228 DISSERTATION on the 



cold in winter, and rifes to the fame number of degrees above 

 it, during our greatefl heat of fummer, taking the mean of 

 fifteen years. The fun's remaining fo many hours above the 

 horizon, or rather fcarcely leaving it at all during a certain pe- 

 riod of our fummer, affords one reafon for the violent heat 

 which a traveller meets with, to his no fmall aftonifhment, in 

 the latitude of 60, as the air and earth have not time to cool 

 in the fhort interval between his fetting and rifing again. Two 

 Britifh travellers from Bengal, (where they are certainly ac- 

 cuftomed to great heat) complain much of that of the prefent 

 fummer in St Peterfburg. 



I take this opportunity of mentioning a curious fact con- 

 nected with northern vegetation. There is a difh to be found 

 at the tables of Mofcow during winter, which will fcarcely be 

 credited by the reft of Europe, when it is remembered that the 

 climate is nearly as fevere as at Peterfburg, viz. afparagus, 

 reared in the open air, the production of a fpecies of Ruffian 

 gardening, which merits being known. 



In autumn, the afparagus beds are covered with mats, and 

 buried by the falling fnow, which is mod abundant in this 

 climate, fo as to preferve the plants from being frozen, until 

 they are wanted. When a bed of them is to be thrown into 

 vegetation during winter, it is done by cutting a deep and 

 broad trench all around it, down to the unfrozen earth, which 

 is filled with fmoking dung, taken out of the middle of a 

 large dunghill ; the old mats, covered with fnow, are then re- 

 moved, and dry ones put in their place, and upon them a thick 

 layer of warm dung, leaving only fmall apertures for the 

 plants to pufh through. 



Regijlsr 



