WINTER TEMPERATURES. 



369 



SEASONS OF THE VALLEY OP LAKE WINNIPEG. 



The natural division of the seasons in the Lake Winni- 

 peg Valley is as follows : — 

 Spring — April and May. 



Summer — June, July, August and part of September. 

 Autumn — Part of September and October. 

 Winter — November, December, January, February 

 and March. 



The natural division of the seasons is strikingly repre- 

 sented by the early and rapid advance of temperature in 

 May in the valley and prairies of the Saskatchewan ; and 

 it is also indicated in a very marked degree by the ex- 

 tension northwards to the same valley, between the 95° 

 and 105° of longitude, of numerous plants, whose geo- 

 graphical distribution, east and west of those limits, has 

 a much more southern climatic boundary. The limits of 

 trees rise with the isothermal lines, and these attain a 

 much higher elevation in the interior of British America 

 than on the Atlantic coast.* 



In relation to agriculture, the intensity of winter cold 

 is of comparatively little moment. The elevated spring 

 and summer temperature, combined with the humidity of 

 the region in the Valley of Lake Winnipeg, enable Indian 

 corn and the melon to ripen, if ordinary care is taken 

 in selecting soil and in planting seed. 



The extraordinary cold of the winter of 1855 and 

 1856 at Bed River, is shown by the tables for December, 

 January, and February, (Mr. Gunn's observations,) which 

 give a mean of — 6°'85 for the temperature of that season; 

 but if we turn to the records for 1857 and 1858 f we 

 find the mean temperature of the winter to have been 



* Gray. 



f Meteorological tables recorded by Mr. Dawson's party. 

 VOL. II. B B 



