5. To the south-east of the Region of tho Mines is the Central Agricultural Region, which comprehends the greatest extent of low country In Sweden. No part of this tract exceeds 300 feet above the sea-level. Its southern boundary is a higher tract, which is connected with the Tifveden ridge, north-west of the northern extremity of Lake Wetter, and extending from the ridge eastward, terminates on the north shoros of the bay of Braviken, on the coast of the Baltic. That portion of the region which is north of Lake Miller is nearly a level plain. The country south of the lakes Millar and llielmar is more undulating, and in some places it is broken and interspersed with rocks. In these districts there are numerous lakes, which are not common in the country north of the lakes. The surface consists of sandy clay, which gives to the country a greater degree of fertility than is usual lu Sweden. Above 900 square miles or more than one-seventh of the surface of this region is employed to produce food for man. Rye Is the principal object of cultivation. Next to ryo are barley and wheat; very little oats aro grown, but potatoes and peas are largely cultivated. Cattle and sheep, horses and hogs, are numerous.
0. South of the central agricultural region is the Plain of Linkoping, which Is separated from the central region by a more elevated tract, which surrounds the northern extremity of the Lake Wetter, and extends eastward to the Bay of Brilviken, where it contracts to a narrow ridge called Koimoren, which runs along the northern shore of the bay to its termination in the Baltic. The elevation of this tract is about 200 feet above the countries north and south of It. The greater portion of it is covered with woods of pine, fir, and birch.
The plain of Linkoping, one of the most fertile tracts in Sweden, measures from the shores of the Baltic to the banks of Lake Wetter, above GO miles. West of the town of Linkoping, which is situated nearly in the centre of the plain, its average width is 30 miles, of which one-third is north of the Cloth Canal and two-thirds south of it. The surface is generally level. From the Baltic the country rises gradually towards the west, so that Lake Itoxen, which is nearly in the middle of the plain, is 100 feet above the sea-level, and on the banks of Lake Wetter the country is about 300 feet high. South of the efflux of the river Mottala there rises, on the shores of the lake, Mount Omberg (845 feet above the sea), and from this hill a ridge of elevated ground runs southward close to the borders of the lake, separating it from the plain. Tho soil of the plain is a mixture of clay and sand, and in some places of loam. In no other part of Sweden is wheat so extensively cultivated as in this plain, but ryo and barley are grown to a still larger amount. Peas and potatoes aro also much grown, and there is much meadow-ground. Domestic, animals are numerous, with the exception of goats. There are how ever some extensive tracts partially covered with woods which supply fuel, and partly consisting of open pasture-ground.
7. To the south of the plain of Linkoping rises the Table-kind of Smuland. This extensive region, with its declivities, occupies nearly the whole of the country south of 58° N. lat., leaving only compara
tively narrow tracts of lower grounds along the sea, which bounds it on the cast, south, and west. At the south-wostern extremity of this region is the extensive level of Beanie. The eastern border of the table-land itself is a little west of 16° F.. long., and the border is • short distance south of 56'30' N. lat. The western bordet runs perallel to the shorn of the Cattegat, at the distance of about /5 mites. Along the outer borders the elevation of the table-land is between 300 and 400 feet above the lea-level. The most elevated of the table-land (which surrounds the southern aide of Lake is traversed by • ridge of higher ground, which may be considered as a continuation of the Tifreden ridge. Thls last-mentioned ridge, which is between 500 and 600 feet high when it separates the basins of the lakes Weiser and Wetter, continues southward along the western banks of Lake Wetter, preserving nearly the same elevation, but interrupted in some places by short depreasiona ; but as it approaches the southern extremity of the lake it rises higher, and when it meets the table-land it has an elevation of more than 900 feet Nearly 10 miles south of the lake there rises on this ridge • high hill, called Tabery, whose summit is 1100 feet above the surface, and has attracted the attention of geologists, as about three fourths of it consists of pure ironstone. From this summit the ridge runs westward, and near the centre of the higher portion of the region it again rises to more than 1100 feet above the sea, and divides into two branches, of which one rune west and the other south-west : both of them terminate on the margin of this region. The general elevation of this ridge may be about 1000 feet above the Des, and less than 200 feet above the general level of the country. This is the highest ground in Sweden south of CO' 30' N. lat. The surface of the tableland varies greatly. There are many tracts of consider able extent, which are level plains : other districts have a broken surface. On the higher part of the tableland there are only a few lakes, but in its western district, and still more in its southern, they are very numerous. This unsheltered table-land suffers much from gales, and its climate is severe. What soil there is in this region is extremely infertile, being composed of disintegrated gneiss, on which rock the tableland rest.. Tracts many miles in length and width are covered with sand, on which nothing grows but common heath, and some spots are quite destitute of vegetation. Where the soil is mixed with a little vegetable mould, the country is covered with stunted birch woods. The best tracts are those which surround the lakes. The principal grain raised on the higher part of the table-land is oats, and on the lower part barley. Some wheat and rye are grown In patches here and there. Potatoes are much cultivated on the higher part. The cattle, sheep, and hogs are rather of small size, and the wool of the sheep is very coarse. The grass-lands are bad. Out of the whole surface of this region, about 14,000 square miles, an aggregate of little more than 30 square miles produces corn and vegetables : about 130 square miles more consist of meadows and inclosed pastures.