68 



MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



great difference of temperature is furnished 

 by the Mespilus Japonica, which grows at 

 Naiiira Sacki, and Jeddo, under tlic thirty- 

 third and thirty-sixth degrees of north lati- 

 tude ; and which also grows in the open air 

 in England, under the fifty-second degree of 

 north latitude, when it is planted against a 

 ■wall. — Botanical Register, vol. v. 



The same degree of latitude in the South- 

 ern and Nortliem Hemisphere are connected 

 with very different temperatures, and pro- 

 duce a completely different vegetation. This, 

 however, must be understood rather of tlie 

 temperate and fi-igid zones, than of the tropi- 

 cal climates, which, as we have aheady no- 

 ticed, ai'e pretty much the same over the 

 ■whole earth. But the summer is shorter in 

 the Soutiiern Hemisphere because the mo- 

 tion of the earth in her perigee is more rapid. 

 The summer is there also colder, because tlie 

 greater quantity of ice over the vast extent 

 of sea requiies more heat for dissolving it 

 than can be obtained ; as also because the 

 sunbeams are not reflected in such quantity 

 from the clear surface of the sea water, as to 

 affoid the proper degree of heat. It tlience 

 happens that in the Southern Hemisphere the 

 Flora of the pole extends nearer the Equator 

 than in the Northern. Under the fifty third 

 and fifty-fourth degrees of latitude, we meet 

 with plants which correspond with the Arctic 

 Flora. In Magellan's Land, and in Terra del 

 Fuego, Betula antarctica corresponds vidth 

 Belula nana in Lapland ; Empetrum rubnmi 

 ■with Empetrum nigrum — Arnica oporina 

 ■with Arnica montana — Geum Magellanica 

 with Geum rivale in England — Saxiiz-aga Ma- 

 gellanica with Saxifragarivularis in Finmark. 

 Instead of Andromeda tetragona and hyp- 

 noides of Lapland, Terra del Fuego produces 

 Andromeda myrsinites ; in the place of Arbu- 

 tus alpina and Uva ursi of the Arctic polar cir- 

 cle, Terra del Fuego produces Arbutus mu- 

 cronata, microphylla, and pumila. Aira ant- 

 arctica reminds us of the Holcus alpina of 

 Wahlenburgh; and I'inguicula antarctica re- 

 calls to our recollection Pinguicula alpina. 

 We must recollect, however, that in South 

 America the great mountain chains of the An- 

 des stretch from the tropical regions, almost 

 without interruption, to the Sti-aits of Magel- 

 lan (from the fifty-second to the fifty -third de- 

 gi-ee of south latitude), and that, on this ac- 

 count, tropical forms are seen in that frigid 

 southern zone, because the tract of mountains 

 everywhei-e determines vegetation. It is 

 bence that the Straits of Magellan are prolific 

 of Caronaria;, Onagrae, Dorstenise, and Helio- 

 tropia;, which in other parts of the world 

 grow only withhi the Tropics, or in their neigh- 

 borhood. In general, the vegetation of the 

 Southern Hemisphere is very different irom 

 that of the Northern ; and there is a certain 

 correspondence between the Floras of South- 

 ern Africa, America, and New Holland. Most 

 of the trees are woody, with stiff leaves, blos- 

 soms sometimes magnificent, but fruit of little 

 flavor. In Southern Africa, as, well as in New- 



(164) 



Holland, it is the form of tlie Protese which 



prevails, as if appropi-iated to these regions. 

 Instead of the South American Ericm, we 

 find the Epacrida) of New-Holland ; LobehEB, 

 Diosmge, and a great number, of rare forms of 

 compound blossoms and of umbellate;, are 

 common to all these southern regions." 



Now, the reason for these differences is 

 that the countries thus constrasted differ in 

 climate — that is, they differ in the intensity 

 and duration of light and heat they enjoy — 

 they differ ui the contrast of their day and 

 night temperatures — they differ in the rela- 

 tive length of the day and night — they 

 differ in the length of their summer and win- 

 ter, or, which is synonymous, in the relative 

 length of their periods of vegetable activity 

 and rest ; they differ also in the amount of 

 rain which falls, not only annually, but at 

 particular seasons; they differ in having 

 much atmospheric moisture deposited in the 

 form of rain or dew, or snow, at different pe- 

 riods of vegetable activity or i-est. Now, 

 whatever these differences are, whatever the 

 peculiarities of a cUmate are from which a 

 plant comes, the gardener cannot cultivate 

 it successfully unless he secure to that plant 

 those climatal differences and peculiarities. 



NuRSEraES. — We learn that nurseries are 

 mcreasing in every direction; so much the 

 better. It is time to cut down many of our 

 old orchards and begin on better plans. We 

 need not fear being overstocked with winter 

 fi-uit, iijr our market is unlimited ; we send 

 apples to Europe, to the East Indies, to the 

 West Indies, and to South America. Our 

 northern apples are preferred to those of the 

 Middle States, for they can be longer kept. 

 What can we do belter than to supply the 

 world with the fruits that are adapted to our 

 climate ? If we cannot compete with the 

 West in the articles of com and grain, we can 

 raise better apples than any of them and make 

 a more ready market. 



We are pleased that many farmers are now 

 aware that one apple-tree in tilled land, or in 

 a hog-yaid, is worth half a dozen standuig in 

 unbroken sward land. 



[xMassachusetts Ploughman. 



Sheep Husbandry in the United States. 

 — According to a calculation made some few 

 years since, there were in the United States 

 34,000,000 of sheep. At a moderate and ra- 

 tional computation the value of these may 

 safely be estimated at $70,000,000 and the 

 amount of wool annually produced at $40,- 

 000,000. Of this vast flock, the State of New- 

 York owned, at the time of making the above 

 estimate, nearly one-fifth. For the five years 

 immediately preceding that lime, the increase 

 of sheep in the United States averaged 1,- 

 000,000 per year. Since then it has probably 

 been much greater. 



