314 



Mr. Hinds on Climate in connexion 



but a remnant of their proper beauty. James, among the 

 Rocky Mountains, observed the colours of the flowers to be 

 surpassingly brilliant ; the usual weather of the year was also 

 proportionately transparent. With us, in clouded and dull 

 summers, fruits and corn do not ripen with anything ap- 

 proaching the rapidity they otherwise would. The whole 

 progress of the fruit is thus aided or retarded, from the set- 

 ting to perfect maturation, and on it the flavour of edible 

 kinds entirely depends. No latitudes produce flowers of 

 greater richness of colouring than the warmer temperate re- 

 gions ; here cloudless weather prevails a greater part of the 

 year ; an Italian sky has become proverbial, and such a sky 

 is found in similar latitudes all over the world. From Chili 

 and California many of our most favourite ornamental flow- 

 ers have found their way ; the former has lovely species of 

 Fuchsia, Calceolaria, Lobelia, Escallonia, and Loranthus ; in 

 California abound Clarkia, Eschscholtzia, Vauchneria, some 

 very glowing species of Ribes, Ceanothus, and Lmpinus, and 

 others equally attractive; indeed both abound in beautiful flow- 

 ers. It would be needless to mention the vegetable beauties 

 of the Cape of Good Hope which revel in a similar climate. 



II. Vegetation is subject to a proportionately reduced tem- 

 perature from the agency of terrestrial radiation. Dr. Wells 

 found, that a thermometer placed among growing plants fell 

 during the night many degrees below the air, and on some 

 occasions the difference amounted to as much as eleven 

 degrees. Like solar radiation it is influenced by latitude and 

 elevation, and seasons also have a controlling power. The 

 depressions arising from these have been accurately observed 

 by Mr. Daniell for each month of the year in our own climate, 

 and his results for a period of three years are contained in 

 the table. 



Here there is a depression surpassing that of Dr. Wells, 

 and, from legitimate deduction, not yet at its excess; approach- 

 ing nearer the poles there is every probability of its still 

 taking a lower station in the summer months. Lower lati- 



