178 



to believe, that, were it not for those atmospheric commotions, the vapors- 

 would fall back upon the bosom of the stagnant deep, while on the con- 

 tinents there would be no rain, no dew, no fountains, no streams, and no- 

 life, either animal or vegetable, any where on the globe. 



On the contrary, it would seem as though the inclination of the earth's" 

 axis, twice ten degrees and more, was the result of a series of abstract 

 mathematical calculations, to which the mind of a Newton would have^ 

 been wholly incompetent ; and with a view to the earth's utmost capacity 

 to sustain the sentient tribes that were to inhabit it. Should the mathe- 

 matician and the philosopher, with all the data the present system fur- 

 nishes, put their wits together, to see if the inclination could be made one 

 single degeee more or less, without diminishing the earth's capacity ta 

 sustain animal and vegetable life, they would probably arrive at the con- 

 clusion that it could not. If more, it would be deleterious to the pro- 

 ducts of the tropics, without conferring an equivalent benefit upon those 

 of the temperate latitudes ; if less, the injury Avould be reversed, and 

 very probably the products of both would sufiFer by either change. 



Change of season and variety of climate are as essential to variety and 

 perfection in the products of nature, as are diversities of tastes and tal- 

 ents and pursuits amongst men, to variety and perfection in the products 

 of art. There is probably not a single vegetable product which will 

 flourish equally well in every climate, and most of them are confined to- 

 a range of a few degrees of latitude. 



Wheat will not germinate in a higher temperature than 95 degrees.. 

 the most favorable being 65 degrees. Hence, wheat does not grow in the 

 torrid zone, where the temperature of the soil is very commonly 120 

 degrees. Barley germinates at a still lower temperature than wheat, 

 whilst maize will germinate at 113 degrees. Hence, maize will flourish; 

 in a warmer climate than wheat, and wheat in a warmer climate than 

 barley ; and similar diS"erences exist in regard to a great variety of other 

 products. Dates, coff"ee, cocoa, bread-fruit, bananas, cinnamon, cloves, 

 nutmegs, pepper, myrrh, indigo, ebony, log-wood, teak, sandal-wood,, 

 and many other vegetable products which are valued for their flavor, 

 odor, color, or density, are found only in the tropics. In the warmer 

 portions of the temperate zones, we find the apricot, citron, orange, 

 lemon, peach, fig, vine and olive. Farther north, the apple, plum and 

 cherry appear, while still farther north, fruit trees disappear entirely.* 



* See Carpenter's General and Comparative Physiologj. 



