VARIETY OF CONDITIONS 3 



If we go to the root of the matter, we find that 

 this variety of agricultural conditions arises primarily 

 as an outcome of the sequence of geological events, 

 which have exposed on the comparatively small 

 surface of England a very much larger number of 

 geological formations than is found anywhere else 

 on the same area. The influence of this on our 

 agriculture is very far-reaching. Its direct effect 

 is experienced in the actual fertility or sterility 

 of the soils arising from the different strata, their 

 water-bearing powers, and the physical properties 

 forming the classes of soil known as light or heavy, 

 warm or cold. Apart from this, the elevations of 

 the harder rocks in the form of mountain barriers, 

 or, on a lesser scale, the existence of mere ridges, 

 influence the climatic conditions, making one area 

 early, whilst that a few miles distant may be late ; 

 in some cases this may be due to altitude, in others 

 to aspect, immunity from frost, rainfall, or mere 

 shelter from prevalent winds. 



Scientific manuring and methods of cultivation 

 can go a long way towards altering the inherent 

 qualities of the less fertile soils, so as to make them 

 yield the same produce per acre as the richer ; but 

 such factors as the lateness of a cold soil or 

 exposure to unsuitable climatic conditions can 

 only be altered by intelligent effort where sufficient 

 capital is available to supplant them by artificial 

 means. In a country where the small man's 

 only capital is his own labour, he is very dependent 

 on the natural conditions which enable him to get 



12 



