733 



SWEDEN. 



SWEDEN. 



731 



(4716 feet). The surface of the table-land, which may bo called the 

 table-land of Jemtland, is about 1000 feet above the sea. It is very 

 much broken, and interspersed with steep rocks and swamps. Besides 

 the Great Lake there are ten or twelve others, each of them from 1 

 to 15 miles long, and more than a mile wide. Agriculture is carried 

 on to some extent; barley, rye, and oats are grown. Several kinds 

 of vegetables, especially potatoes and peas, grow very well The soil 

 however is stony, and far from being fertile ; and towards the end of 

 August the crops are sometimes destroyed by frost. The pastures 

 being extensive, cattle, sheep, and goats are rather numerous : there 

 is also a due proportion of horses and hogs. South of the table-land 

 of Jemtland are the upper valleys of the river Ljungan and Ljusnan : 

 that of the latter is called the valley of Herjedalea. These two valleys 

 are of considerable width, and though interspersed with hill?, they 

 contain level tracts which are cultivated. These valleys are higher, 

 that of Herjedalen being from 1200 to 1800 feet above the sea. 



From the high ground which forms the eastern border of the 

 table-land of Jemtlaud, the country descends in a regular slope 

 towards the sea. liivers cross it in narrow valleys considerably below 

 the general level, in which they frequently expand in long narrow 

 laker, and usually form rapids and cataracts. In this tract the valleys 

 alone can be cultivated ; but the higher grounds contain good pasture 

 and support cattle of various kinds. The remainder of the region, 

 extending about 40 miles east and west, and reaching to the shore of 

 the Qnlf of Bothnia, is almost entirely occupied with isolated hills 

 or short ranges ; they have generally steep declivities, and some of 

 them rise nearly 1000 feet above the sea. Between them are valleys 

 or level grounds of small extent, the lowest parts being occupied by 

 a river, or by a small lake, on the banks of which there are meadows 

 alternating with woods. The elopes of the hills, and generally their 

 summit* also, are clothed with trees. Barley is extensively culti- 

 vated. Potatoes and peas are grown to some extent. The number 

 of domestic animals, black cattle and sheep, is great, and that of goats 

 considerable, but horses and hogs are few in number. A considerable 

 quantity of timber is exported. 



3. The Southern part of the mountain region lies south of 02 

 N. Int. That part of this region which may properly be called moun- 

 tainous, it not extensive. It forms an appendage of the Norrska 

 Fiellen. From Mount Sylfiellea eastward run three ridges inclosing 

 the upper valleys of the rivers Ljungan and Ljusnan, and towards 

 the south those which divide the Oater- and Wester-Pal, and the latter 

 from the Klar, while the most western ridge separates the Klar from 

 the Olommen. The ridge which separates the valley of the Wester- 

 Dai from that of the Klar, preserves a considerable elevation south of 

 61 N. lat., running south-south-east until it has passed 60* N. lat, 

 when it turns to the south. Near the mountain region its general 

 elevation is more than 1500 feet above the tea ; but south of 00 30' 

 N. lat. it is hardly more than 1000 feet. It sinks still lower south of 

 that line, where, running from north to south, it forms the watershed 

 between the rivers that fall into Lake Wenrr on the west, and those 

 running to Lake Miilar to the east, and farther south separates 

 tho basins of the lakes Wener and Wetter. In these parts it is 

 called the Tifreden range, and it attains only a height of from 500 to 

 700 feet above the sea-level, and from 300 to 400 feet above its base. 

 It HI 'Mom exceeds 3 or 4 miles in width. 



The country to the east of this ridge and of the mountain system 

 of Mount Sylfiellen, resembles in its great features the countries 

 which lie farther north. The higher tract, whose general level is 

 more than 800 feet above the sea, stretches from the mountains to the 

 western extremity of Lake Siljan, a distance of about 40 miles. 

 North of that lake it extends much farther to the east, and here it 

 occupies from west to east about 80 miles, leaving between it and 

 the sea a space not quite 40 miles wide. . The surface is less broken 

 than that of the regions farther north, consisting chiefly of long and 

 gentle swells, the summits of which form levels of considerable 

 extent. A few hills are dispersed over these summits, but their sides 

 are not steep, and they do not rise more than 300 or 400 feet above 

 their base. These hills are numerous in the vicinity of the moun- 

 tains, especially on the west of Lake Siljan, but they become rarer in 

 the country farther east Agriculture is limited to a few valleys of 

 moderate extent, and to the low grounds surrounding the lakes, 

 where rye, barley, and especially oats, are cultivated, and some vege- 

 tables are grown. Cattle, sheep, and goats are reared. Nearly the 

 whole tract is covered with forests, the produce of which 6nds a 

 ready sale in the adjacent Region of the Mines. 



Late Siljan, which is situated near the southern border of this 

 tract, a 25 miles long, 6 miles wide, and 555 feet above the sea level. 

 On the west and south it is surrounded by low hills, alternating with 

 level plains. On tho north and east the hills are much higher, but 

 the declivities are usually gentle, and inclose narrow fertile valleys. 

 In the district surrounding this beautiful lake agriculture is conducted 

 on a larger scale than in the country to the east and north of it. 



The eastern portion of this region, extending from the Gulf of 

 Bothnia about 40 miles inland, is an inclined plane, which gradually 

 risw from the sea to an elevation of 800 feet The surface is inter- 

 spersed with numerous hills of moderate elevation and with lakes. 

