276 CLIMATE OF CHINA. -[Cuar. XV. 
CHAP. XV. 
CLIMATE OF CHINA. —SUMMER AND WINTER. — TEMPERATURE 
SIGNS OF THEIR APPROACH.— DESCRIPTION OF A TYPHOON 
WITNESSED BY THE AUTHOR. —EFFECT PRODUCED UPON 
VEGETATION. — RAINS. — WET AND DRY SEASONS.— METEOR- 
OLOGICAL TABLE. 
In order to understand Chinese agriculture, a 
knowledge of the climate of the country is of course 
necessary. The dominions of the Emperor of 
China stretch over twenty-three degrees of latitude 
—from 18° to 41° north, and from the 98° to the 
123° of east longitude; thus including both tropical 
and temperate regions in its vast extent. Being 
placed on the east side and forming part of the 
large continent of Asia, it is liable to extremes of 
temperature—to excessive heat in summer, and 
extreme cold in winter—which are unknown in 
many other parts of the world within the same 
parallels of latitude. One of our best writers upon 
- China* makes the following very sensible remarks 
on this subject: —“Although Peking is nearly a 
degree to the south of Naples—the latitude of the 
former place being 39° 54’, of the latter 40° 50’— 
* Davis's “ Chinese.” 
