THE MESETA is of less economic importance than the preceding region. The want of sufficient moisture renders considerable areas unfit for cultivation. In Old Castile, which is more exposed to oceanic winds and has a somewhat greater rainfall than the remainder of the plateau, agricultural conditions are not altogether unfavourable, but in Estremadura and in the south and south-east of New Castile there are large tracts of infertile soil. Wheat is the principal grain crop, especially in Old Castile ; it is noted for its whiteness and softness, and large quantities of it are milled at Valladolid, which is an important collecting centre. Oats and rye are cultivated in the more mountainous districts. The vine is grown all over the region, but the olive is restricted to the more southerly parts of it. These crops are all grown on unirrigated land; but, as a general rule, land on which cereals are produced is only cultivated every other year. For the growth of beetroot and
fruit, irrigation is necessary, but the facilities for this upon the Meseta are very limited and the area irrigated is small.
Pastoral farming is an important pursuit, and considerably more than one-half of the sheep in Spain are found upon the Meseta, Estremadura, from which come the finest merino wools, rearing the largest number. Sheep are generally moved from the plains to the more mountainous districts of Old Castile and Leon during the summer, in order that they may not suffer so much from the drought which then prevails. With the exception of Madrid, upon which lines of communication converge from all quarters, and Valladolid, the largest trading centre in Old Castile, the towns are of little importance.