. A complete geography. aly as a sunny land of flowers, although Milanand Venice are on nearly the same parallel as Montreal. One reasonfor the pleasant climate isthat the lofty Alps forma great wall which cuts offthe cold north winds. An-other reason is that the pe-ninsula is under the equal-izing influence of theMediterranean, whosewaters have a temperatureof over 50°. On these ac-counts the Italian wintersare mild, and in the extremesouth the temperature sel-dom falls to the freezing Fio. 445. point. An Italian team at Naples. Much of Italy has an abundance of rain; but, excepting in thenor
. A complete geography. aly as a sunny land of flowers, although Milanand Venice are on nearly the same parallel as Montreal. One reasonfor the pleasant climate isthat the lofty Alps forma great wall which cuts offthe cold north winds. An-other reason is that the pe-ninsula is under the equal-izing influence of theMediterranean, whosewaters have a temperatureof over 50°. On these ac-counts the Italian wintersare mild, and in the extremesouth the temperature sel-dom falls to the freezing Fio. 445. point. An Italian team at Naples. Much of Italy has an abundance of rain; but, excepting in thenorth, the greater part comes in winter. The summer drought isdue to the fact that the horse-latitude belt moves northward in sum-mer (p. 263) ; therefore southern Italy at that season resemblessouthern Spain in climate. Agriculture. — Such a climate, together with a fertile soil, helps toexplain why agriculture is the principal industry in Italy. Amongthe products are many that thrive in semi-tropical climates, as well. 440 EUROPE as others that are common in the countries of northern Europe. Theclimate is so favorable that, by the aid of irrigation, from four toten crops may be raised in a year. The most extensive farming district is the fertile plain of the Po is an abundance of rainfall; yet the people depend upon irrigationmore extensively than in any other part of Europe. There are severalreasons for such extensive irrigation. In the first place, the fact that thetributaries have their source^ in the mountains, and often in the glaciersand snows of the Alps, insures a permanent supply of water to the gentlysloping land. Besides this, the rivers frequently flow through lakes —some of them among the most beautiful iu the world — which act as greatreservoirs for water supply.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectgeograp, bookyear1902
