8 
annual ranges of temperature. Some attempts have also been made 
to show that in a forest region more rain falls than in adjacent open 
fields; but this I shall not further consider, as I have elsewhere shown 
that the measured differences are all due to the influence of the wind 
on the catch of the rain gage and have nothing to do with rainfall 
itself. All reliable observations show that the percentage of moisture 
in the soil is larger under the forest than in the open air, and all 
investigations show that the temperature of the soil is far more uni- 
form under the forest than in the full sunshine. 
The proper conclusion to draw from these forest studies, in so far 
as they relate to the question of the influence of climate on crops, is 
simply that plants growing within the influence of a forest have a 
somewhat different climate from those growing in the open field. 
The amount of this influence will become a proper study when any 
important crop is cultivated within a forest or under its influence, 
which, however, is not now generally the case. 
The inverse question as to the influence upon general atmospheric 
phenomena of the temperature and moisture of the thin layer of quiet 
air within a region covered with a forest is one that may be relegated 
to the future as being of minor importance in dynamic meteorology 
and of still less importance in agricultural chmatology. 
On the other hand, the distribution and quality of forest trees 
affords a very important illustration of climatic influence. Indeed, 
the forests themselves furnish a most important crop of lumber and 
firewood, perhaps the most valuable crop recorded in the statistics 
of the country, and one whose relation to climate must be important, 
but, unfortunately, the statistics of annual forest growth are not yet 
available for this study. I have, therefore, deferred the cogsidera - 
tion of this branch of our subject to a future date, when perhaps 
American forestry will be more fully developed. 
I shall omit the consideration of theories and experiments as to the 
artificial improvement of the weather, especially the production of 
rainfall, protection from hail and lightning, and the amelioration of 
our hot winds. Although this subject is alluring, I hope the common 
sense of the agricultural community will eventually indorse my con- 
viction that, for the present, our wisest plan is to confine our study 
closely to, first, the influence of sunshine, heat, moisture, and atmos- 
phere on the growth of plants, on the nature of the seed, and on the 
character of the crops; second, the influence of the quality of the seed 
itself and of the richness of the soil on the crop; third, how to choose 
our seed, cultivate the ground, and protect the plant from frost, birds, 
insects, fungi, etc., so as to secure a good crop in spite of adverse 
natural climatic conditions, 
In general, I have labored to put my data and conclusions before 
the reader so fully that, if a student, he may utilize this report as a 
