THE PLANTS AND GARDENS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS. 
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mountains culminating in the celebrated Peak of Teneriffe, 
with an altitude of 12,180 feet. The north-western side of 
the island, with the Orotava Valley, is very fertile. The 
rainfall is slightly heavier than in the other islands, and there is 
less need for irrigation. The eastern side is drier and compara- 
tively barren. 
Gomera (172 square miles) is almost circular in outline, 
with the coast extremely precipitous. The highest elevation 
is 4,400 feet. There is an abundance of verdure, and the 
mountains are often covered with splendid woods. The 
island of La Palma (318 square miles) is remarkable for 
Fig. 4 
its enormous crater, which occupies a great part of its 
surface. The highest point is 7,730 feet. There is consider- 
able verdure, and the soil is fertile. Hierro (122 square miles) 
consists of a tableland in the interior, with cliffs rising suddenly 
from the sea. The highest elevation is 4,400 feet. There are 
no springs, and the people depend entirely on rain-water stored in 
tanks. The amount of vegetation in the several islands increases 
with their distance from the African mainland. It also depends 
on the proximity and height of the mountain ranges. The 
mean temperature during the winter months (December to 
February) at Las Palmas in Grand Canary, is 63° Fahr. ; at 
