The heat and cold varies fo much in Norway, that in June or
July, the mercury in Fahrenheit’s thermometer, as obferved by
Mr. Wilfe at Sydeborg, near Fredericklhall, not unufually rifes to
88, and on the fitft of January 1782, fell to— 22, or 54 degrees
below the freezing point. At Eger, according to profelfor
Stroem’s obfervations, it fell on that fame day to— 36 i ; and at
Kongiberg to— 40, or 72 below freezing point, a degree of cold
by which quickfilver is congeled. This extreme rife and fall of
the quickfilver makes a difference of n o degrees between the
greateft heat and greateft cold at the fame place; a difference
much more confiderable than is obferved at Upfala or Stockholm,
which lie nearly in the fame latitude as Sydeborg.
In fome places vegetation is io quick, that the corn is fown
and cut in fix or feven weeks.
Tillage cannot generally be very flouriihing in a country, which
is in many parts fo rocky as to defy the plough; where the climate
is fo fevere that the hoar-froits begin in September, and
where the cold in the highlands prevents the maturity of the corn.
It is true, indeed, that the fmall vallies, and the intervals between
the rocks, are ufually provided with a fruitful foil, and that the
induftry of the peafants covers the naked rocks and the fandy
grounds with a new earth; yet the arable grounds are few, and
no parts of Norway yield fufficient corn for interior conlumption,
the diftriits of Hedemark, Toten, and Ringerike, excepted.
This deficiency is occafioned by the nature of the climate
and foil. In fpring, and in the firft fummer months, the
drought
drought and heat are frequently fo intolerable, and the vegetable
mould fo thin, that the roots of the corn and grafs are burned
up, if a few days of funihine fucceed each other without rain.
Alfo the greateft part of the foil is fo much blended with land,
that too much rain cannot fall in ipring and fummer. In autumn,
on the contrary, the decreafed warmth, and the great quantity
of rain prevents the corn from ripening, and it is frequently
cut green. Not unufually, when a favourable feafon has
ripened the corn, the frequent and violent autumnal rains hinder
the carrying of it in until it is almoft fpoiled. Alfo the fmall
quantity of arable land feldom lies fallow, but is fowed every
year, and therefore requires more manure than can be ufually
procured.
All thefe circumftances fo much counteradl the induftry of
the Norwegian farmers, that even in the moft favourable fea-
fons a confiderable importation of corn is annually neceflary;
and in funavourable harvefts the utmoft dearth is experienced in all
the inland parts, as the traniport of the corn from the fea coafts
is highly expeniive.
In order to dry the corn expofed to the heavy rains, the peafants
fix forked poles, about ten feet high, place rows of other
poles tranfverfely, on which they file the (heaves, the lowermoft
row hanging about two, feet from the ground. They are alfo frequently
obliged to bake the corn in wooden iheds, heated by
means of ftoves.
As Norway, therefore, does not produce fufficient corn for its
T 2 own