THE SOIL AND CLIMATE. 9 



the other two exhibit almost everywhere prodigies of the 

 most improved farming, especially in the neighbourhood 

 of Edinburgh and Perth; but only one million of hectares 

 are of rich and deep soil ; the rest is poor and thin. As 

 to climate, it is sufficient to bear in mind that Edinburgh 

 is in the same latitude as Copenhagen and Moscow. Snow 

 and rain fall in great abundance, and the fruits of the 

 earth have only a short and precarious summer for bring- 

 ing them to maturity. 



The part of France which best corresponds with the 

 Lowlands of Scotland is the ten departments which 

 form the eastern frontier, extending from the Ardennes 

 to Dauphine by the Vosges and Jura ; but these again 

 are superior both in soil and climate. Nature has made 

 the pastures of Lorraine and Franche-Comte at least equal 

 to those of Ayr and Galloway, and Alsace is better than 

 the Lothians. The most northerly point of this region is 

 six degrees south of Berwick, and its most southern is 

 in the same latitude as Venice ; the hot air of Italy blows 

 as far as Lyons. 



Of the two divisions of Ireland, that of the north-west, 

 embracing a fourth of the island, and comprehending 

 the province of Connaught, with the adjacent counties of 

 Donegal, Clare, and Kerry, resembles Wales, and even, in 

 its worst parts, the Highlands of Scotland. Here again are 

 two millions of unsightly hectares, the frightful aspect of 

 which has given rise to the national proverb, "Go to the 

 devil or Connaught." The other, or south-east and much 

 larger division, since it embraces three-fourths of the island, 

 and includes the provinces of Leinster, Ulster, and Mun- 

 ster, equal to about six millions of hectares, is at least 

 equal in natural fertility to England proper. It is not 

 all, however, equally good ; the amount of humidity there 

 is still greater than in England. Extensive bogs cover 



