No. 4.] THE CHANNEL ISLANDS. 103 



liarity which doubtless has its effect upon vegetation is the 

 rainfall. Taking the average of six years, rain is found to 

 fall on one hundred and tifty days, but it most frequently 

 occurs at night or early in the morning, seldom lasting 

 through the day, therel)y securing the maximum of sunshine. 

 The mean annual rainfall is about thirty- three inches. Under 

 these favorable conditions of temperature and moisture a 

 flora that is almost tropical prevails. Fuchsias reaching the 

 proportions of shrubs, rhododendrons twenty to twenty-five 

 feet in height, araucarias, or monkey trees, as they are 

 popularly designated, oleanders, yuccas, palms, azaleas and 

 camellias flourish in the open air, while climate and soil 

 appear to be particularly suitable for the cultivation of the 

 dahlia. Finer specimens I have never seen. The lauresti- 

 nus was in bloom in November, and fisr trees and oranges 

 were everywhere to be seen trained against the south walls 

 of enclosures. It is a climatic law that in all places where 

 the mean temperature is below 62.6°, the revival of nature 

 in spring takes place in that month of which the mean tem- 

 perature reaches 42.8°. On the island of Jersey this oc- 

 curs in February. This again is a very important factor in 

 the agricultural development of the place, for the early 

 spring and the proximity of the great markets of London 

 and Paris cnal)le the inhabitants to dispose of their produce 

 at a great profit. It is no uncommon thing for a man to 

 pay for a piece of potato land as high a rental as two to 

 three hundred dollars an acre, and sell his crop of four or 

 five hundred bushels for $1,000 or $1,100. But this is not 

 the end, for immediately after the gathering of the first crop 

 the land is freshly manured and a second crop is planted, 

 yielding from two-thirds to three-fourths the amount of the 

 first. These results can only be secured by the application 

 of large f[uantitics of manure. Barn-yard manure and also 

 artificial fertdizers are used ; but the main dependence is 

 placed upon the vraic or sea- weed. The old legend runs : 

 "No vraic, no corn; no corn, no cows; no cows, no 

 bread for children's mouths." This is either washed ashore 

 by the action of the waves, or, at the period of maturity, is 

 separated by bill hooks or sickles fastened on to long poles 

 and drawn in by rakes with a head two or three feet wide 



