222 Dr Forry on the Climate of the United States. 



learned array of historical facts, is for the first essay, that, 

 as respeets both the old and new world, " the hypothesis of 

 a moderation of climate appears to be unsupported." And, 

 for the second — " But we can hardly infer, from the facts 

 that have been yet collected, that there is, in modern times, 

 an actual diminution of the aggregate amount of cold in win- 

 ter, on either continent."' 



Now, as DrW.'s views relative to the influence that clear- 

 ing the country of its forests exercises upon the seasons of 

 the year, also correspond remarkably with our own deduc- 

 tions, we cannot fail to discover a marked coincidence in the 

 similarity of his conclusions and that previously expressed 

 by ourselves : " All observations, then, thus far confirm the 

 belief in the general stability of climates. As regards the 

 seasons, it will be shewn, however, that in countries covered 

 with dense forests, the winters are longer and more uniform 

 than in dry, cultivated regions ; and that in summer, the 

 mean temperature of the latter is higher. Hence, in regard 

 to the opinion generally entertained, that the climate of Eu- 

 rope has been very much meliorated since the days of Julius 

 Csesar, it is clearly apparent, from the foregoing facts, that 

 it is far from being sustained by evidence sufficient to en- 

 force conviction. But, at the same time, while it is obvious 

 that no material change has taken place, for the last 2000 

 years, in the climate of Europe, the conjecture that it has 

 gradually acquii'ed rather a milder chai'acter, or, at least, 

 that its excessive severity seems, on the whole, to occur less 

 frequently, appears to be warranted." 



It is thus seen, and it is farther shewn, that whatever 

 difference there may be between the seasons of ancient and 

 modern times, they find an explanation without resorting to 

 the unphilosophical hypothesis of a general augmentation of 

 temperature. So universal has been the opinion, that modern 

 writers have experienced a material increase of temperature, 

 that Dr Webster remarks, — " Indeed I know not whether any 

 person, in this age, has even questioned the fact.'' Under 

 these circumstances, the coincidence that both of us, inde- 

 pendent of each other, arrived at the same conlusion — a con- 



