THE NORTH-CENTRAL UPLANDS AND THE ADJOINING LANDS.
—For the sake of convenience this region may be considered to include the country between the South-Central Scarplands and the North German Lowland. As usual, the Bunter sandstone provides a soil but poorly adapted to agriculture, and much of the Hessian Uplands is forested ; though to the west of the Vogelsberg, in the valley of the Wetter (the Wetterau), where volcanic debris has accumulated, the land is of exceptional fertility. On the lower slopes of the Vogelsberg, again, and to a less extent on those of the Rhongebirge, the soil derived from the volcanic rocks is very productive, and these districts are noted for their fruit gardens. The poverty of the Hessian Uplands in good agricultural land is not compensated for by their mineral wealth. Some iron ore is found in the Vogelsberg and is sent to the iron-smelting districts of the Rhine massif ; lignite, which has been converted by volcanic activity into coke, is worked on the Meissner ; and in the Habichts Wald there are some layers of brown coal. All things considered the region is of comparatively slight economic importance, the population is small, and the industries of little account. To the north of the Hessian Uplands lie the Weser Uplands. In the south these are formed of Triassic rocks, but in the north the sub-Hercynian hills are of Jurassic and Cretaceous formation. The uplands are generally wooded, while the lowlands are devoted to arable and pastoral farming. The mineral wealth of the region is of some value. Coal of Carboniferous and Cretaceous age is found in the Deister and the Osterwald, while iron occurs in the Teutoburger range and in the Wiehen Gebirge. The proximity of these two minerals accounts for the iron industries of Osnabiiick, Minden, and Bielefeld. Osnabriick has also textile and tobacco factories, while Bielefeld is extensively engaged in the manu facture of linen. The latter industry received its early impetus
from the cultivation of flax in the vicinity, but the bulk of the raw material now comes from Russia.
Further east, in the country round Stassfurt, occur those great deposits of potash salts which have played so important a part in the development of German agriculture within recent years. Their origin is accounted for by the fact, that, after the pure rock salts which underlie them had been deposited, a solution remained which contained certain chlorides and sulphates of potassium. Under the conditions prevailing at that time this solution was not drained off, as has been the case in most parts of the world, but evaporated, so that the potash salts were precipitated. " Kainit," which is obtained from the chlorides, is of especial value to the German farmer, but the sulphates are better adapted for use in arid regions.
The Thuringian Basin, which extends from the Harz to the Thuringian Forest, is of varied fertility. The alluvial soils of the Golden Vale, to the south of the Harz Mountains, are very pro ductive, and so also is the alluvial country round Erfurt, which is noted for its market gardens and seed farms. On the Keuper marls, which cover a considerable area, cereals are extensively raised. The muschelkalk is less fertile, but in the valley of the Saale the vine is grown, though in a latitude too far north to attain full perfection. Industry is varied. There are large deposits of salt in the Wupperthal and in the valley of the Upper Unstrut, and a number of manufactures are associated therewith ; while lignite occurs in patches of Tertiary rock, especially round Zeitz and Weissenfels.