r 49 ] 



The general temperature of our climate, in the vicinity of the 

 capital, is fomewhat lower than the 50th degree of Farenheit's 

 thermometer * ; and a mean of the hotteft or coldeft months of 

 our year rarely varies more than 10 degrees from this ftandard 

 heat f. Winter therefore, virith us, is ufually accompanied by 

 a temperature of 40 degrees ; fpring and autumn of 50 degrees; 

 and fummer of 60 degrees of the thermometer : and the general 

 heat of any fmgle month of thefe feveral feafons fcldom varies 

 much from the correfponding temperature of that particular feafon 

 to which it belongs. 



Of thefe limits, the loweft is not fufEciently cold to check thc^ 

 growth of any of the natural herbage of our ifland, nor the higheft 

 powerful enough to parch the furface of a moift foil, or to fcorch 

 its luxuriant grafTes. Hence it comes to pafs that our fields main- 

 tain a perpetual verdure, unimpaired by either folftice. Hence 

 too the farmer is enabled to lay his lands under grafs almoft at 

 any feafon, even at the commencement of winter J : and hence 

 the grazier never lofes the benefit of his rich paftures at any period 

 of the year, unlefs during the tranfient paffage of a temporary 

 drift of fnow; fo that horfes, cattle, and fheep, arrive here, with 



Vol. VI. G little 



* See Hamilton's Pa{)er on the Temperature of Ireland, in the fecond volume of 

 thefe Tranfadtions. 



t See State of the weather in Dublin, from June 1791 to June I793> by Mr. . 

 Kirwan, Vol. V. of the Tranfaftions. 



$ See Young's Tour in Ireland, Vol. I. p. 130. 



