PREPARING LAND FOR FIRST CROP 137 



110. General Characteristics. Within the boundaries 

 of the park belt may be found as many different soil 

 types and almost as great a variety of climatic "<on- 

 ditions as exists on the prairie to the south of it. Jn 



Pig. 52. Typical Scene in the Park Belt of Manitoba. 



some respects, however, all parts of this region are com- 

 parable; they present the same problems to the settler; 

 the growing season is generally shorter and the evapor- 

 ation less than in the prairie areas adjoining; hay and 

 pasture crops as a rule do better than in the open plains 

 immediately to the south; the production of coarse 

 grains, mostly oats, is the general but not exclusive 

 practice, the early ripening varieties of wheat and some 

 barley also being grown; and the practice of mixed 

 farming is the general rule. 



111. Climatic Conditions. The precipitation is gener- 

 ally thought to be higher than in the open plains, al- 

 though the meteorological records do not make this very 

 evident. The evaporation of moisture from the soil is 

 probably less owing to the lower average temperature 



