OATS BARLEY. 2G9 



temperature and a very moist atmosphere, is equal to that 

 of the richest woodlands of the northern United States, 

 yet corn does not grow. 



In the middle temperate zone of France wheat is culti- 

 vated to the height of 5,400 feet only. In Mexico its 

 culture commences at the altitude of 2,500 or 3,000 feet, 

 and ascends to more than 9,000 feet. On the plateau of 

 southern PeiTi, 8,000 feet above the sea, its yield is extra- 

 ordinary ; and on the foot of the volcano of Arequipa it 

 succeeds as high as 10,000 ; but it will not grow in the 

 equable temperature of Lake Titicaca, the heat there not 

 being sufficient to ripen either it or rye. It requires for its 

 growth, says Meyen, the mean annual heat of 39° Fah., 

 combined with a summer heat of 5ti° Fah. : a much inferior 

 mean heat is, however, sufficient in the extreme climate of 

 subarctic America, provided the summer heat for 100 or 

 120 days be great enough. 



Oats are little cultivated in Rupert's Land ; they re- 

 quire longer time than barley to ripen, and are therefore 

 not likely to grow so far north. They have not been 

 tried at Fort Norman, however, which is the most ad- 

 vanced post in that direction where barley is cultivated. 

 Mr. M' Pherson finding some grains of oats accidentally in 

 a barley field, propagated them, and raised some good crops 

 on the River of the Mountains, and I believe also at Fort 

 Simpson. On the Scandinavian peninsula this grain is said 

 to extend to 62^° N. and 65° N., but, even on the latter 

 parallel, falling five degrees short of the latitude which 

 barley reaches. Meyen saw ripe oats at Lake Titicaca. 



In good seasons barley ripens well at Fort Norman on 

 the 65th parallel, as has been mentioned in the narrative 

 (1. p. 165.). All Mr. Bell's attempts to raise it at Fort 

 Good Hope, two degrees further north, failed. It reaches, 

 as we have just observed, the 70th degree of latitude on 



