The observations of Belgrand tend to show, contrary to the general opinion, that less rain falls in wooded than in denuded districts. He compared the precipitation for the year 1852, at Vezelay in the valley of the Bouchat, and at Avallon in the valley of the Grenetiere. At the first of these places it was 881 millimetres, at the latter 581 millimetres. The two cities are not more than eight miles apart. They are at the same altitude, and it is stated that the only difference in their geographical conditions consists in the different proportions of forest and cultivated country around them, the basin of the Bouchat being entirely bare, while that of the Grenetiere is well wooded.[192] Observations in the same valleys, considered with reference to the seasons, show the following pluviometric results: FOR LA GRENETIERE. February, 1852, 42.2 millimetres precipitation. November, " 23.8 " " January, 1853, 35.4 " " ----- Total, 106.4 in three cold months. September, 1851, 27.1 millimetres precipitation. May, 1852, 20.9 " " June, " 56.3 " " July, " 22.8 " " September, " 22.8 " " ----- Total, 149.9 in five warm months. FOR LE BOUCHAT. February, 1852, 51.3 millimetres precipitation. November, " 36.6 " " January, 1853, 92.0 " " ----- Total, 179.9 in three cold months. September, 1851, 43.8 millimetres precipitation. May, 1852, 13.2 " " June, " 55.5 " " July, " 19.5 " " September, " 26.5 " " ----- Total, 158.5 in five warm months. These observations, so far as they go, seem to show that more rain falls in cleared than in wooded countries, but this result is so contrary to what has been generally accepted as a theoretical conclusion, that further experiment is required to determine the question. Becquerel--whose treatise on the climatic effects of the destruction of the forest is the fullest general discussion of that subject known to me--does not examine this particular point, and as, in the summary of the results of his investigations, he does not ascribe to the forest any influence upon precipitation, the presumption is that he rejects the doctrine of its importance as an agent in producing the fall of rain.