230 Dr. Forry on the Climate of the United States, 6^c. 



climate of Europe, the conjecture that it has gradually acquired 

 rather a milder character, or at least that its excessive severity 

 seems on the whole to occur less frequently, appears to be war- 

 ranted." 



It is thus seen, and it will be still further shown, that whatever 

 difference there may be between the seasons of ancient and modem 

 times, they find an explanation without resorting to the unphilo- 

 sophical hypothesis of a general augmentation of temperature. 

 So universal has been the opinion that modern winters have ex- 

 perienced a material increase of temperature, that Dr. Webster re- 

 marks — " Indeed I know not whether any person, in this age, 

 has even questioned the fact." Under these circumstances, the 

 coincidence that both of us, independent of each other, arrived at 

 the same conclusion — a conclusion adverse to the vox populi, 

 which thus seems to be not always the vox Dei — may be regard- 

 ed as affording a confirmation of the legitimacy of the deduction. 



We have thus attempted to answer the question — Does the cli- 

 mate of a locality, in a series of years, undergo any permanent 

 changes ? And we may add, that although the mean tempera- 

 tures, as has been ascertained by instrumental observations, vary 

 from one another irregularly, either a few degrees above or below 

 the absolute mean temperature of the place; yet it has not been 

 found that the temperature of a locality undergoes changes in any 

 ratio of progression. At the same time, this series of atmospheric 

 changes, however complicated and perplexing, there is good rea- 

 son to believe, is as determinate in its nature as the revolutions of 

 the celestial bodies. When, however, the science of meteorology 

 shall have become more advanced, we shall doubtless discover that 

 these apparent perturbations of annual temperatures are real oscil- 

 lations — vast cycles, which will enable us to predict, no doubt 

 with some degree of certainty, the condition of future seasons. 



It now remains to advert to two collateral questions : Is the cli- 

 mate west of the Alleghanies milder by 3° of latitude than that 

 east ? Does the climate of our Northwestern frontier resemble 

 that of the Eastern States, on their first settlement? 



The opinion was early entertained that the climate of the re- 

 gion west of the Alleghanies, is much milder than that of the dis- 

 trict east. Mr. Jefferson estimated the difference equivalent to 

 3° of latitude, as similar vegetable productions are found so many 

 degrees farther north. 



