ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY.

Shannon News, 31 May 1927, Page 1

ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY.

i W.E.A. LECTURE. .A(The local branch of the W.E.A. met " on Tuesday evening in the Band-room, Bgth’-Street, at 7.30, the secretaryy Mr W ; . G/Bishop, in the chair. (The subject fojr the evening' was “Pconomie Geography,” hiid^'the lecturer (Rev. J. D. McArthur), inter aha, said: —■ Frequent reference is made in the ' matter of economics to certain gqods—coal, ( iron, wool, wheat, etc., and it is well to know something of the .factors operating in the portation, and consumption of these goods. The first factor to be studied is:— ■; CLIMATE. ’ This is the average condition of, the weather taken over a considerable period of time. It is possible to have quite bad. weather at times in trict with a very good climate. .Climate depends on generally fairly well-de-fined •causes- so that it is possible to tell with reasonable exactness what to expect in any given place. The climatic faet'ors *' • *. LATITUDE. Other things being equal, places at or near the equator have a hotter climate than places further away. Here, the suit’s, rays are more .direct ..and more compact, and have le*ss of the atmosphere to penetrate. It is well to note that in giving the temperature of any place, the sea-level tempeijatiure is given. For every 300 feet one ascends from sea-level, it is customary, to deduct one degree F. While' latitude vis the main factor, other operate such as ocean currents, promixity to the sea, etc. INFLUENCE OF THE SUN. A great extent of water surface tends to equalise temperature and'the sea therefore acts as a powerful modi fying influence.. The water, surface is more slowly heated than the land and , in winter gives- off heat stored?-in sumr • mer. These different heat properties of land and’water give rise to three . classes of Aclimate, Continental. These terms are ouyious. The climate pn the first two is equable, sum,flier and’.winder —there are i*p via-, lent .extremes, of heat or cold, but in the third there are. For instance/ Edinburgh and Moscow are in. about the Sjame latitude but the temperature inthe former is averagely 57 and * 38, while* the latter is 64 1 and difference is splely due to'location* INFLUENCE OF PREVAILING •' ; WINDS. These are most influential. Warnl or cold/wet or dry,, according to tileir origin and the region The S.W. winds that blow, across thO Atlantic, EuiM)e.„afs warm -and moist; the N, yinds blowing across North America sEre severely/cold. /..... -( ' EFFECTS .<DF ELEVATION. ; _ ,■ As we aseeiid'. froifl sea-level to high- . ex alfitudfes dhefe. is a gradual decrease, ip. the temppratuie-; of 'the air. The sun warms, thd . atmosphere only slightly—the warmth is .radiated back from the earth. ; .the higher we climb f'rom' fne ; f jilain, the less is the effect *of thii; Radiation felt, until it becomes negligible- Other minor caus ' es. haye rt.heir - in climatic conditions., . Thedirection of a mountain range—runping-..at-., right angles to‘ the direction of; the 'wih f d—this, means that the wiiidis:'forciidto ascend to cross and through, expansion drops its moisture on theAvindward slopes, the slopes to leeward being <The* nature of the spil/is - also.a/factor—great sandy wastes absorb ja, great amount of hea-t ‘ during the' day’afld'radiate it off rapidly at. night.'/Swampy ground absorbs' beat dowmvurdsf. -'

influence; on vegetable and* : ■■ ‘ANI^AII^LIFE. • Certain flistricts'suited to the growth of certain plants’."; A; warm moist dis-ti-ict prciduCes' Vegetation in great quantities—palm; banana, yam, bamboo. cf.c. Sub-tropical districts- produce the vine, rice,. tea- and: tobacco; As we near the Arctic,or Antarctic the vegetation diminishes : in .."quantity and • range, until : 'orily-';iirs, mossesr.and liehens are fpund..; These gradually disappear toward the 84th-parallel. In dry districts the'^gra-ssCS^-develop bulbous rdots. ' . ; ;• ' i ; ' ' As with Vegetation so .with animal life, thA colddr -the r ciimate the more nature provides warm coverings. .; ' . INFLUENCE ON -MAN. . ' t Man. inhabits all the- climatic > zones from the.equator to the‘B4th degrfee of latitude. A temperate felimate- seems necessary tb pfodueednieHectual deveF* opment. The : tropical .zone induces indolence as clothes ; are superfluous and food easily '‘■The - frigid zone makes it hard to obtain- food and it seenis that man has .found neces- j saries he is .content. -The temperate j zone, demhiicls" effort, thrift, inventive”eSS’ ANIMAL LIFE. The history of the sheep is inextricably interwoven ivith that of man. Natural)}' adapted to mountainous regions the sheep has adapted itself to practically every country, but does not thrive in lands that are too wet or too hot. The breeds noted for their -wool were in greatest demand until the discovery 6f refrigeration, when breeds wiLh better carcases were developed. Australia has long been the greatest sheep-breeding country of the .world. The mountainous bdrrier near the coast line shuts off the interior from most of the rain storms so that dairying and agriculture are carried on along the coast. But the stretch of country on the leeward of the ranges carries great flocks of sheep, the comparative absence of much rain, combined with

the equable climate proving profitable;?® A land ;of erratic rainfall, drought'JsiljH the interior causes appalling losses of; : H stock. From 1894-1898 flocks weie re- H duced from 110 millions to 84 millions pH 1914-4915 the less wa3 17 millions. possibilities of cold-storage were, of thbflß utmost moment to New Zealand. first .shipment to Britain lef t Port ChaL-fl| mers in the ship Dunedin,, on Febru-JH ary 15th, 1882, ariivirig iii good tion in London on May 24th. UnlessjH we change our habits with regard mutton and wool —and this is ly—future supplies must increase keep pace with the demand. CATTLE. Cattle can stand wetter' and weather conditions than • can The discovery and perfecting of eration as affecting ships, trucks stores gave a great impetus to cattUfll raising. Meat is taken half way roundel the globe to storage plants at the ports of Europe and Britain, distributed per butchers’ carts to cities and towns. As there seem to I>JBH no more vast plains to discover it seem that the'world’s supply of not likely to increase. Australia couIJHB possibly increase her output by 200 peflßS cent, but the fear of drought may an effective bairier. . Possibly growing on a large scale may: the way out of the difiiculty. J fIH , WHEAT. *^H This is : the most highly prized of food grains. . It is computed that wheat eaters now number 585 and the number is growing fast** is a crop of lands of comparatively tie rainfall. It is found in every tinent but demands a cool moist dition during the formative period warm dry climate during ripening harvest. New Zealand has a. wheat belt in Canterbury. Owing the fact that there are at least distinct wheat regions, wheat is : harvested in every months the year. Indications in New point to the fact that Canada, U.S.A., and India can grow wheat more cheaply than New Zealand. -