CHAPTER VIII. 
RAINFALL AND MOISTURE. 
Nor less marked than the influence of heat on vegetation 
is the influence of moisture. We have found, as may be 
found to be the case in Norway, and it is the case in 
many other lands, that many of the forests exist, and 
many of the forests of particular kinds of trees exist, only 
along the banks of rivers. It may be the case that, 
besides the moisture existing in the soil and in the atmo- 
sphere of such localities, there are other conditions of these 
combining with this to secure this result ; but no one can 
doubt that most prominent amongst the conditions is the 
humidity which there prevails. Elsewhere much of the 
moisture which is required for vegetation is supplied by 
the rainfall; and to the measure of this in different locali- 
ties attention is given by the students of Forest Science. 
The distribution of rain in Norway, it is reported by 
Dr Broch, is in all seasons very much the same. The 
most rainy region comprises the shore and the fiords from 
Bergen to Cape Stat; the measure of the annual rainfall 
there is about 2 metres or 80 inches. At Boemmel fiord 
the coast begins to rise, whilst otherwise its general direc- 
tion presents conditions favourable to the production of 
rain; from this fiord to Cape Stat it consequently falls in 
greater quantity than elsewhere. To the north of Sogne 
fiord the Justedalsbrae, or braes of the Justedal, act as a 
powerful refrigerator, the west side of which is the most 
rainy region in Norway, while the country to the east of 
this is the most dry. On the coast of the Nordland the 
rains are also considerable in some places; the névé, or 
