
pounds annually, most of which Is used
for coating calendared paper. About
46 100000 pounds are produced by the
country as a whole and, it is estimated.
this output can be increased tenfold if
the milk wool industry proves successful.
Efforts now are being made to pro-
duce q rubber substitute out Of casein.
Thus far they have been unsuccessful.
A material can be made somewhat
resembling hard rubber, which can be
substituted for 1t under certain condi-
tions. 1t Is, however, far inferior to
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