PAPERS OX GEOLOGY AXD GEOGRAPHY 395 



of maiuteuauce that the burden bears most heavily. And 

 it must be remembered that this region is ahnost entirely 

 agricultural where commodities to be moved are heavy 

 and comparatively cheap. 



Let us now turn to the effect of topography upon the 

 utilization of the land. Conspicuous examples illustrat- 

 ing their intimate relationship may be found within the 

 region itself in contrasting conditions upon the escarp- 

 ment and back slope of the cuesta. 



Thus we find that the back slope in proportion to its 

 size had, because of its more favorable relief, 50^7 more 

 of its total land classed as improved. "WTiile the aver- 

 age farm was smaller by 37.5 acres, its value, equipped, 

 was about 75^ greater and the farmer's income was esti- 

 mated at about 1/3 more than on the escarpment. Chiefly 

 because of its more favorable topography specializa- 

 tion* in corn was 21'^c higher on the back slope, and 

 since corn growing is usually associated with s^vine and 

 butter production, specialization in these two ran 200% 

 and 100% higher respectively. The daily speciality of 

 the escarpment, on the other hand, with its relative scar- 

 city in corn and hogs, turns to cheese, in which its spe- 

 cialization ran 30% higher. 



And finally, because of its greater agricultural pro- 

 ductivity, we have, on the back slope, better social and 

 economic conditions being maintained in a population 

 twice as dense as on the rougher escai*pment. 



* The degree of specialization is obtained by taking the square root 

 of tlie pi oiliiction per capita and production per acre of improved land." 

 B. H. Hibbard. 



