CHAPTER VIII. 



RAINFALL AND MOISTURE. 



NOT less marked than the influence of heat on vegetation 

 is the influence of moisture. We have found, as may be 

 found to be the case in Norway, and it is the case in 

 many other lands, that many of the forests exist, and 

 many of the forests of particular kinds of trees exist, only 

 along the banks of rivers. It may be the case that, 

 besides the moisture existing in the soil and in the atmo- 

 sphere of such localities, there are other conditions of these 

 combining with this to secure this result ; but no one can 

 doubt that most prominent amongst the conditions is the 

 humidity which there prevails. Elsewhere much of the 

 moisture which is required for vegetation is supplied by 

 the rainfall ; and to the measure of this in different locali- 

 ties attention is given by the students of Forest Science. 



The distribution of rain in Norway, it is reported by 

 Dr Broch, is in all seasons very much the same. The 

 most rainy region comprises the shore and the fiords from 

 Bergen to Cape Stat ; the measure of the annual rainfall 

 there is about 2 metres or 80 inches. At Bcemmel fiord 

 the coast begins to rise, whilst otherwise its general direc- 

 tion presents conditions favourable to the production of 

 rain ; from this fiord to Cape Stat it consequently falls in 

 greater quantity than elsewhere. To the north of Sogne 

 fiord the Justedalsbrae, or braes of the Justedal, act as a 

 powerful refrigerator, the west side of which is the most 

 rainy region in Norway, while the country to the east of 

 this is the most dry. On the coast of the Nordland the 

 rains are also considerable in some places ; the ndve, or 



