294 EUROPE 



Western Europe was probably less extensively and 

 densely forested than central Europe. An abundance of 

 rich grass of the succulent type was and still is 

 a feature permitted by the moderate and uniform climate : 

 wood meadows and valley meadows are combined with 

 timber in a pleasant park landscape. There was more 

 ground directly available for the rude implements of the 

 early agriculturist and more room for his cattle ; indeed, 

 in the course of history, the mild climate, the bountiful 

 alluvial plains, and the lush grass of the graceful wolds 

 exercised almost as great an attraction for the eastern 

 invaders emerging from the sombre central European 

 forests as the Mediterranean itself. 



South of this region rises the central plateau of France, 

 which in respect of climate and scenery, as well as of 

 vegetation, bears a great resemblance to the highlands of 

 England and Scotland. 



Atlantic fringe. The most temperate region of 

 western Europe is naturally found on the oceanic fringe, 

 open directly to the moderating influence of the south- 

 erly, south-westerly, and westerly winds. This fringe 

 includes a narrow coastal strip of south-west Ireland 

 and England extending eastward to the Isle of Wight, 

 and in France wraps round the point of Britanny. It 

 covers also a widening strip south of the Gironde to the 

 Pyrenees, the seaward slopes of the Cantabrian and 

 Asturian barrier, and the coast ranges of Spain and 

 Portugal down to Lisbon. 



In this region of narrow climatic ranges and weak 

 seasonal rhythm, plants have a greater freedom as 

 regards the times of passing through the periodical 

 stages of their annual growth, which are performed 

 more in accordance with the particular bent of each 

 species or even of each individual: the setting in of 



