24 The Development of British Agriculture 



would be a proper allowance for each person per week. 

 It may be noted that bread was being sold at \\d. per 

 loaf, or about twice the price that it fetched before the 

 war. 



5. THE EFFECT OF CLIMATE ON 

 AGRICULTURE 



It is generally accepted that the character of the 

 vegetation of a country depends mainly on the climate 

 and the nature of the soil. The mountainous parts of 

 Britain are much colder, have a higher rainfall, and are 

 more exposed to wind than the lowlands. Further, 

 the soil is poor, for the rocks are hard, and do not 

 weather into rich soils. For these reasons neither crops 

 nor trees can there be grown much above sea-level. 

 As a general rule it is true that the hilly parts of the 

 United Kingdom are mainly uncultivated, for the alti- 

 tude controls the climate, and the nature of the rocks 

 controls the nature of the soil. Besides the barren 

 hilly parts there are areas of boggy and sandy ground 

 which are not cultivated. 



Although the British Isles are situated in the 

 northern part of the temperate zone, they are favoured 

 as regards climate. They are to the north-west of 

 Europe, and rise above the waters of the north-east of 

 the Atlantic Ocean. A country near a great ocean has 

 a more equable climate than one far from the sea ; and 

 as the prevailing winds blow from the warmer parts 

 of the ocean, it will be seen that the British Isles have 

 an equable and mild climate and are well suited to the 

 growth of plants that thrive in temperate regions. 



