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Thus the frost season extends over seven months in the 

 far northern territory, while our southernmost province has 

 the shortest period of only three months. 



Though frost forms in almost all regions, it is, as a matter 

 of fact, harmless in south Japan, except . . . great altitudes. 

 It is a noticeable fact that the north and north-west regions, or 

 greater part of the so called Ura- Nippon has never suffered 

 damages of early and late frosts. This fact has been constantly 

 confirmed by the reports from local authorities. 



Upon close examination of the reports, it has also been 

 found that the east and south-east half or Omote-Nippon, 

 except the warm southern provinces as well as the central 

 plateau of Shinano and Kai provinces, have often suffered 

 rather severe damages from frost, while the narrow belts under 

 the influence of large bodies of water have always escaped 

 them. 



It is not uncommon that orchards in those regions have 

 suffered occasional injuries during the flowering period, while 

 enormous loss is caused on young mulberry and tea leaves. In 

 the last spring the same damages happened in Fukushima-Ken. 

 Mulberry leaves were entirely destroyed in one night, the loss 

 being estimated by the authorities at some ;£'i 30,000. 



In the summer, owing to the strong heating of the Conti- 

 nent our thermometers show relatively high temperatures, 

 which are, however, not so extreme as the low temperatures 

 of the winter. 



So, in the summer a south or south-east breeze blows 

 from the Pacific toward the Continent across our lands, while in 

 the winter the direction of the wind is quite contrary. Thus the 

 normal directions of the wind in the summer and winter are 

 always fixedj and the two prevailing winds or monsoons change 

 to each other in April and October. The isobars, during the 

 winter and autumn runs south-south-west and north-north-east 

 and niake close curves convex towards the Continent. When 

 the warm spell comes in spring, these curves gradually change 



