ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 15 
timbered land of this country has been denuded of its forest vegeta- 
tion. Looking at this fact from the point of view that climatic 
changes are largely affected by adding to or destroying to any con- 
siderable extent the forests of a country, it might have been 
expected that ere this time a very considerable diminution of our 
rainfall would have been experienced, but it is certain that this 
has not been the case, as statistics rather tend to show the reverse, 
nor have our principal rivers been diminished in volume of water. 
In support of this statement, I received from the Colonial 
Astronomer the accompanying diagram non letter :— 
“I send you herewith diagram showing by vertical — the 
rainfall for each year. For instance, the rainfall of 184 48 
inches, and is shown by the line under that year coming an e 4 
inches, so on for each year. The straight horizontal line shows 
the mean of 40 years, and the short red lines show the means in 
periods of 5 years. You will at once see that the rainfall of the 
first 20 years was less than the second 20 years, for in the first 
20 three of the red lines are below the mean, and one above ; 
while in the second 20 three red lines are shove the mean, and 
one below. I have thought of several ways of showing what you 
want, but this seems to be the best. Actual amounts in figures 
are also given. Lake George furnishes a good index of our 
seasons : when found, in 1820, it was very full; then it dried up, 
and now it has more water than ever before. it: you look at page 
182 of my book on the Climate of New South Wales, a copy of 
which I think you have (if not I will send one), you will find 
some notes about Lake George, which will interest you, re changes 
eli 
“ Yours very truly, 
: “H. C. Russe.” 
Our late lamented Vice-President, the Rev. W. B. Clarke, read a 
most able paper on this subject shortly before his death, tending 
to show the good results as regards moisture and temperature 
which had arisen from planting trees in various countries. I am 
not now about to dispute the conclusions arrived at in that paper, 
but as a rule in discussing this matter too little consideration is 
given to the effect of natural agencies. There cannot be a doubt 
that the climate, rainfall, and vegetation of a country are all more 
or less influenced by geographical position. For instance, the 
average thermometer range of Western Australia is very similar 
