FJIEPARING 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. In 



yig. 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 practfce 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- 

 tiiough the meteorological records do not make this very 

 evident. The evaporation of moisture from the soil is 

 Xtrobably less owing to the lower .average temperature 



