Russia | Page 4

a special charm,
unknown in warmer climates; and the rapid melting of snow at the
same time raises the rivers, and renders a great many minor streams
navigable for a few weeks. But a return of cold weather, injurious to
vegetation, is observed throughout central and eastern Russia between
May 18 and 24, so that it is only in June that warm weather sets in
definitely, reaching its maximum in the first half of July (or of August
on the Black Sea coast). The summer is much warmer than might be
supposed; in south-eastern Russia it is much warmer than in the
corresponding latitudes of France, and really hot weather is
experienced everywhere. It does not, however, prevail for long, and in
the first half of September the first frosts begin to be experienced on the
middle Urals; they reach western and southern Russia in the first days
of October, and are felt on the Caucasus about the middle of November.
The temperature descends so rapidly that a month later, about October
10 on the middle Urals and November 15 throughout Russia the
thermometer ceases to rise above the freezing-point. The rivers rapidly
freeze; towards November 20 all the streams of the White Sea basin are
covered with ice, and so remain for an average of 167 days; those of the
Baltic, Black Sea, and Caspian basins freeze later, but about December
20 nearly all the rivers of the country are highways for sledges. The
Volga remains frozen for a period varying between 150 days in the
north and 90 days at Astrakhan, the Don for 100 to 110 days, and the
Dneiper for 83 to 122 days. On the Dwina ice prevents navigation for

125 days and even the Vistula at Warsaw remains frozen for 77 days.
The lowest temperatures are experienced in January, in which month
the average is as low as 20° to 5° Fahr. throughout Russia; in the west
only does it rise above 22°.
The flora and fauna of Russia.--The flora of Russia, which represents
an intermediate link between those of Germany and Siberia, is
strikingly uniform over a very large area. Though not poor at any given
place, it appears so if the space occupied by Russia be taken into
account, only 3,300 species of phanerogams and ferns being known.
Four great regions may be distinguished:--the Arctic, the Forest, the
Steppe, and the Circum-Mediterranean.
The Arctic Region comprises the tundras of the Arctic littoral beyond
the northern limit of forests, which last closely follows the coast-line
with bends towards the north in the river valleys (70° N. lat. in Finland,
on the Arctic Circle about Archangel, 68° N. on the Urals, 71° on West
Siberia). The shortness of summer, the deficiency of drainage and the
thickness of the layer of soil which is frozen through in winter are the
elements which go to the making of the characteristic features of the
tundras. Their flora is far nearer those of northern Siberia and North
America than that of central Europe. Mosses and lichens cover them, as
also the birch, the dwarf willow, and a variety of shrubs; but where the
soil is drier, and humus has been able to accumulate, a variety of
herbaceous flowering plants, some of which are familiar also in western
Europe, make their appearance.
The Forest Region of the Russian botanists occupies the greater part of
the country, from the Arctic tundras to the Steppes, and it maintains
over this immense surface a remarkable uniformity of character.
Viewed as a whole, the flora of the forest region must be regarded as
European-Siberian; and though certain species disappear towards the
east, while new ones make their appearance, it maintains, on the whole,
the same characters throughout from Poland to Kamchatka. Thus the
beech, a characteristic tree of western Europe, is unable to face the
continental climate of Russia, and does not penetrate beyond Poland
and the south-western provinces, reappearing again in the Crimea. The

silver fir does not extend over Russia, and the oak does not cross the
Urals. On the other hand, several Asiatic species (Siberian pine, larch,
cedar) grow freely in the north-east, while several shrubs and
herbaceous plants, originally from the Asiatic Steppes, have spread into
the south-east. But all these do not greatly alter the general character of
the vegetation.
The Region of the Steppes, which covers all Southern Russia, may be
subdivided into two zones--an intermediate zone and that of the
Steppes proper. The Ante-Steppe of the preceding region and the
intermediate zone of the Steppes include those tracts where the
West-European climate struggles with the Asiatic, and where a struggle
is being carried on between the forest and the Steppe.
The Steppes proper are very fertile elevated plains, slightly undulated,
and intersected by numerous ravines which are dry