1036 



Ihc plu'iionieiion oi" inany trees and shrubs Ilowering richly even 

 in a very cold and damp summer, if only Ihe previous summer 

 was good, whilst conversely on the other hånd somelimes but very 

 few tlowering shrubs can be found there in a good summer. 



It appears from this summary of the trees and shrubs most 

 c'ommonly planted, that there is only a very small number in which 

 the year's shoots generally ripen; in most these die more or less 

 far down and the trees thus usually have the appearance of shrubs 

 or bushes; it is only when they stand in shellered and favourable 

 piaces that they reach larger dimensions. If we now ask, what is 

 the reason for this and more generally why there are no woods 

 in the Færoes, the answer must certainly be, that it is due to the 

 very damp, stormy, island climate of the Færoes and the low, but 

 very uniform temperature throughout the year^. The relatively 

 very low summer temperature in conjunction with the gray sky 

 usually prevalent at that season, much fog, rain and but little sun 

 cause the growth to proceed extremely slowly. The shoots of the 

 year are still growing slowly throughout the summer, which should 

 almost be regarded as a con linned spring, and they therefore 

 do not succeed in ripening, so thai when the first touch of frost 

 comes in autumn, it is only the very lowesl paris of the shoot 

 which are so far developed thai they can stand the winter. And 

 the relatively very high winter temperature, which with south-west 

 winds especially may be considerable, is no less harmful to the 

 growth of the trees. If there should be somewhat long periods of 

 mild weather, growlh may easily begin especially towards the end 

 of winter just to be stopped abruptly by returning cold, and 

 these changes may be repeated several times; the temperature is 

 indeed very variable on the whole and quickly changes according 

 to the prevalent direction of the wind. 



To this must be added the extremely stormy climate; the great 

 force of the wind, especially the powerful gusts, must be in high 



^ The average aiiniial temperature (30 years data) is 6.5" C. In the winter 

 months. December — March, 3.2—3.4" C. is the average temperature. The spring is 

 cold, April with 5.5" C. and May with 7.2" C; in June the average rises to 9.7" C. 

 and in July and August the true summer months it reaches 10.8"; in September 

 it sinks slowly to 9.4", in October to 6.7" and lastly in November to 5.0 ". As 

 these figures show, the islands have a long but relatively very warm winter and 

 a relativeh" short and cold summer. With regard to the climate of the Færoes, 

 see further Wil laume- J an t zen : Færoernes Klima (Geografisk Tidsskrift, 15. Bd., 

 p. 29, and Atlanten, 2. Aarg., Nr. 21, p. 194). 



