on the Climate and Agriculture of the British Isles. 63 
tity of w<ater deposited on the land is about 31 inches ; over 
the varied surface of Cornwall below 300 feet in heij^lit, it is 
about 40 inches; driven up the slope of the granite hills of 
Bodmin Moors, where the clouds are first heavily tolled at heights 
from 1000 to 1400 feet, it increases to 60 inches. The low 
un<lulating country from Liskcard to Tavistock receives about 
40 inches. Thus the rain clouds arrive at the great granite 
boss of Dartmoor, rising into hills from 1000 to 2000 feet in 
height, by which time they are partly drained of their contents, 
but still yield from 60 to 80 inches at different stations on 
the moor ; curiously enough the w^ettest part yet ascertained 
being at Holme, on the eastern side of these hills. The low lying, 
rich, new red-sandstone soil of the Vale of Exeter is, however, 
greatly protected from excessive rainfall by the Dartmoor hills, 
the yearly amount of rain at Exeter decreasing to 33 inches. 
Along the low and open parts of the north-Avest coast of 
Cornwall and Devon, very much less rain falls than inland, 
and the barley grown on these districts is good in yield and 
quality ; hence we may infer that, as only from 24 to 30 inches 
fall on these parts of the coast line, a few miles out at sea 
beyond the influence of the land, the rain is but little in excess 
of that on the eastern lands of England. 
Again, tracing the rainfall from the wide, open, and flat 
estuary up the Taw, where about 25 inches annually fall, as 
the valley contracts at Barnstaple, the quantity increases to 40 
inches, and to upwards of 60 on the skirts and high land of 
Exmoor. 
On the southern slope of these Exmoor hills there exists that 
peculiar combination of soil and climate which gives origin to 
the North Devon breed of cattle. In this district, the amount 
of rain at Castle Hill, on the west, is 43 inches ; and at Huntsham 
Court, on the east, 48 inches. The soil is a friable brown loam, 
from the upper beds of the old red-sandstone ; and the country 
is moulded into almost continuous hill-side slopes, and narrow 
valley flats lying from 400 to 800 feet above the sea. The 
climate is not favourable to the perfecting of the wheat crop, but 
the steady downfall of rain produces an abundance of warm, deep- 
seated springs, which supply the water for the catch-meadows of 
the hill-side, and the productive water-meadows of the valleys. 
The mountainous structure of the country, the abundant rain- 
fall, the warm winters and cool summers, with the rich, sweet 
pasture of the sheltered combes and the hill-side meadows, give 
that activity of limb, beauty of form, soft silky skin, and aptitude 
to fatten, which characterise this favourite mountain breed. 
Continuing our survey of the rainfall, we find the gauge 
recording 44 inches at Otterhead, on the Blackdown Hills, 850 
