184 CONTRAST OF CLIMATES. [NOV. 



to the earth, and the external air is colder than 

 the snow, the snow retains, in a great degree, 

 its heat, and prevents the external air from 

 communicating its cold to the earth beneath; 

 so that plants under snow are thus, in a great 

 measure, prevented from experiencing the in- 

 tense cold of the external air ; in other words, 

 they are not colder than the snow itself, whilst, 

 however, the air is far colder. 



In this country we have often intense cold, 

 and no thick coating of snow to cover the plants, 

 which are consequently left exposed, and are 

 killed by it. In addition, the rains of our au- 

 tumns and winters soak into the ground, and 

 into the heart of the plant ; and as the principle 

 or power of life is very weak during the winter, 

 the plant being in a dormant state, cannot resist 

 the effect of the water, which rots it, beginning 

 first with the leaves, which die on the approach 



