64 An Account of the Soil [pt. i 



effect of climate in deciding what crops can and what 

 cannot be grown. There is a fairly simple connection 

 between the type of crop and the climate. In general 

 seed does not ripen well in wet seasons or districts, and 

 crops wanted for the sake of the seed are usually grown 

 in dry rather than wet districts. On the other hand 

 actual plant growth, i.e., growth of leaves, stems, and 

 roots, is much better in moist than in dry districts or 

 seasons. For example, the abnormally dry summer of 

 1911 was excellent for grain crops so that the corn was 

 uncommonly good, but it was so disastrous for the 

 growth of grass that hay went up to two or three times 

 the price obtained in the previous season. The wet 

 summer of 1909 was very favourable to the growth of 

 grass, swedes, etc., but bad for the production of seed. 

 Another factor also comes into play. Very wet land 

 cannot easily be dug or cultivated : if it is to be used for 

 agriculture in these days of high costs all cultivation 

 must be reduced to a minimum. Now the crop that 

 requires least cultivation is grass ; it is accordingly very 

 much grown in wet districts. Since grass has to be used 

 by animals of some sort a good deal of live stock is 

 usually kept either for the production of meat, butter, 

 cheese, etc., or for breeding j^'oung animals to be sold to 

 other districts. Wherever cultivation becomes expensive 

 for any reason there is a tendency to resort to grass and 

 pastoral conditions. 



The following rules will be found useful in discussing 

 crop production in temperate regions; they are, how- 

 ever, by no means absolute. Warm districts yield early 

 crops, and are therefore well adapted for market garden 

 produce and for fruit. Moderately dry regions are 

 suited for seed crops. Moist er regions are adapted for 



