24 



AGRICULTURAL EXPLORATIONS IN ALGERIA. 



amounts to nearly 40 inches, on the frontier of Morocco it is less than 

 16 inches. From year to year, also, the total amount and the dis- 

 tril)ution vary enormously. 



Table 2.— Rainfall {in inches) of localities in the coaxt region of Algeria, as compared 



ivith the California, coast. 



When we compare Algeria with California as to rainfall, we find 

 that the annual total precipitation at the two coast towns, Oran and 

 San Luis Obispo, is very nearly the same. At Los Angeles it is some- 

 what less. January is the month of greatest rainfall at Oran and San 

 Luis Oliispo, February at Los Angeles. July is the month when the 

 least rain falls at all three points. The precipitation is much heavier, 

 and nearly the same in total amount at Algiers and at San Francisco. 

 There is also considerable similarity in the distribution during the 

 year of the rainfall at these two places. 



The rainfall at Orleansville greatly exceeds that at Fresno, but is 

 somewhat less than that at Sacramento. Setif agrees closely with 

 Orleansville in yearly total and in distribution of the precipitation. 

 As for the mountainous districts of the two countries, as represented 

 by Fort National and Colfax, there is a very close correspondence in 

 yearly totals, but in respect to distribution the resemblance is less 

 striking. The rainfall in summer at Fort National is greater and that 

 in winter less than at Colfax. 



WIND. 



Winds from every point of the compass occur at different seasons in 

 the coast region. As has already been mentioned, the characteristic 

 winter wind is from the northwest, off the Mediterranean. This often 

 rises to the height of a gale, and is of sufficient importance to decide 

 the direction in which trees along the seashore are bent. West w inds 

 are also common in winter. In summer, the most violent wind is the 

 occa.sional sirocco, from the Desert of Sahara, an extremely hot, dry 

 wind, which sometimes blows day and night for several days at a time, 



