282 
Comparative Agriculture of England and Wales. 
The subject of Climate in its relation to Agriculture has been 
already discussed in this Journal ; particularly in the papers of 
Messrs. Whitley,* Simpson,! and Russell.^ Although data are 
yearly accumulating by which a more perfect knowledge of the 
climate of Great Britain will be obtained, these papers contain 
an account of the subject complete enough for practical purposes. 
On the subject of Rainfall an immense mass of information is 
now collecting, chiefly through the labours of Mr. G. J. Symons, 
to whom agriculturists will some day acknowledge themselves to 
be greatly indebted. 
The successful practice of agriculture, as far as climate is 
concerned, depends, not upon the mean annual or winter tempe- 
rature, but upon the summer temperature. There are two great 
classes of climate, "insular" and ''continental," with every con- 
ceivable intermediate variety. In the former, there is no very 
great variation between the seasons as regards temperature. The 
other class, or continental climates, has very great variation 
between the highest temperature in summer and the lowest in 
winter. Insular climates are only found near large bodies of 
water, which receive heat or part with it much more slowly than 
land : hence the equality of temperature in the adjacent districts. 
The British Isles have an essentially insular climate ; the variations 
being far less than in corresponding latitudes of Europe or Ame- 
rica. The Gulf Stream, bringing a current of warm water from 
the equator, still further modifies our winter climate. The 
nearest approach to a continental climate in England is made by 
the eastern-central counties. Here the summer temperature is 
higliest, and the winter temperature lowest. 
The following are some of the most interesting results obtained 
by tabulating the statistics. First, as to Corn crops. There is a 
marked preponderance of them in the eastern part of England. But 
although the percentage numbers give the comparative corn-pro- 
ducing value of each county, as a whole, they do not at the first 
glance show the value of the corn district of each county. This 
distinction is important. Take Leicester, for example : here the 
quantity of pasture land, overlying the Lias, is enormous; and 
this reduces the county to a low place in the corn list. Yet, if its 
acreage under corn is calculated on the total arable land of the 
county, it is considerably above the average of the corn coun- 
junior, and printed for private distribution by him in 1865. A comparison of this 
map with Young's ' Map of the Soils of Suffolk,' will show the very close agree- 
ment which exists between the distribution of the Drift-beds and tlie agricultural 
soils. 
* 'On the Climate of the British Islands in its effect on Cultivation,' vol. xi. 
p. 1. 'On the Temperature of the Sea. and its influence on the Climate and 
Agriculture of the British Isles,' (new series) vol. iv. p. 38. 
t ' Climate of the British Islands in its efi'ect on Cultivation,' vol. xi. p. 617. 
J 'On the Influence of Climate on Cultivation,' vol. xx. pp. 158, 481. 
