THE SEASONS THE CLIMATE. t> 



and August. Even in the north, the climate inland more than 

 100 miles from the sea can only be considered semi-tropical 

 in so far as the summer months are concerned. The cold 

 of winter is very decided, and the summer vegetation dies 

 off. It is well to understand this fact. It is the key to 

 the serious misunderstandings that exist regarding the 

 nature of the country, and the but too prevalent impression 

 that the climate is very dry and uniformly hot. 



Seasons ; the Rainfall. For practical purposes, the 

 seasons may be divided as follows : Spring : August, 

 September, October. Summer : November, December, 

 January; in wet seasons, February is added to the summer, 

 and in the northern sections of the country is often the 

 most decidedly hot month of the whole. March and April 

 are autumn months, in so far as the bulk of the indigenous 

 grasses ripen and go to seed during that time. May, June, 

 and July are the winter months. The seasons vary to 

 some extent according to latitude, but climatic influences 

 are due in a still greater degree to local causes, to the 

 existence of ranges of mountains running parallel with 

 the sea, to the direction of the prevailing winds, and the 

 quarter from which the rains come, that modify the force 

 of high winds. It is no mere figure of speech to say that 

 within six hours' ride by rail from any of the large cities, 

 we reach places that differ as much from the semi-tropical 

 summer of the coast as the Highlands of Scotland differ 

 from the Midland Counties of England, as Denmark does 

 from Spain, or Western New York from South Carolina. 

 Travel where we will, much the same peculiarities are 

 found. The seasons, the rainfall, and the local productions 

 are modified by the formation of the country to a much 

 greater degree than is observable in other climates. 



Dry and Wet Seasons. Droughts have been ex- 

 perienced in this country. 1828, 1838, 1849, 1802, 1878, 

 1895, were seasons of that kind. The average rainfall of the 

 coast country may be taken as between 40 and 50 inches; 

 and here again the fall is found to be due more to local 

 surroundings than otherwise. Inland the rainfall is less, 

 but the .same rule holds good with sufficient certainty to 

 justify great care on the part of any one who desires to 



