OBSERVATIONS BY EBERMAYER. 205 



" That the forests of a country are not only of great importance 

 m supplying many necessary productions of ordinary life, but also 

 serve still higher purposes in the domestic economy of nature — to 

 the extent that within certain limits the arability, the inhabitability, 

 and beauty of the land depend upon an appropriate area of woods — 

 has often been declared. Indeed, this fact is now generally ac- 

 knowledged, at least by all educated persons, and it forms the basis of 

 a series of legislative measures, which have for their object the pro- 

 tection of the forests from destruction and misuse on the part of the 

 ignorant for selfish purposes. But, hitherto, the exact x-elations 

 between the woods and the fields have not been fixed by the certainty 

 of figures. There has always been a lack of scientific accuracy in 

 connection with a matter of so great importance, simply because no 

 systematic method has been carried out by which, from actual experi- 

 ment, these relations could be surely determined, The discussions, 

 therefore, which for years past have taken place on this subject, the 

 conflicting opinions which have been advanced in literature and in 

 scientific bodies, have been only valuable to the extent that they 

 served to keep alive interest in a vital question. No argument which 

 has been made has been deemed conclusive, because there has always 

 been a failure to base theories upon the I'esults of scientific researches. 

 " To obtain this scientific foundation upon which to prosecute 

 future investigations, the kingdom of Bavaria has taken the initiative. 

 Since 1867, under the organization of Dr Ebermayer, professor at the 

 Forest Academy at Aschafteuburg, a series of meteorological observ- 

 ations and experiments have been made at several stations within the 

 kingdom, which were selected as being best adapted for the object in 

 view ; and most painstaking and minute investigations have been 

 pursued by competent and experienced observers. These interesting 

 and very importaut results, which have been obtained by these six 

 years of close inquiry, have just been made public. 



" The observations have been made simultaneously at a station 

 within the forest, and at a station corresponding thereto in all 

 respects in the open country. The results which have been reached 

 are as follows : 



" 1. That the average annual temperature of the atmosphere in the 

 woods is somewhat below that of correspondingly situated areas 

 which are unwooded. (About 1| to lyj of a degree Fahrenheit.) 



" 2. That the average annual temperature at the crowns of the 

 trees is about 1^° above that which is found in dense woods at a 

 distance of 5 feet above the surface of the ground ; w hile in the 



