126 



tion, and vigour for the following day, leading to an in- 

 creased output of solar gas, and increasing energy in its 

 passage to the sun. From this progressive process arises 

 that elevation of azote above the earth's surface which 

 is known as maximum pressure; and such point being 

 reached the sun, having attained this maximum, begins 

 to act in the contrary direction and to produce a 

 minimum. 



Water is the blood of the vegetable kingdom. In union 

 with azote and silica it renews vegetable organisms, while 

 in union with carbon it imparts vitality and fruitfulness. 

 When any place is parched by the sun's heat, vegetation 

 is forced to exhaust itself in distillation of solar supplies, 

 and at the same time the moisture in the Isoil is dried 

 up, whereby the supply of hydrogen becomes reduced. 

 The distillation of oxygen continues, but the lack of 

 winged hydrogen results in diminished energy: the ba- 

 lance ot power is restored to the downward pressure of 

 the azote, and we remark at last the phenomenon which 

 is customarily called in physical science the barometrical 

 minimum. 



Le tus consider the relation between these two extremes 

 and also their influence on the surrounding air. In a 

 given place the maximum of pressure has been attained. 

 The heavy nitrogen is striving to descend but is met 

 and baffled in its efforts by the rising hydrogen which 

 carries up with it ever new reserves of azote. In the 

 upper strata of the air a new current is formed by the 

 opposing forces, a current which naturally runs in the 

 direction towards the barometrical minimum, for between 

 these points the surface of the earth's atmosphere slopes 

 downward. In this way the azote thrown up by the force 

 of hydrogen to the maximum level in certain places, des- 

 cends towards the minimum upon a sloping plane, and 

 from this proceed those winds which as I said defy the 

 common law of air-currents which would exist and operate 

 if the integrant elements of air remained unchanged. 



