Bavaria belongs wholly to the basins of the Danube and the Rhine, with the exception of a very small portion in the north east corner, which through the Eger and Thu ringian Saale appertains to the basin of the Elbe. The river Danube intersects the main portion of the kingdom west to east nearly in the centre, and before it enters the Austrian dominions at Passau, where it is still 925 feet above the sea, it receives on its right bank the rivers Iller, Lech and Isar, which have their sources in the Noric Alps, and the Inn, besides numer ous smaller streams; and on its left bank, the Warnitz, Altsniihl, Nab and Regal, besides other lesser streams. The Main traverses nearly the whole of the northern part of this portion of the kingdom from east to west, and is navigable for steam vessels from Bamberg to the Rhine. It is connected with the Danube by the Ludwigs Canal, the most important in Bavaria. Its principal affluents are the Regnitz and the Saale. In the Palatinate there are no streams of any importance, the Rhine being merely a boundary river. Large tracts of marshy land are characteristics of southern Bavaria.
If we except the valley of the Rhine, and the valley of the Main in lower Franconia, Bavaria, even including the Pa latinate, is, in comparison with other German states, a cold country. The average tempera ture of the year is about 47° F.; winter, 30° ; spring summer, 63°; and autumn, 47°. The rainfall averages from 23.5 inches in the Rhine Palatinate to over 78 inches in southern Bavaria.
Soil, Vegetation, Bavaria is one of the most favored countries in Germany in re spect of the fruitfulness of its soil, due, no doubt, in a considerable degree, to the undulat ing nature of the country, to the numerous streams by which it is watered and to being nearly wholly composed of Jura limestone. In the plains and valleys the soil is capable of pro ducing all kinds of crops, but not till lately were the natural advantages of the country turned to good account. Ignorance and idleness opposed a barrier to improvement, which it took the utmost efforts of an enlightened government, aided by the general spread of education, to remove. Now a spirit of agricultural enter prise pervades the kingdom, many co-operative societies have been formed, improved methods of cultivation have been introduced and large tracts of waste land have been reclaimed and brought under the plow. To the general produc tions of the soil may be added tobacco and fruit, of which large quantities are grown in the valleys of the Main and the Rhine. In the circles of Mittelfranken and Schwaben-Neu burg, the hop plant is cultivated to a consider able extent. Nearly one-half of the total area
is now under cultivation and one-sixth under grass. In 1912 the areas under the chief crops were: Wheat, 725,937 acres, yielding 4.89,785 metric tons; rye, 1,417,972 acres, yielding 929, 644 metric tons; summer-barley, W3,440 acres, yielding 668,780 metric tons; oats, 1,267,388 acres, yielding 744,661 metric tons; potatoes, 927,015 acres, yielding 4,708,746 metric tons; hay, 3,208,037 acres yielding 4,883,742 metric tons.
In 1913 there were 43,690 acres, which yielded 6,658 metric tons of hopl. The vine is chiefly grown in the circles of Pfalz and Un terfranken. The latter produces the Franconian wines; the 'best wines of the former are pro duced near Deidesheim and Wachenheitn. The celebrated Steinwein and Leistenwein are the produce of the southern slope of the Marien burg, near the town of Wiirzburg. In 1912 there were altogether 51,625 acres under vines, yielding 12,652,6M gallons of wine. The for ests of Bavana, composed chiefly of fir and pine trees, cover nearly a third of its entire surface and yield a large revenue, estimated at about $10,000,000 annually. About 49 per cent belongs to private persons, 34 per cent to the state and the rest chiefly to the communities. Land is rented for grazing and much timber is annually. exported, together with potashes, tar, turpentine and other products peculiar to these wooded regions. The principal mineral products are salt, coal and iron. Some of the mining works belong to the state and contrib ute something to the public revenue; but the minerals are not wrought to the extent they might be. The coal output in 1913 was 1,895,715 metric tons; iron ore, 450,074 tons; pig-iron, 195,606 tons; cast-iron wares, 201,050 tons; sulphuric acid, 163,343 tons. The chief salt works are at Rosenheim, Graunstein, Reichen hall and Berchtesgaden. There are celebrated mineral springs at Kissingen and Reichenhall. Plumbago is found in several places and is principally manufactured into pencils. Porce lain clay of the finest quality likewise abounds in some localities, the best being obtained in the district of Wunsiedel on the upper Main. Lithographic stones are another important pro duction. In the breeding of live-stock Bavaria is only excelled by Prussia among the German states. In 1912 the number of horses was 401, 990; of mules and isses, 700; cattle, 3,560,723; sheep, 474,000; swine, 1,814,418; goats, 315,122; fowls, 10,319,000. Wild fowl are abundant. The wolves and bears with which the forests of Bavaria were at one time infested are nearly extinct.