494 A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 



The numbered samples of soil in the accompanying table came 

 from the following places : 



The samples of soil forwarded to Mr. Manning for analysis were 

 as follows : — 



No. 1. — Pure white sand taken from the bottom of the hill on the 

 Pembroke marsh side of Mount Langton. 



No. 2. — A chalky mud, which occurs in a vein in the same locality. 



No. 3. — Pure virgin red earth from the layer on the east side of 

 Bishop street, Hamilton, about 60 feet above the sea. 



No. 4. — Good average agricultural red soil, taken from a field on 

 the Devonshire College ground, which at the time was under 

 tomatoes. 



No. 5. — Very red soil from Mr. Gibbons' farm near the Causeway, 

 under arrowroot at the time. 



There can scarcely be a doubt that with so good a soil as a foun- 

 dation, and with so favorable a climate, immense crops could be 

 grown by the modern scientific methods of intensive culture and 

 abundant use of the proper fertilizers, adapted to any required crop. 

 It would seem probable that the culture of a high grade of tobacco, 

 on modern scientific principles, and under cloth frames,* could be 

 made veiy profitable. 



18. — The Climate. 



The tables printed below will give a fairly good idea of the 

 climate, as observed during a series of years. The principal peculi- 

 arities are due to the insular situation and the proximity of the Gulf 

 Stream. Both these factors tend to prevent extremes of temperature 

 and sudden changes. But the temperature and dampness of the air 

 vary greatly according to the direction of the wind, especially in 

 winter. The northerly wdnds are usually cold and chilly, and are 

 often accompanied by cold rains, but at other times by cool and dry 

 weather. But southerly and southwesterly winds from over the 

 Gulf Stream are warm and damp ; thej^ are the prevailing winds in 

 summer, and usually, also, in the winter and spring, but northerly 

 winds are often nearly as frequent in winter. Fogs, however, are of 

 very rare occurrence. 



The average temperature during the three winter months and 

 March is from 63° to 66° F.; April, about 05°. 5; May, 70°.5; June, 



* In early times the tobacco crop was often much damaged, or nearly destroyed, 

 by blighting winds, probably due largely to the salt spray in most cases. The 

 use of thin cloth shelters, which has been found so advantageous in this country, 

 especially in Connecticut, would be worth trying in Bermuda. 



