128 CLIMATE AND VEGETATION OF 



The natives gather in all crops between 6000 and 8000 feet 

 this month, including the various millets, which yield 200 to 400 

 fold, and the unirrigated rice grown in slopes, and producing 80 

 fold on the average. 



Second, or 3Iiddle Zone. — Above 14,000 feet the scene is 

 more wintry than autumnal, but below that many Compositce and 

 UinbellifercE continue in flower, and some in fruit ; the Coniferce 

 all have fully formed cones ; some Clematis flower with Prin- 

 sepia, and blue Crawfurdia and the nut. The larch leaves 

 turn yellow and then red previous to dropping. Belts of scarlet 

 girdle the forests from the abundance of berberries, whose leaves 

 change colour. The bircli turns golden yellow, Pyri and maples 

 red and yellow, whilst the Abies Webbiana and junipers are 

 still black, the grass brown, rhododendrons a briglit verdegris 

 green. Of the latter some species throw out a few flowers, but 

 most are in seed, as are wild currants, cherries, berberries, apples, 

 hips, and Stauntonia, which latter affords the best wild fruit of 

 this region and that below it, except Rubi. 



November. — Mean temperature (7000 feet) 50° — of maxima 

 56'5°, minima 43*5°: daily range 13°. Sunk thermometer 54°. 

 Extremes of temperature 63° and 38° ; of radiating thermometers, 

 — solar 123°, terrest. 30°: extreme difference from temperature 

 of air — solar 68°, terrest. 12°. Mean dew-point 46*5° ; satura- 

 tion 0-89°. Rain-fall 0-4°. This is the least rainy month of the 

 year, sometimes no rain falls, and it seldom exceeds a few tenths 

 of an inch. Drought is sometimes experienced, with a bright 

 clear sun by day and sharp frost at night. The sun's rays are 

 very powerful, considering how low the temperature is, but 

 the air is bracing and pleasant, like an English April. 



The Bucklandia flowers in this month at 6000 to 7000 feet, 

 a magnificent tree as regards form and foliage ; Wightia, a 

 scandent Bignoniaceous tree, also blossoms profusely, bearing 

 no leaves, and forming immense masses of red in the forest ; 

 Pittosporum blooms, and a Prunus like Padus, whose leaves 

 are excellent fodder for cattle. Alder is in catkin, and the yel- 

 low Daphne Gardneri, a very beautiful plant, scents the air ; 

 nettles flower profusely, and Cuscuta, witli the great shrubby 

 Teucrium. All crops are now housed, and wheat and barley 

 sown at 9000 feet to be reaped in May. 



In the upper regions the snow-line tlescends to 14,000 feet. 



December. — Mean temperature (7000 feet), 43° ; of maxima 

 51-6°, and minima 34*9°; daily range 16*7°; sunk thermometer 

 48°. Extremes of temperature 56° and 32*5° ; of radiating 

 thermometers — solar 108°, terrestrial 26°. Extreme differences 

 from temperature of air — solar 77*2°, terrestrial 10°. Mean 

 dew-point 30° ; saturation 0-61°. Rain-fall 0*45. This month 



