21 
therefore, play an important role in making up the flora of Mt. 
Fuji. 
Here we must not forget to mention that in the middle layer 
of the air the constant wind is that from the south-west. In the 
case of Mt. Fuji, therefore, at the 2500m. elevation, the south- 
westerly wind prevails. It is only from southern mountains 
that the peak could have received alpine plants, and looking 
on the map we see that there is no high mountain on the 
south. In other words, there is no high elevation on the south to 
contribute alpine elements to Mt. Fuji’s vegetation. This fact 
must go far towards explaining why the mountain is so poor 
in the alpine elements, as will be seen in the list. Such a plant 
as pinus pumila so common in the alpine regions in Japan is 
entirely wanting on this mountain. 
III. GENERAL ASPECT OF THE VEGETATION. 
In the preceding chapters, we have considered the physio- 
graphy, geology and climate, of Mt. Fuji as far as is necessary for 
the discussion of the plant formation. In this chapter, we shall 
try to dwell upon the formation in general, — not to investigate the 
vegetation zone after zone, but to take a general glance over- 
all the different parts of the mountain. In order to attain this 
end, it will be best to divide the mountain into four parts as 
shown in the accompanying sketch. 
First, we shall consider these parts one by one ; next we 
shall combine all parts into one in order to gain a general 
conception of the vegetation on the whole. Let us take Part 
I. for the first discussion. 
a) Plant-formation in Part /. 
On glancing over the volcano from the Omiya plain, at a 
distance of five miles from the base, we shall have a clear 
view of the southern flank with its abundant growth. The 
O 
