148 THE FOREST LANDS OF NORTHERN RUSSIA. 



below the snow region, with a medium temperature of 

 + 2'5 ; the zone of the birch (594 metres), of the willow 

 (416 metres), of the crowberry, Empetrum nigrum (236 

 metres), with a medium temperature of + 1 centigrade ; 

 the Alpine zone, with spots of permanent snow; the zone 

 of perpetual snow, extending from 920 to 1217 metres 

 above the level of the sea, with a medium temperature of 

 + 0'4 centigrade ; and lastly, the zone above this last. At 

 59 metres above the line, is the limit of vegetation. 



The medium temperatures which have been stated 

 indicate that cold must predominate throughout this 

 vast region ; but vegetation is on many spots very rich ; 

 the flowers there have an extraordinary brilliancy of 

 colour, and vegetation developes itself with extreme 

 rapidity. From the end of May the temperature may 

 be very pleasant, rising to 20 centigrade towards the 

 middle of the day. In the beginning of June occur 

 debacles in the lakes and rivers ; by the 20th there are 

 twenty-four hours of day, and the mean temperature of 

 the month rises to 970 . July is very warm, with a mean 

 temperature of 15'33. . By the 20th July barley is in ear ; 

 the hay-harvest occurs at the same time; and the plague of 

 mosquitoes then attains its culmination. August is often 

 very rainy, with a mean temperature of 15*36. The 

 harvest is generally terminated by the middle of August, 

 some ten or twelve weeks after seed-time. Towards the 

 middle of the month begin the long nights of autumn. In 

 September the days are short, and this month is charac- 

 terised by gales, accompanied by rain and snow. There is 

 then made the gathering of wild berries, especially those 

 of the cloud-berry (Rubus chamcemorus), which constitutes 

 a very important article of food. The mean temperature 

 is 5*40. The other months belong to winter, with a mean 

 temperature in October of 2'5 ; in November of 1'98 U ; 

 in December of 7'20 ; in January of 17'50; in Feb- 

 ruary of 18-60 ; in March of 1 1'40 ; and in April of 

 3. 



A writer on Lapland in the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia 

 tells: 



