THE AVOCADO IF GUATEMALA. 29 



Most of the precipitation in this region occurs during the months 

 from May to October, inclusive. January is quite dry, there being 

 nothing more than a light shower at most. February and March are 

 about the same, but toward the end of March there are sometimes a 

 few good showers. April is usually dry, and the heat becomes most 

 intense in this month. In May the rainy season commences. Coinci- 

 dent with the first good rains comes a change in temperature, the hot 

 weather being dispelled, not to return until the following year. The 

 rainfall during June, July, August, and September is heavy. To- 

 ward the middle of October the rains cease almost suddenly. 



The following notes on the climate of this region, taken from " La 

 America Central Ante la Historia," by Antonio Batres Jauregui, are 

 of interest in connection with this study: 



The temperature of the capital of Guatemala is mild, with the well-marked 

 characteristics of the intertropical regions. In 1797 there was a severe drought 

 in all Central America, causing sickness and famine, and being followed in the 

 south by a terrible plague of locusts. In 1802 the same disaster was repeated. 

 In 1803 the rains commenced in March and ended in July, being followed by 

 a terrible drought. In 1826 the extreme heat caused immense losses in Guate- 

 mala. In 1861 excessive rains resulted in very injurious floods. In 1864 ex- 

 traordinarily strong north winds blew during January and February. In 1869 

 Quezaltenango suffered a disastrous flood. After three years of scanty rain- 

 fall a plague of locusts overtook the country, until the present year (1915), 

 when it seems to be disappearing, due to the heavy rainfall we have had. The 

 seasons have varied somewhat, the weather occasionally being hot in November 

 and December and cold in February and March, contrary to the usual sequence. 

 The minimum temperature is ordinarily 46° F., the maximum 82°, and the 

 mean 64°. On the 24th of December, 1856, it went down to 39°, and as low as 

 37° on the 29th of January, 1863 ; but these are unusual cold spells, produced 

 by northeast winds. 



Turning now to a consideration of the conditions in other parts 

 of the republic, Alta Vera Paz is one of the most interesting and 

 important regions. Here the range of temperature is even less than 

 at the city of Guatemala, and the rainfall is much greater. Observa- 

 tions of the temperature at San Cristobal, the most important center 

 of avocado culture in Alta Vera Paz, are not available; lacking them, 

 data from Coban may be taken as offering a close approximation, 

 since Coban and San Cristobal are at approximately the same alti- 

 tude and but a few miles distant from each other. The figures in 

 Table V, covering a period of nine years (1892 to 1900), show the 

 mean or average maximum and minimum during each month of the 

 year. 1 



1 The tables showing temperature and rainfall at Coban and rainfall at Senabu and San 

 Cristobal are taken from " Die Alta Vera Paz," by Dr. Karl Sapper (Mittheilungen der 

 Geographischen Gesellscbaft in Hamburg, Bd. 17, 1902). 



