Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1888 — Fogs, Rain and Snow. [ARTICLE]

Fogs, Rain and Snow.

Th* griming evil of dr J ut v s, and insecta, and weeds, and sweeping winds, we can provide against oflly by protect action, and combined actijn. We do not need laws sgdnst oleoma 1 garine a hundnth part as bad y as we need strong legislation!© compel the :des'ruction of Meeds and sparrow a and the prevention of the desiuction of forests and scattered trees. If all of our Legislatures would confine their attention to the practice’ needs of the land for one summer, and then adjourn without a snee ss>r for five years we shou’d stand some chance of getting the value of the tax- b p idtosuppo t our State pili teal ioptitntiors. New weeds are invading ns, new insec s overwbeltoirg the crops, and the spurovs threaten to be worse than all the plegneof Egypt comlind. The death of Henry Bergh will be aorely felt by all lovers of animals. He has been esteemed as in some degree a crank—at least as being a one-idea man. But his life shows the value of having at least one idea, and living for its general apprehension and adoption. In 1866 this idea was embodied in a law passed by the New York Legislature. Since that time it has become nationalised, and in nearly every State there are statutes protecting our dumb friends. Many of us have lived to see almost a revolution wrought by one man. Twenty five years ago a man might safely maltreat a horse in the streets of New York or el iwhere. He is not safe in abusing horse or dog to-day. Branches of Mr. Bergh’s society exist all over the States. A noble man has lived and his works will live long after him. If dumb animals could speak,his epitaph would be as full of (ratitude as that of John Howard.

St, J.icVo)M for Apr 1. Having now learned how the water is drawn into the air, let ub see how and why it comes down again as rain or snow or dew. There is a singular thing about this moisture, which is this, the air will hold only a certain quantity of it, and that quantity depends upon the temperature of the air. But warm air always holds more than cold; so, however warm the air may be, or however much moisture it may Contain as invisible vapor, we have only to cool it enough and the vapor condenses, as we say; that is, it becomes visable, first as fog or mist, and then as drops of water, such as we see on the pitcher. And the reason we see a white fog rising at night, after tbo sun goes down, is only because the water, wnich has been evaporating all day and going up into the air as invisible vapor, becomes condensed to fog by the cooling of the air when the sun’s heat is withdrawn.. When the sun rises, the fog dissappeare; but the vapor still ascends, and when it reaches the altitudes where the air is always cool, it becomes condensed again as fog, only it is then called “clouds.” And if it becomes condensed enough to form drops of water, they fall, and it “rains”; or perhaps, it snows, for snow is but froten rain.