Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-03-27

OUR CLIMATE.

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! The County OF Berkeley is situated between the
3eth degree and IS minutes North latitude, al an
elevation Of about 900 feet above tho level Of the
sea; and lies in very much the same parallel Of
latitude with the Southern extremity Of Naples.
where frost is unknown and with the central pro-
vinces Of Spain in which, although at elevation
of 1000 feet above the sea, ice is an extremely
occurrence.
Whence. this remarkable difference in the tenn
perature and climate OF the two continents under
the same parallels Of latitudef This enquiry has
been painfully forced upon our attention by the
bleak and polar blasts which have been sweeping
over our country for the last several days. We
can devote but few moments to the subject, in
teres,ing il unquestionably is.
According to the imperfect conceptions which at
one time prevailed, climate supposed to de-
pend exclusively geographical latitude but a
more extended observation Of nature, and more
accurate acquaintance With the different countries
Of the globe have satisfactorily demonstrated that
it is materially modified and indeed, in some in
stances. wholly dependant upon other and distinct
causes.
According to Matte Brun, the causes of PHYSICAL
climate nine in number--lst. The action Of
the sun upon the atmosphere. ID. The interior
temperature of the globe. 80. TIE elevation Of
Ae Earth above the ierel Of the Ocean. 9Th.
The general inclination Of the surface and its local
exposure 5th. The position Of It's mountains, no.
latiyely to the cardinal points 9Th. The neighbor-
hood Of great seas and their relative situation
18th. The geological nature Of the soil. 9Th. The
degree of cultivation, and Of population. At which
a country has arrived. 9th The prevalent winds
The effect Of eiepation in modifying the climate
of county, is s,rkagiy illustrated in Mexico,
Texas and some of the Islands Of the West Indies.
On the table lands of Mexico and on tho noun
tains of Jamaica. tropical is converted into a
temperate cline. In ascending lofty mountain
of the orrid zone, the greatest variety In vegetation
is displayed. At its foot, under the burning sun,
the pine apples and plaintains flourish the region
Of lines and oranges succeeds then follow fields
of maize ard luxurisut wheat; and still higher
the series Of plants known in the temperate zone.
'"fhe admirable order" says Humboldt, "with
which different tribes of vegetables rise above
another by strata, as it were. is no where more
perceptible than in ascending from the port of We
ra Cruz TO the table land of Petote. We see there
the phisognomy OF the country, the aspect of the
sky, the form of plants the figures Of animals the
manners Of the inhabitants and the kind of cult
walton followed by them, assume different APP
pearance at every step OF our progress" After
proceeding with detailed enumeration of the veg.
ation to be met with in ascending from the ocean
lands, he continues: Thus in few hours. the
naturalist, in this miraculous country sscends the
whole scale Of Vegetation, from the hsiconia and
banana plant whose glossy leaves swell out into
extraordinary dimensions To the stunted parenchy-
ma Of the resinous trees" William Kennedy, the
English consul at Galveston, speaking of Texas,
says: I'm the rolling and billy sections, the graz
.ier and oultivator of the products familiar to the
European turner may obtain easy and ample re-
turns from plains and valleys unrivalled for nstura,
attractions while on the iow line of the coast the
enterprise of the Southern planter will be prodi-
gally rewarded by the vegetable treasures Of tro-
l Pst"f t""F. ~ Ohoihs iiou Dc"Soi " I'M
bet' says Matte Brun, 1--WE imagine ourselves in a
few days transported from the equator to the poles
In climbing Mount Ararat, according to Tournsfat,
we observe at its foot the plants of Western Asia;
a little higher up the vegetable forms of Italy are
recognised next those of Central France; at a
still higher level, those of Sweden; and beyond
this last point the fora of Lapland and the Alps.
at is in the geographical features of Colombia in
SouthAmerics, says Dr. Forrey, chat we find most
strikingly displayed the phsieal phenomena OF
height. producing the affect of latitude; change
of climate with all the consequent revolutions OF
animal and vegetable life, induced by local posi-
tion." Bryan Edwards who for fourteen years re-
sided near Kingston in Jamaica. states the general
medium Of heat during the hottest months at King
ston was 80 deg. At villa eight miles distant,
in the high lands of Liguanea, the thermometer
seldom rose in the hotties, part of the day above 20
deg. Here was difference of 10 deg. in eight
miles. At Cold Spring. the seat of Mr.. Walton, a
very high situation six miles further in the country,
the general state of the thermometer was from So
deg. to so Frequently low as d. deg. so
that FIRE even at MONDAY was not only comforta-
Bile, but necessary great part of the year. Major
Harris whose travels into the Highlands of Ethio
pia have just been published states many interest
ing and important facts bearing upon this same
view of the subject which we have not space at
this time to cite
These facts sufficiently exhibit the effect Of ele-
oatioH in modifying and forming the climate of a
country and the general eies alton of this Wes-
tern Hemisphere is greater than that of the Eas-
tern, it may satisfactorily explain why this coni-
nent taking it as phole, is subject to lower de-
gree of heat than the same ATTITUDES in the Eastern
portion of the Esrthi
But this leaves still unexplained the enquiry why
it is that in places of equal elevation in parallel
ATTITUDES the climate is colder ia this country than
in Europe.
Upon this point, we have the following instruc-
tive remarks from Humboldt in his Ta5leauI de Ia
Nature, in contrasting the climates of Africa and
South America.
1.-THE comparative narrowness Of this cont nenti
its elongation towards the Icy poles the ocean
which is swept by the trade winds; the currents