Climate affects vegetation and the distribution of animal life, and
thus greatly modifies commerce.
Whatever of importance is accomplished in those countries where
climate has overpowered a race is best and principally done by the men
of the temperate zones, who carry with them perseverance, courage, and
ability, and maintain their ascendency, true to their type, while they
have their life to live.
But with our own eyes we may perceive how much climate affects
agriculture. The humidity or dryness of soils, their natural or
acquired heat or cold, the prevailing winds, the quantity of rain, the
snows, the dews, all affect the planter of the seed and the tiller of
the ground; they increase or diminish the aggregate of the products of
countries, the value of their imports and exports,--in short, their
material power, their resources, their influence, their very
existence.
The climate of our own country is exceedingly variable. The
transitions from heat to cold are very sudden, the range of the
mercury is very great. In the North, we have almost the Arctic
winters; in the South, almost the peculiarities of the tropics. Of the
State of Pennsylvania it has been said, that in this respect it is a
compound of all the countries in the world.
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