TO OUR READERS. 
446 
and weather on our cultivated trees, the time they take to 
come into bearing, the average proportion of abortive bios - 
som during the first year or two of their inflorescence, the 
different habits in this respect of trees planted at the same 
time, and in the same or different kinds of soil. If notes on 
these things were sent us by several of our readers during the 
current year, it is certain that the notes during the succeed¬ 
ing year would present remarkable contrasts in many respects 
and lead to interesting conclusions. It appears to us that 
every year here has a peculiar climate with a peculiar opera¬ 
tion on vegetation, although it is probably the fact that the 
climate of one year is closely repeated at intervals by another. 
We allude chiefly to the distribution of rain over the 
year, which again depends on the winds. The slight low¬ 
ering of temperature produced by a week or two of clouds 
and rain, we have often seen to produce a temporary winter 
in the middle of our summer, followed, on the succeeding 
sunny weather, by a spring. Connected with this is the 
period in the 24 hours when the clouds gather and rain 
falls. Throughout any one year there is a regular march 
of changes in this respect, and one year, with all its own 
peculiarities, must have a considerable resemblance to 
another. At one time we see clouds gathering and rain 
often falling in the morning for weeks together—then we 
have them in the middle of the day or the afternoon—then 
again at night—at one period coming suddenly and soon 
gone—at another keeping entire or partial possession of the 
sky for many day s together. AW this, extremely interesting 
to observe and which can now be so well observed from 
the numerous beautiful residences that have lately sprung 
up as if by magic to crown the summits of the hills around 
Singapore, has never yet been recorded, and we may be 
assured that its record for one year would furnish most im¬ 
portant matter for comparison with any other, and lead to 
the discovery of some laws which the more narrow if more* 
exact observations at the Observatory have failed to seize. 
In truth such a record would give living flesh to the clry 
skeletons of the Observatory tables of figures. 
Two ser.es of papers which we planned some time ago we 
are still exceedingly desirous of carrying out, but fear that, 
without smile assistance, we shall not be able to do so 
speedily. The matter accumulated in the Dutch periodicals 
is becoming so great, that, taken with the papers and books 
on the Archipelago that occasionally appear in France and 
Germany, we can see we must soon abandon the attempt 
