THE SOIL AND CLIMATE. 3 



and Ireland. England alone forms about one-half of the 

 whole territory, while Scotland and Ireland divide the 

 remainder between them in nearly equal portions. Each 

 of these three grand sections should itself be divided in 

 respect to farming, as in other points of view, into two 

 separate parts. 



England, into England proper and Wales ; Scotland, 

 into Highlands and Lowlands ; Ireland, into south-east 

 and north-west regions. Enormous differences exist be- 

 tween these different districts. 



England proper the largest and richest portion of the 

 three kingdoms contains thirteen millions of hectares, or 

 a little more than a third of the total extent of the British 

 Isles, and equal to one-fourth of France, It is this por- 

 tion especially which is now to be considered. In com- 

 paring with it the best-cultivated fourth part of France 

 viz. the north-west angle, comprising the ancient pro- 

 vinces of Flanders, Artois, Picardy, Normandy, the Isle 

 of France, and even adding to it the richest departments 

 in other parts of the country we have not an equal 

 extent of well-cultivated land to oppose to it. Certain 

 parts of our soil, such as almost the entire department of 

 the Nord, and some other detached districts, are superior 

 in productiveness to the best of England : others, such 

 as the departments of the Seine Inferieure, the Somme, 

 Pas de Calais, and Oise, may sustain a comparison ; 

 but thirteen million hectares, equal in cultivation to 

 the thirteen million hectares of England, we do not 

 possess. 



Can it be that the soil and climate of England are 

 naturally superior to ours \ Far from it. One million 

 hectares out of the thirteen remain entirely unproductive, 

 having hitherto resisted all attempts at cultivation ; of 

 the remaining twelve, two -thirds at least are ungrateful 



