NOTES ON MANITOBA. 153 



The general conclusions which I arrived at from my explorations 

 of ,1872 and 1875 were : 1st, That as there was but one flora com- 

 mon to the region extending through from eight to twelve degrees of 

 latitude, or as far north as 60'', and as that flora required a high 

 summer temperature for its existence, the thermometer would be 

 found to show a correspondingly even distribution of heat through- 

 out the whole region. 



2nd. That exceptional or special conditions must exist to produce 

 that high and even distribution of heat discovered as ranging over so 

 great an area. 



These conclusions have since been established as facts by the 

 recorded observations sent in from the Meteorological Stations at 

 Winnipeg, Fort McLeod, and Fort Calgariy in the south, and Fort 

 Eae and Fort Simpson in the north. (See Meteorological Report 

 for 1878.) 



In 1879 my attention was mainly directed to an investigation of 

 the causes of the supposed aridity of the district lying to the south. 

 I found a parched surface, dried and withered grasses, and in short, 

 every appearance, of the existence of such aridity ; but closer ex- 

 amination showed that these indications were illusoiy. At the point, 

 " Blackfoot Crossing " lat. 50° 43' where the consequences of aridity 

 appeared the strongest, I came upon ground, broken up in the spring, 

 bearing excellent crops of all kinds — oats being four feet high, while 

 on the land outside the fence the grass was burnt up and all other 

 vegetation withered. From this I argued that the rainfall in the 

 district was evidently ample for the requirements of vegetation, but 

 that, until the baked crust was broken, it could not percolate the 

 ground as rapidly as-4t fell and so a great portion was evaporated by 

 the dry atmosphere and lost. Thus the apparent aridity vanishes 

 before the first efforts of husbandry. Next to the question of ari- 

 dity was that of the high -and even temperature of climate. On this 

 point I simply accumulated data bearing on the observations of 

 former years, all of which tended to prove that the great plain to 

 the north-westward, and north of lat. 49^", extending along the Sas- 

 katchewan and other rivers between the 100th and 115th meridians, 

 and the narrow strip of coast north of Montery, California, present 

 decided features of difference from other districts of the American 

 continent. These differences and peculiarities I shall now deal with 

 seriatim. 



