274 Comparative Agriculture of England and Wales. 
over tlie eastern central district. Considered agriculturally, we 
find tliat the western counties are characterised by their large 
acreage of grazing land, whilst in the eastern there is a high 
percentage of corn land. Tliere is thus a general coincidence 
between geological structure, contour, climate, and agricultural 
products. These four classes of facts are of importance in the 
order here given; each is c(mtrolled by the one that precedes 
it. Agriculture depends mainly on climate, climate mainly on 
contour, and contour mainly on geological structure.* 
The central high land of England is formed of the Lower 
Carboniferous rocks, which, commencing on the flanks of the 
Cheviots, extend through the western parts of Northumberland, 
Durham, Yorkshire (North and West Ridings), the eastern 
parts of Lancashire, Cumberland and Westmoreland, and the 
greater part of Derbyshire. This hilly region (the Pennine 
Chain) attains its maximum elevation at Cross Fell, in Cumber- 
land, 2892 feet, but a great part of its area exceeds 1500 feet. 
It is completely broken through by the broad valley which runs 
from Newcastle towards Carlisle. Generally, through this dis- 
trict, the limit of cultivation is reached at about 1000 feet; 
all above this level being, for the most part, moorland, hill 
pastures, and waste. In Northumberland the limit is somewhat 
lower. 
In Derbyshire the hills are formed by Millstone-grit, over- 
lying Carboniferous Limestone, which here consists mainly of 
massive beds of limestone. Proceeding northwards, the Lime- 
stone series is much split up by shales and sandstones, until, in 
Northumberland, limestone forms only a small proportion of the 
rock masses. The western part of Northumberland is wholly 
formed of the Limestone series, whilst in Durham the hills are 
capped by Millstone-grit. These lithological changes are im- 
portant, for the hilly districts are valuable in proportion to the- 
quantity of limestone soil they contain. The outcrop of a bed' 
of limestone amongst shales and sandstones can often be traced 
by the eye at a long distance, simply by the character of the 
grass it bears. From Northumberland, through Durham, the 
West Riding, and Derbyshire, there is a decrease of waste 
land, and an increase of pasture going southward. This is pro- 
bably due to the increasing quantity of limestone soil in the 
same direction. The North Riding includes the eastern moor- 
lands of Yorkshire, and has thus a large quantity of waste land, 
otherwise it would probably be intermediate in this respect 
* The Sections given, p. 276, •srill in part illustrate these remarks. They 
are not offered as accurate delineations of geological details, but are simply intended 
to show the general relations of geology, contour, and agriculture. 
