in  its  Effect  on  Cultivation. 
7 
to  full  perfection,  and  also  a condition  of  heat  insufficient  to 
ripen  this  grain,  where  only  oats  and  inferior  kinds  of  barley 
can  be  judiciously  raised.  Much  of  our  land,  particularly  in 
Scotland,  is  thus  on  the  very  verge  of  the  profitable  cultivation 
of  wheat.  The  amount  of  summer  heat,  therefore,  becomes  a 
question  of  paramount  importance  in  respect  of  the  husbandry  of 
these  lands. 
20.  The  mean  summer  temperature  of  the  south  coast  of 
Cornwall  is  from  60  to  61  ; thence  to  the  Isle  of  Wight  it  in- 
creases to  62°  and  63° ; along  the  coast  line  to  Boston  it  falls  to 
62°;  northward  to  Leith  it  decreases  to  58  ; which  temperature 
is  more  than  maintained  northward  and  westward  to  the  Murray 
Frith;  at  Wick  it  falls  to  55°;  and  at  the  Orkneys  to  54. 
Thus  from  the  south  of  England  to  the  Murray  Frith,  the 
summer  temperature  decreases  on  the  coast  line  at  the  level  of 
the  sea  about  5°,  being  a decrease  of  1°  for  every  100  miles. 
Judging  from  Glasgow,  the  same,  or  a somewhat  increased 
amount  of  summer  temperature  is  maintained  on  the  western  as 
on  the  eastern  coast  of  Scotland,  although  it  has  the  reputation 
of  being  much  milder  ; the  Isle  of  Bute  being  “ the  Madeira  of 
Scotland.”  But  this  mildness  applies  to  the  winter,  rather  than  the 
summer  months.  Continuing  the  coast-line  of  summer  tempera- 
ture, at  Whitehaven  it  amounts  to  59^°;  at  the  Isle  of  Man,  59°; 
at  Dublin,  59£°  ; and  on  the  low  coast  lands  of  South  Wales,  62^°. 
Extending  our  survey  inland,  it  appears  that  the  eastern 
counties,  and  the  midland  counties  around  Bedfordshire,  have, 
as  a whole,  the  highest  summer  temperature  in  England. 
21.  But  it  is  in  the  English  vales  where  the  most  genial 
summer  heat  abounds.  These,  from  their  low,  sheltered  posi- 
tion, and  from  the  geological  structure  of  the  soil,  are  the  most 
highly  favoured  parts  of  Britain’s  favoured  isle.  The  fruitful 
lands  of  the  Vale  of  York,  extending  from  the  Humber  along 
the  Ouse  and  the  Swale,  and  including  a surface  of  nearly  1000 
square  miles,  have  a summer  temperature  of  62^°.  The  rich 
Vale  of  the  Severn  is  situated  further  south,  longitudinally  ex- 
posed to  the  full  effect  of  the  midday  sun,  and  sheltered  by 
surrounding  hills  from  the  west  and  east  winds,  has  a summer 
temperature  of  64°.  Including  the  Vale  of  Gloucester  and  the 
Vale  of  Berkeley,  this  district  has  a climate  which  more  nearly 
approximates  to  that  required  for  the  culture  of  the  vine  than  is 
found  in  any  other  part  of  England.  It  is  not,  therefore,  sur- 
prising that  in  such  a favoured  spot — “ Nature’s  noble  garden” 
— vineyards  were  in  past  days  abundant,  and  that  here  they 
struggled  to  maintain  an  existence  through  many  a lingering 
year.  It  has  been  inferred  from  this  fact  that  there  has  been  a 
decrease  in  the  summer  temperature  of  England  ; but  it  is  more 
probable  that,  as  the  cultivation  of  the  sugar-cane  deserted  in 
