This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 Excerpt: ... contain mineral wealth. Little gold and no silver is mined in the Appalachians. The Green Mountain group has no metals of importance, but is rich in slate and marble. The low mountains of Saxony have long been a mining center, while the lofty Alps are poor in valuable minerals. 177. Climate of mountains.--In ascending ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 Excerpt: ... contain mineral wealth. Little gold and no silver is mined in the Appalachians. The Green Mountain group has no metals of importance, but is rich in slate and marble. The low mountains of Saxony have long been a mining center, while the lofty Alps are poor in valuable minerals. 177. Climate of mountains.--In ascending lofty mountains one finds the same changes of climate in a few hours or days that would be met in a journey from tropical or temperate to arctic latitudes. This will be well understood by reviewing the belts of temperature and vegetation in the Alps. On the plains of northern Italy the olive flourishes, and in the deep valleys and along the lower slopes the vine abounds. As we ascend we find first the broad-leaved forest trees to heights of 5,000 to 5,500 feet on the south slope, and 4,000 feet on the north slopes. This brings out the fact that climate may differ much on two sides of a mountain range. The direct rays of the sun and the winds from the warm Mediterranean affect the south front of the Alps. Above the deciduous trees come the cone-bearing or evergreen forests. The coniferous trees are important in preventing floods and checking avalanches, as well as affording supplies of timber and fire-wood for the thrifty peasants. Above the trees are the upper pastures, brilliant with flowers of every hue, to which the flocks and herds are driven only in the summer. Still above is the zone of rock and perpetual snows. Snows may wrap the highest summits, as' Mont Blanc; while often the upper mountains are so steep for thousands of feet that the snows slide off and bare crags prevail. From base to summit of the Alps, one-fourth is tillable, one-half is for k m, 'i i i M. XimALlkt est and pasture, and the remaining fourth is utterly barren. The cl...
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