30 May, 1910.] The W'nie Industry m Southern France. 



317 



Winter minima of from 10° to 12° C. (13° to 10.40° F.) are not uncom- 

 mon. So intense is the cold in certain winters that Australian Eucalypts 

 cannot be successfully grown in the open air. At the Mbntpellier 

 school, several species have been tried, but none of these are of any size 

 as they have been cut down to the ground everv fourth or fifth \ear b\ 

 winter cold. A good many have been killed outright. 



The majority of these trees are Eucalyptus globulus (Blue Gum) ; one 

 species alone, K. urmgera. from southern Tasmania, has so far resisted the 

 cold satisfactorily. As M. Mares points out — 



As compared with the rest of France, the southern region possesses a climate 

 which is dry and hot, excessive in its variations as regards heat, drought and 

 moisture-. 



SNOW SCENE AT MONTPELLIER. 



The following data are taken from an article bv the late Professor 

 Houdaille : — 



Rainfall. — Careful records have long been .regularly kept. These 

 show that during the course of a century, one may observe alternate moist 

 and dry periods. The observations collected by Poitevin. first President 

 of the Societe Ccntrale de VHerauU. show from 1767 to 1791 an annual 

 average of 820 mm. {^^--Z inches). This average has varied a little 

 during the course of the century, as is shown by the comparison of four 

 different series of rainfall observation made at ^lontpellier : — 



Observations of J. Castelnau (1835-49) 

 Observations of E. Roche (1857-66) ... 

 Observations of Ch. Martins (1852-72) 



Observations of Ecole d'Agriculture, Montpellier 



(187388) 745 ■•• 29.3 



Great variations are often observed l>:^tween different years. In 1875 

 1,037 mm. (40.8 inches) fell, whilst in 1884 only 533 mm. (21 inches) 

 were recorded. 



