Culhiral Fir si Principles. 319 



moisture in tlie soil evaporates slowl}^ so that plants grow rapidl}-. 

 The woody tissue is therefore soft, and not well ripened as timber. 

 Wood may, therefore, he grown on a north aspect for planking, but 

 not for building timber, beams, &c. 



" On an eastern aspeet the sun strikes obliquely during the coolest 

 hours of the day, so that the temperature and the light are moderate. 

 The wind is dry and violent. The soil under these conditions keeps 

 fairly moist, so that tree-growth is moderate, and the timber not too 

 soft, but fairly lignified or matured. The eastern aspect is the best, 

 timber grown on it being fit for all purposes. 



" Tree-growth not being rapid on northern and eastern aspects, there 

 is little danger of spring frosts, but more of eaily autumn ones. 



"On a smitli cisped the snn shines almost all day,so that the tempera- 

 ture is high and the light intense. The winds are strong, and often 

 bring heavy storms, so that the ground is alternately soaked and dried 

 up. ]5eing washed down the slopes by the rain, it is generally super- 

 ficial only, under which conditions timber can only grow slowly, and 

 often becomes misshapen. It is, however, well matured and useful 

 for building when sufficiently shapely. 



" On a u-cstern axpcct the sun strikes obliquely, but during the hotter 

 half of the day, so that the temperature is high and the light fairly 

 intense. The soil cannot long retain its moisture, and the winds 

 being like those of the southern aspect, timber is here also slow in 

 growth and ill-shapen. 



" Independently of their causes, we can draw up a elfiss/fJeafio/i af 

 cli/natcs, as hot, mild, temperate, cold, and verj^ cold. This classifica- 

 tion was originally made for France, and the first class, the hot cliiiiatc 

 the home of the cork and evergreen oaks {Qucrcics suher and Q. ilex) 

 is not represented in Great Britain. 



" The mild climate is characterized by the common oaks {Q. sessili- 

 Jiora and Q. ]jcclunculata) , fruiting every year. This is only slightly 

 represented in England and Ireland. 



" In the temperate climate these oaks and the]beech only fruit once in 

 four, six, or even eight years. The hornbeam and beech are fre- 

 quent. ]^[ost of England south of the Humber may be considered as 

 temperate. 



"In the cold cli mat g\j\\q,\)Q,qq\\ grows with the Scotch, and in France 

 the silver fir. Most of Scotland comes under this head. 



" In the very cold climate, represented by the north of Scotland and 

 by mountains farther south, the beech gives place to the birch, and 

 the spruce and larch are more at home than the Scotch fir." 



Such being an outline of the subject of climate, so far as it requires 

 the attention of the forester, the consideration of soil may b: reserved 

 or a future article. 



