LOWER THAN DAY TEMPEEATUKE. 615 



kept in such, countries, that which was before a matter of inference 

 becomes established by direct evidence. Take Malta as an example : 

 ia the month of January, according to Dr. Davy, the thermometer 

 reaches 60° in the day, but falls to 42° at night ; and even in July, the 

 diflferenoe between the day and night amounts to 16°. In the Ionian 

 Islands, Zante, Corfu, Cephalonia, fine Grape countries, the difference 

 is not less considerable. Nevertheless, many gardeners, when they 

 begin forcing early Grapes, quite neglect this important fact. "With 

 some it is a maxim to keep the thermometer above 60° at night. But 

 what does nature do where the Vine thrives best ? In Zante, whence 

 come the Currants, or Corinth Grapes of the shops, the Vine pushes in 

 March; and it is a common saying there, "that after the 10th March 

 (Old Style), not even a dog without a tail should be allowed to enter a 

 Vineyard," {Davy's Ionian Islands, ii. 345) because of the risk of his 

 breaking off the young and tender shoots. Now the average tempera- 

 ture of Corfu, at 8 a.m., in the month of March, we learn from the 

 same authority, is only 51° ; and of course it must have been some 

 degrees lower during the night ; in AprU it is not more than 57° ; and 

 it does not reach 61° tiU May, when, since the Grapes are ripe in 

 August, the berries must be set. There can be no doubt, then, that 

 48° is quite high enough at night for Gtxapes in the first month of their 

 growth, and 54° in the second. 



But there are other illustrations if we inquire into the natural history 

 of the Grape Vine. Nowhere is the climate more sultry than in 

 A%hanistan, We are told that General PoUock's troops at JeUalabad 

 were forced to dig holes in the ground to hide themselves from the 

 heat. The condition of Cabul must be much the same. At Candahar, 

 we are informed by Mr. Atkinson that, in May, the heat of the tents 

 was generally 110° ; and at midday, in the sun, 140°. In no part of 

 the world are the Grapes more delicious than in Candahar and Cabul. 

 On the 30th June, this traveller saw donkeys laden with panniers of 

 fine purple Grapes ; and at the same time, the paper on which he was 

 writing curled up and became as crisp as if it was before a blazing fire. 

 When he reached Cabul, in August, he foimd the bazaar filled with 

 delicions Grapes in astonishing profusion. But what sort of nights had 

 the troops in the spring of the year, when the Vines were growing and 

 flowering, and preparing themselves to bear fruit ? On the 7th March, 

 near Shikapore, two hundred nules south of Candahar, and above five 

 hundred south of Cabul, in the Desert, we are told that the march took 

 place in " a brilliant starlight night ; frost seemed to be in the air, it 

 was so cool and bracing; after midnight, the servants made up a 

 blazing fire, for the north wind was blowing bitter cold, and the tra- 

 veller was glad of hot brandy and water." Nevertheless, the day 

 before, Mr. Atkinson had been grilling at Shikapore, and the march 

 was over level plains, and not among the mountains. Two days after- 



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