. Land & labour; lessons from Belgium. industrial Belgium,just as the Scheldt is the river of agricultural Belgium. Only one other river need be mentioned, namely, theLys, which is a tributary of the Scheldt. Although small,it has played an important part in the industrial develop-ment of the country, because flax prepared in its watersproduces the finest linen in the world. The establishmentof the textile manufacture in Belgium, still one of itsprincipal industries, was primarily due to this fact, and itis not surprising that the Lys has come to be known as the Golden Kiver. It is curious tha
. Land & labour; lessons from Belgium. industrial Belgium,just as the Scheldt is the river of agricultural Belgium. Only one other river need be mentioned, namely, theLys, which is a tributary of the Scheldt. Although small,it has played an important part in the industrial develop-ment of the country, because flax prepared in its watersproduces the finest linen in the world. The establishmentof the textile manufacture in Belgium, still one of itsprincipal industries, was primarily due to this fact, and itis not surprising that the Lys has come to be known as the Golden Kiver. It is curious that chemists have hithertoentirely failed to ascertain why flax prepared in its waterproduces such fine linen. The rivers of Belgium are linked together by an extensivesystem of canals, measuring altogether 604 miles. Inaddition, there is the most complete system of railways inthe world. These are described in Chapter XXI. Belgium is rich both as regards the amount and varietyof her minerals. Coal is found in various districts, notably. Luadon; Miniuiliaxi tt Co. L DESCRIPTION OF BELGIUM 13 in the neighbourhood of Liege in the east and in Hainautin the south-west, and more than a hundred thousand minersare employed in extracting it from over a hundred , zinc, lead, and manganese mines give employment toanother 16,000 miners; while marble and paving-stones,limestone and slate are extracted from about a thousandquarries, employing more than 35,000 men. The climate is moderate, being, on account of Belgiumsproximity to the sea, less severe than that of Germany, anddamper than that of France, but drier than that of in the Ardennes, frosts rarely appear before themiddle of October or after the middle of April. In thelower lands, that is, in the north and north-west, the meanannual temperature is 50° F. As a rule the thermometerdoes not fall below 59° F. or rise above 86° F. As alreadystated, however, the ground gradually rises from the sea-board towards the
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