776 MODIFICATIONS OF ASPECTS OF ORGANIC NATURE 



SO far as the landscape is made up of organic elements, of our own 

 country. I have not undertaken, and shall not attempt to speak 



* Physische Erdkunde,' of which three fascicles have appeared in the present year. 



The general principles to be found expounded in the works above specified have 

 found a practical application in the particular question, Are the countries along the 

 shores, and especially the eastern shores, of the Mediterranean to be looked upon as 

 having been exhausted by man's interference with them in the way of agriculture, 

 and so robbed of any chance of political rejuvenescence? And with this question is 

 connected that which asks whether any perceptible change of climate has been 

 effected in the same regions by the same agency. The literature of this controversy, 

 which has been carried on obviously enough by partisans filled at least on one side 

 with political bias, is, if we give only the most important memoirs, not very extensive, 

 and may perhaps usefully find a place here. 



C. Fraas, in his *K.lima und Pflanzenwelt,' 1847, takes the pessimistic view, 

 which 



J. P. Pallmerayer, in a review published in the same year apparently, and re- 

 published in his *Gesammelte Werke,' 1861, ii. 462, endorses with a bitter readiness. 



C. Fraas, in the 'Geschichte der Landbau und Forstwissenschaft,' Munchen, 1865, 

 had the opportunity of again expounding his opinions, p. 350 et passim, in his account 

 of Liebig's views. Those views are to be found in 



Liebig, 'Natural Laws of Husbandry,' Eng. Trans., 1863, and in his 'Chemische 

 Briefe,' the ninth edition of which bears date 1878, 



Oscar Fraas, possibly or presumably a relative of C. Fraas, from certain passages in 

 his * Aus dem Orient,' 1867-1868, would appear to hold similar views to those of his 

 namesake; he speaks (vol. i. p. 213) in defiance of Arago's views, as expounded in 

 • OEuvres,' vol. viii., ' Notices Scientifiques,' vol. v. ed. 1859, P- 222, of a ' verandertes 

 Clima der Nillander,' and says (p. 215), what will be read with some surprise by 

 Indian officials, * Heutzutage erlahrat die Energie selbst eines kraftigen Europaer's 

 unter der Sonne von Egypten . . . man erschlafFt, wird trage und faul, man fangt an 

 zu bummeln ! ' An excellent answer to all this is given by 



Theobald Fischer, 'Beitrage zur Physischen Geographic des Mittelmeerlander, 

 besonders Siciliens,' 1877, p. 154, usque adfinem lihri, p. 167. 



Fr. Unger, in his * Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse einer Reise in Griechenland,' 1862, 

 has dealt similarly with this question at the conclusion of his small but excellent 

 memoir, pp. 187-21 1. 



The views of Victor Hehn, and those of the recently deceased botanist and author 

 of an authoritative work, 'Die Vegetation auf die Erde,' 1872 (translated into French 

 in 1877 by TchihatchefF), viz. Grisebach, may be given in the words of the latter, 

 when reviewing the former in the 'Gottinger gelehrte Anzeigen,' 1872, xlv. p. 1767. 

 With these views we agree. They run thus : — ' Mit Recht verwirft er die Meinung 

 dass die klassischen Lander erschopft seien und einer Erneuerung ihrer ehemaligen 

 Bliithe keine natiirliche Grundlagen mehr bo ten. Er trifft das Wesen der Sache, 

 indem er sagt, dass ihr Klima, im Grossen aufgefasst, nicht vom Boden und seiner 

 Vegetation, sondern von " weitgreifenden, meteorologischen Vorgangen " abhange, die 

 durch ihre geographische Lage bestimmt, "von Afrika und dem atlantischen Meere 

 bis zum Aralen und Siberien reichen." Ebenso muss man sein eingehendes Verstand- 

 niss dieser Frage anerkennen, wenn er im Bereich der Agrikultur-C hemic sich gegen 

 die Ansicht ausspricht, dass der Boden Sudeuropas durch seine alte Kultur an 

 mineralischen Nahrungsstoffen erschopft sei. Wie die lombardische Ebene durch die 

 AlpenflUsse mit frischen Silicaten und Kalksalzen gespeist wird, so liefern die so 



