The Guernsey Breed 21 



The climate of Guernsey is semi-tropical, and the range 

 of temperature from summer to winter is slight. The ther- 

 mometer seldom registers above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or 

 below 40 degrees, and never remains stationary at the freezing 

 point. 



Slight snowfalls occur at rare intervals. In April, 1911, 

 snow fell to a depth of 18 inches on the level, and, as April 

 would about correspond with our June as regards foliage and 

 plant growth in general, one can readily see that much damage 

 would be done, although the temperature was not down to 

 the freezing point. 



The months of November and December are apt to be 

 cold, wet, and disagreeable, with high winds. This is not 

 always true, for in a letter received from the Island of Al- 

 derney, dated December 17, 1913, the writer said that on that 

 day he had picked a beautiful bunch of roses from his garden, 

 including crimson ramblers. 



The most severe of the winter weather is generally over 

 by the middle of January, and by that time, and often earlier, 

 the camellia begins to bloom, followed by almost every variety 

 of flower one can mention. The people of the island are won- 

 derful lovers of everything belonging to floriculture and horti- 

 culture. 



Fuchsias, geraniums, and roses run riot over the houses, 

 with such masses of bloom as to make the foliage almost in- 

 visible. Another flowering shrub that is planted very fre- 

 quently along garden paths and roadways is the blue flowered 

 veronica. Many varieties of palms flourish in the gardens 

 and the agave, or American aloe, commonly called with us 

 the century plant, often blossoms out of doors. In the sum- 

 mers of 1911 and 1913 I saw beautiful specimens of this plant 

 in blossom with flower stalks 20 to 25 feet high. 



There is also grown a species of lily known as the Guern- 

 sey lily. Without doubt this was originally of Japanese origin 

 and is supposed to have come to the Island of Guernsey in 

 an early day by the wreck of some Japanese or Chinese junk. 



The agriculture of Guernsey is really its marvel. While 

 there are a little over 15,000 acres comprising the island, con- 

 sidering the space occupied by the rocky clififs, the 550 miles 

 of roads, the towns, houses, barns, other outhouses, and 

 fences, with nearly 1,000 acres in one tract that is a barren, 

 sandy waste and used for golf commons, it could hardly be 

 that more than one-h^in^dt&ymlkwk) of the acreage is really 



