SUNNY CANTERBURY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume 1, Issue 7, 13 February 1914, Page 6

SUNNY CANTERBURY.

To the Editor of THE SUN. . Sir,—ln the Christehurch newspapers often one can read comparisons between Canterbury and other parts of New Zealand regarding the hours of sunshine anmially recorded,. and in these notices the pre-eminence of panterbury in this 'respect is '-assumed to be favourable. For sheepfarming and for crop growing ;this may be so, but is it certain that much unclouded sunshine is beneficial to the . race to which belongs the large majority of the , inhabitants of New Zealand?

In the British Isles our forefathers for many generations throve, under a cloudy atmosphere. 'The first colonists of New Zealand, reared in Britain, on settling here, perhaps, received a stimulus to activity arising from the changeto apparently favourable climatic conditions, but possibly these conditions are not i favbuTabie|.'tp ' a continuance of vigour' (iescendants,. at "least f^rl''se^^^enel , atioiis,- .until the constitution of thie race - has adjusted itself to its environment. Some years ago, a member of the Canterbury Philov sophical Institute suggested that the prevalence of bright sunshine was 5 partly responsible for : anasmia in adolescents in Canterbury. In the circulating department of the Christchurch Public Library is a' work intituled" ' Continent 1 "o£ - Btaope,' * by Lionel W. Lydej l M.A., !P.R.G.S. Professor of Economic Geography in University College, London; On page 154 the author , writes, concerning Greece, as follows: —"It's world's re- ... lation is best expressed, climatically, ' as latitudes of warmtemperate-suuimer drought, where northern intruders, Pelasgi # Dorians, -would first be stiriiulMeibmad rt&eu over-stimulated by the higli petfc'entage of ultra-violet • rays in the 1 And again, on page 156| after referring'to" the heavy losses of male population of Greece in the survivors was gradually destroyed by the over-stimulation of 'light, as their physique was by malaria; and. the race died out." . The. text of the volume indicates > that- the author refers to the .race which conquered at Marathon , and ' Salamis, and which attained a of intellectual and artistical eminence, since -unequalled. The-above ex- - tracts suggest that the sun-basking, now so popular, may have disadvantages. ..Perhaps, Sir, if you think fit to print this letter, some one qualified; c to express' an opinion on -the physio- . lbgical effects of our bright sunshine niay seek opportunity to do so through, the medium of your columns. —Yours, . etc., " COLONIAL.

[Our correspondent raises a very interesting question, and we shall gladly find room, within reaspnable limits, for further contributions on the subject.— r Ed. THE SUN.]