 A plain of considerable width extends along the shores from 61 40' 

 N. lat. to the mouth of the Dal (00 40') : this is the most northern 



part of Sweden in which wheat is grown. Barley and potatoes are 

 most extensively cultivated ; rye, oats, and peaa are also gruwu. 

 Sheep and cattle are very numerous. 



4. South of the region just described extends the Region of the 



It occupies the whole breadth of Sweden, from Norway to 

 the Gulf of Bothnia, between Lake Siljan and Sb'derhamn on the 

 north, and Lake Wener (59 N. lat.) on the south. The Tifveden 

 ridge crosses it nearly in the middle at au elevation of about 1000 feet 

 above the sea. West of the range the country slopes towards the 

 south, and terminates on the banks of Lake Wener. Two-thirds of 

 this slope are less than 300 feet above tho sea. The country lying 

 east of the Tifreden ridge elopes to the south in the southern and to 

 the east in the northern districts. Its elevation above the sea is 

 never less than 300 feet, except on the level plain along the Gulf of 

 Bothnia from Soderhamn to the mouth of the DaL West of the 

 great southern bend of the Dal is a tract of considerable extent, 

 which rises from 800 to 1000 feet above the sea. The surface of this 

 region is exceedingly uneven, and it is covered with a succession of 

 low unconnected hills, the slopes of which are very gentle, and gene- 

 rally covered with wood. The low grounds between the hills are 

 generally occupied by countless lakes and marshes. In the country 

 west of the Tifveden ridge the lakes He from north to south. The 

 largest among them are Legen, Lelanf, Glafs, Wermelen, Mellau, and 

 Ofre, each of which is above 20 miles long, but they seldom exceed 

 two miles in width. The lakes to the east of the Tifveden ridge have 

 a more irregular form, and are not so large. South of the Dal are 

 the lakes Wesman, Barken, and Amiinningen, and north of it Ruun 

 and Siljan. Though the soil of this region consists chiefly of 

 gravel and sand with a mixture of clay, nearly every spot that is of 

 any value (there are not many such) is carefully cultivated for tho 

 supply of the miners; the greatest number and the richest of the 

 iron-mines of Sweden being situated within this region. Oats, ryo, 

 some barley and wheat are the chief crops. Potatoes and peas are 

 grown. In a few places there arc good pastures ; and cattle, sheep, 

 horses, and hogs are numerous in the southern districts. 



5. To the south-east of the llegion of tho Mines is the Central 

 Agricultural Ktyion, which comprehends the greatest extent of low 

 country in Sweden. No part of thia tract exceeds 300 feet above the 

 sea-level. Its southern boundary ia a higher tract, which is connected 

 with the Tifveden ridge, north-west of tho northern extremity of 

 Lake Wetter, and extending from the ridge eastward, terminates 

 on the north shores of the bay of Briiviken, on the coast of the 

 Baltic. That portion of the region which is north of Laka Miilar 

 is nearly a level plain. The country south of the lakes Miilar and 

 Hielmar is more undulating, and in somo places it is broken and 

 interspersed with rocks. In these districts there are numerous lakes, 

 which are not common in the country north of the lakes. The 

 surface consists of sandy clay, which gives to the country a greater 

 degree of fertility than is usual in Sweden. Above 900 square miles 

 or more than one-seventh of the surface of this region is employed to 

 produce food for man. Hyo is the principal object of cultivation. 

 Next to rye are barley and wheat ; very little oats are grown, but 

 potatoes and peas are largely cultivated. Cattle and sheep, horses 

 and hogs, are numerous. 



6. South of the central agricultural region is the Plain of Linkijping, 

 which is separated from the central region by a more elevated tract, 

 which surrounds the northern extremity of the Lake Wetter, and 

 extends eastward to tho Bay of Briiviken, where it contracts to a 

 narrow ridge called Kolmoren, which runs along the northern shore 

 of the bay to its termination in the Baltic. Tho elevation of this 

 tract ia about 200 feet above the countries north and south of it. 

 The greater portion of it U covered with woods of pine, fir, and 

 birch. 



The plain of Linkoping, one of the most fertile tracts in Sweden, 

 measures from the shores of the Baltic to the banks of Lake Wetter, 

 above 60 miles. West of the town of Linkiiping, which is situated 

 nearly in the centre of the plain, its average width is 30 miles, of 

 which one-third is north of tho Gobi Canal and two-thirds south of 

 it The surface is generally level. From the Baltic the country 

 rises gradually towards the west, so that Lake Koxen, which is nearly 

 in the middle of the plain, is 106 feet above the sea-level, and on the 

 banks of Lake Wetter the country is about 300 feet high. South of 

 the efflux of the river Mottala there rises, on the shores of the lake, 

 Mount Omberg (845 feet above the sea), and from this hill a ridge of 

 elevated ground runs southward close to the borders of the lake, 

 separating it from the plain. The soil of the plain is a mixture of 

 clay and sand, and in some places of loam. In no other part of 

 Sweden it wheat so extensively cultivated as in this plain, but ryo 

 and barley are grown to a still larger amount. Peas and potatoes nre 

 also much grown, and there is much meadow-ground. Domestic 

 animals are numerous, with the exception of goats. There are how- 

 ever some extensive tracts partially covered with woods which supply 

 fuel, and partly consisting of open pasture-ground. 



7. To the south of the plain of Linkoping rises the Table-land of 

 Smaland. This extensive region, with its declivities, occupies nearly 

 the whole of the country south of 58 N. lat, leaving only compara- 

 tively narrow tracts of lower grounds along the sea, which bounds it 

 on the east, south, and west At the south-western extremity of this 



