THE AVOCADO IN" GUATEMALA. 



27 



Differences of elevation, the proximity of mountain ranges which 

 interfere with the passage of moisture-bearing clouds, the presence 

 of large bodies of water in the immediate vicinity, and many other 

 factors are responsible for local variations in temperature and rain- 

 fall. 



Antigua may be taken as one of the most interesting avocado re- 

 gions of the Kepublic. As has already been stated, this town lies in 

 a small valley, protected on the north, east, and west by towering 

 volcanos and high hills, while to the south there is an opening 

 through which warm breezes enter from the Pacific Ocean. This 

 region is not a cold one, as is shown by the presence of coffee planta- 

 tions, and even more definitely by magnificent royal palms {Roy- 

 stonea ragia (H. B. K.) Cook) reaching 40 feet or more in height. 

 As everyone knows, the royal palm is not a species which withstands 

 much frost. 



Lacking meteorological observations, the temperature and rainfall 

 of the city of Guatemala may be taken as offering a very close 

 approximation to those of Antigua, since the two towns are at prac- 

 tically the same level and not more than 15 miles apart in a direct 

 line. According to the observations of the Laboratorio Quimico Cen- 

 tral in the city of Guatemala, the mean (average) maximum and 

 minimum temperatures during each month of the year 1902 were as 

 shown in Table I. 



Table I. — Mean monthly temperatures at the city of Guatemala for the year 



1902. 



Month. 



January. . 

 February 

 March . . . 



April 



May 



June 



Mean 



Mean 



maxi- 



mi tii - 



mum. 



mum. 



° F. 



o p 



72.1 



50.9 



78.9 



55.5 



82 



55.7 



82.9 



57.3 



81.3 



60 



82 



60 



Month. 



July 



August... 

 September 

 October... 

 November. 

 December. 



Mean 

 mini- 

 mum. 



The mean temperature for the entire year (1902) was .65.3° F., as 

 opposed to a mean temperature of 65.1° for the year 1901. The high- 

 est temperature recorded during the year was 90.3°, on April 4; the 

 lowest temperature was 42°, on January 1. 



Table I, it must be remembered, contains mean temperatures. The 

 absolute maxima and minima during the 12 months of the year 1906 

 are shown in Table II. 



The lowest temperature recorded at the city of Guatemala by the 

 Laboratorio Quimico Central during the past 15 years was 39° F. 



