THE WONDERS OF VEGETATION. 19 



table productions the same characteristic zones of 

 vegetation which we meet with in going from the 

 equator toward the North or South pole. We might 

 therefore compare the two terrestrial hemispheres to 

 two mountains, supported the one against the other 

 ~by their bases at the circle of the equator, their sum- 

 mits covered with eternal snows, and certain classes 

 of plants dwelling on their sides in regular succession 

 as we move from their tropical base to their polar 

 summit. 



We can obtain an idea of the succession of plants 

 by following an ascent made by Mr. Ch. Martins, 

 of Montpellier, who divides with Humboldt, Hook- 

 er and a few renowned botanists the glory of ad- 

 vancing the geography of plants a science which 

 had its birth at the commencement of the present 

 century. The following are the observations made 

 by him during the ascent of Mount Yentoux in 

 Provence: 



" All the trees belonging to the lowest plains," he 

 says, " were found at the base of the mountain, the 

 characteristic trees being the Aleppo pine and the 

 olive-tree. The first does not appear at a greater ele- 

 vation than 1,300 feet above the level of the sea, the 

 second ascends farther, to about 1,500 feet. Besides 

 these trees we saw all the Southern species which 

 characterize the vegetation of Provence, the kermes 

 oak, the rosemary, and the Spanish broom. A nar- 

 row zone succeeded next, the chief feature of which 

 was the evergreen oak, which is not found beyond 1700 

 feet. 



