THE RIFT VALLEY AND THE ADJACENT HIGHLANDS.—The rift valley of the Rhine, and the lower slopes of the adjoining hills are covered to a considerable depth with a finely comminuted soil, deposited by the waters which at one time flowed from the melting glaciers of the Alps and the Jura. This loess, which is derived from a variety of rocks, is of great fertility, and has con tributed much to the fruitfulness of the region. The climate is also favourable, as the valley is sheltered from cold winds, and in comparison with other parts of Germany the spring season comes early and is warm. Agriculture accordingly assumes con siderable importance. The vine flourishes both on the plain and on the lower slopes of the hills, while tobacco and hops are widely cultivated, and sugar beet is grown. As a result, wine, cigars, beer, and sugar are all manufactured throughout this area.
Situated mainly upon the plain, but owing part of their pros perity to the water-power derived from the rivers which flow from the Vosges, are the towns engaged in textile pursuits, of which cotton spinning is the most important. Mtilhausen is the centre of this industry, and Colmar, Thann, and Gebweiler are among the other towns mainly dependent upon it. This region has not the same advantages as many others in respect to atmospheric conditions and facilities for obtaining raw material and fuel, but neverthe less it is making progress, and Alsace has about 15 per cent. of all the spindles in Germany at the present time. Woollen, linen, and silk goods are also manufactured in the above-mentioned towns. The cotton industry has also been established in various parts of Baden which has about 5 per cent. of the spindles in the
Empire.
The principal towns of the plain are the river ports of Frankfurt on-Main, Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, and Strassburg. Frankfurt has, in addition, large chemical works, breweries, and machine shops, and is one of the most important banking centres in Germany, while Ludwigshafen is one of the chief seats of chemical industry in the country.
The Vosges, with the Lower Vosges and the Haardt, and the Black Forest, with the Odenwald and the Spessart, may be con sidered together. The crystalline rocks of the Black Forest and the Vosges, and the Bunter sandstone elsewhere, are covered to a great extent with forests of pine. The lumber industry of the Black Forest is still of considerable importance, and the abundance of wood has led to an extensive manufacture of clocks, toys, brooms, musical instruments, etc. Over the greater part of the Odenwald similar industries are pursued, but not to the same extent, while on its western slopes, where crystalline rocks again appear, there are many fertile districts suitable for orchards and vineyards. Great efforts have been made within recent years to improve the economic conditions of the Spessart, and Aschaffenburg, its chief town, now has numerous paper mills, breweries, iron-works, and factories for ready-made clothing. The industries of the mountain districts on the west of the rift valley resemble those on the east, although the forests of the Vosges have been recklessly destroyed and have lost much of their value.