204 



HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE. 



Part I. 



moisture may be moderated or increased, soil improved ; but temperature and light are 

 in a great measure beyond human control. Hence it is that the plants and animals culti- 

 vated by the agricultor, do not altogether depend on his skill or choice, but on his local 

 situation. Not only the maize, rice, and millet, which are such valuable crops in Asia 

 and Africa, cannot be cultivated in the north of Europe, but even within the extent of the 

 British isles, some kinds of grain, pulse, and roots, cannot be grown to such perfection 

 in certain districts as in others. Thus the Angus variety of oat will not come to the same 

 perfection, south of London, that it does north of York ; and of different varieties the 

 Dutch, Polish, and potatoe oat will succeed better in a warm climate, than the Angus, 

 black, or moorland oat, which answer best for cokU moist, and elevated districts. The 

 turnip arrives at a greater size in Lancashire, Berwickshire, and Ayrshire, than it does in 

 Kent, Surrey, or Sussex, even admitting the best possible management in both countries. 

 The pea requires a dry soil and climate, and more heat than the bean, and consequently 

 thrives much better in the south of England, in Kent, and Hampshire, than in Scotland 

 or Ireland. It is certain that the perennial grasses thrive best where the temperature and 

 light is moderate throughout the year, as on the sea-coast in various countries, where mild- 

 ness is obtained from the influence of the sea, and light from the absence of a covering of 

 snow ; and also in the south of England, where th6 snow seldom lies, and where the tem- 

 perature is moderate, and the nights not so long as they are farther north. It is equally 

 certain that in America and Russia, where the cold is intense during winter, and the plants 

 on the surface of the ground are deprived of light for six or seven months together by a 

 covering of snow, all herbaceous vegetation is destroyed. Contrasted with these facts, may 

 be mentioned as equally well ascertained, that annual plants in general attain a greater 

 size, and a higher degree of perfection, where the winters are long, and the summers hot 

 and light ; the reason of which seems to be that the alternate action of heat and cold, 

 rain and ice, meliorates the soil and prepares it better for the nourishment of annuals 

 than it can well be in countries where the soil is not only harder naturally, (for all coun- 

 tries that have long winters have soft soils,) but more or lesS occupied by perennial weeds, 

 insects, and vermin. In cold countries the insects are generally of that kind whose eggs 

 go through the processes of the larva and chrysalis state under water, and land reptiles are 

 generally rare. 



1234. Elevation^ when considerable, has an absolute influence on agriculture. The 

 most obvious effect is that of obliging the agriculturist to isolate his dwelling from 

 those of other cultivators or villagers in the plains, and to reside on his farm. This is 

 well exemplified in Switzerland and Norway. We have already noticed the judicious 

 reflections of Bakewell on the subject as referable to th* former country (336.), and have 

 also referred to those of Dr. Clarke respecting Norway (591.). The latter author has 

 depicted these alpine farms, both with his elegant pen and habile pencil {fig, 214.). The 



farmeries are generally built with fir planks, and covered with birch bark, and turf. The 

 inhabitants chiefly live by the dairy, and seldom see their neighbours or any human being 

 beyond their own fire-side, excepting on the Sunday morning when they go to church, 

 and on the Sunday afternoons in summer when they meet to dance {fig. 215.), and amuse 

 themselves. 



