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American Geographical Society
Economic Geography of the NetherlandsWirtschaftsgeographie von Niederland by Friedrich SchusslerReview by: William van RoyenGeographical Review, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Jul., 1932), pp. 516-517Published by: American Geographical SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/208998 .
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THE GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW THE GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW THE GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
The 39 maps are on the uniform scale of I :2,500,000. Each is divided into 7I departments, which are in turn grouped into I I regions, or 7 provinces, of which Transylvania is the largest. Many crops (including tree crops), livestock, sericulture (mainly in the far west), fisheries (almost wholly in the southeast), forests, experiment stations, types of agricultural machines used, agricultural industries, and farmers' associations are represented.
A relief map, a soil map, two climatic maps, and a map of eight types of vegetation are included. Railroads, many towns, densities of population, and banks of credit are shown, bringing out interesting agricultural relations to business and commercial distributions. Clever use is made of color and symbolism. There are also 45 pages of statistics, all from the last decade. Most maps and charts are based on a short series of five years, 1923-I927, or in several cases on the year 1927 alone.
The atlas furnishes a wealth of excellent geographic material. It is apparently as carefully compiled as could be expected in a country so recently launched on a modern way of doing things. GEORGE D. HUBBARD
AGRICULTURAL ATLASES OF SCOTLAND AND IRELAND
L. DUDLEY STAMP. An Agricultural Atlas of Ireland. 60 pp.; maps, diagrs. George Gill & Sons, Ltd., London, I931. II 1 x 91 inches.
H. J. WooD. An Agricultural Atlas of Scotland. 64 pp.; maps, diagrs. George Gill & Sons, Ltd., London, I93I. 114 x 9Y inches.
The value of the dot map as a source of material for study and a challenge to
interpretation is well exemplified in these two atlases. With the earlier "Agricul- tural Atlas of Wales" (1921) and the "Agricultural Atlas of England and Wales"
(1925) by J. Pryse Howell agricultural distributions in the British Isles are covered. In addition to the maps the atlases for Scotland and Ireland include graphs, tables, and explanatory text-the whole designed to be as graphic as possible. Among particularly arresting features one may note the map of " moorland, loch and forest "
(solid black), which makes the quarter of Scotland under grass and crops (white) look small indeed; and the decline in plowed land in Ireland since the middle of last century-in the Irish Free State the area of cultivated land in 1930 is less than
40 per cent that for I851. The maps for Scotland are for 1927 and are based on parish statistics that are
unpublished. The maps of Northern Ireland are for 1928. The Irish Free State data are for 1929; and here again access has been had to manuscript material, the statistics being published only in abstract. With small divisions and detailed analysis of localities faithful pictures of conditions have been created.
ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY OF THE NETHERLANDS
FRIEDRICH SCHUSSLER. Wirtschaftsgeographie von Niederland. 119 pp.; maps, diagrs., ills., bibliogr. (Badische Geogr. Abhandl. No. 8.) C. F. Muiller, Karls- ruhe i. B., 1931. RM. 4.50. 934 x 74 inches.
Like other German publications of a similar character, as for example the Stutt-
garter Geographische Studien, and the Aachener Beitrage zur Heimatkunde, the Badische Geographische Abhandlungen form a series that deals mainly with the
geographical problems of a section of Germany-in this case of the free state o' Baden. Within this series, however, there is also room for publications of a more
general interest. The first one of the type is Schiissler's book on the economic
geography of the Netherlands. While there exists an excellent study of the human geography of the Netherlands
from the hand of Albert Demangeon, there is little, either in French or in English,
The 39 maps are on the uniform scale of I :2,500,000. Each is divided into 7I departments, which are in turn grouped into I I regions, or 7 provinces, of which Transylvania is the largest. Many crops (including tree crops), livestock, sericulture (mainly in the far west), fisheries (almost wholly in the southeast), forests, experiment stations, types of agricultural machines used, agricultural industries, and farmers' associations are represented.
A relief map, a soil map, two climatic maps, and a map of eight types of vegetation are included. Railroads, many towns, densities of population, and banks of credit are shown, bringing out interesting agricultural relations to business and commercial distributions. Clever use is made of color and symbolism. There are also 45 pages of statistics, all from the last decade. Most maps and charts are based on a short series of five years, 1923-I927, or in several cases on the year 1927 alone.
The atlas furnishes a wealth of excellent geographic material. It is apparently as carefully compiled as could be expected in a country so recently launched on a modern way of doing things. GEORGE D. HUBBARD
AGRICULTURAL ATLASES OF SCOTLAND AND IRELAND
L. DUDLEY STAMP. An Agricultural Atlas of Ireland. 60 pp.; maps, diagrs. George Gill & Sons, Ltd., London, I931. II 1 x 91 inches.
H. J. WooD. An Agricultural Atlas of Scotland. 64 pp.; maps, diagrs. George Gill & Sons, Ltd., London, I93I. 114 x 9Y inches.
The value of the dot map as a source of material for study and a challenge to
interpretation is well exemplified in these two atlases. With the earlier "Agricul- tural Atlas of Wales" (1921) and the "Agricultural Atlas of England and Wales"
(1925) by J. Pryse Howell agricultural distributions in the British Isles are covered. In addition to the maps the atlases for Scotland and Ireland include graphs, tables, and explanatory text-the whole designed to be as graphic as possible. Among particularly arresting features one may note the map of " moorland, loch and forest "
(solid black), which makes the quarter of Scotland under grass and crops (white) look small indeed; and the decline in plowed land in Ireland since the middle of last century-in the Irish Free State the area of cultivated land in 1930 is less than
40 per cent that for I851. The maps for Scotland are for 1927 and are based on parish statistics that are
unpublished. The maps of Northern Ireland are for 1928. The Irish Free State data are for 1929; and here again access has been had to manuscript material, the statistics being published only in abstract. With small divisions and detailed analysis of localities faithful pictures of conditions have been created.
ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY OF THE NETHERLANDS
FRIEDRICH SCHUSSLER. Wirtschaftsgeographie von Niederland. 119 pp.; maps, diagrs., ills., bibliogr. (Badische Geogr. Abhandl. No. 8.) C. F. Muiller, Karls- ruhe i. B., 1931. RM. 4.50. 934 x 74 inches.
Like other German publications of a similar character, as for example the Stutt-
garter Geographische Studien, and the Aachener Beitrage zur Heimatkunde, the Badische Geographische Abhandlungen form a series that deals mainly with the
geographical problems of a section of Germany-in this case of the free state o' Baden. Within this series, however, there is also room for publications of a more
general interest. The first one of the type is Schiissler's book on the economic
geography of the Netherlands. While there exists an excellent study of the human geography of the Netherlands
from the hand of Albert Demangeon, there is little, either in French or in English,
The 39 maps are on the uniform scale of I :2,500,000. Each is divided into 7I departments, which are in turn grouped into I I regions, or 7 provinces, of which Transylvania is the largest. Many crops (including tree crops), livestock, sericulture (mainly in the far west), fisheries (almost wholly in the southeast), forests, experiment stations, types of agricultural machines used, agricultural industries, and farmers' associations are represented.
A relief map, a soil map, two climatic maps, and a map of eight types of vegetation are included. Railroads, many towns, densities of population, and banks of credit are shown, bringing out interesting agricultural relations to business and commercial distributions. Clever use is made of color and symbolism. There are also 45 pages of statistics, all from the last decade. Most maps and charts are based on a short series of five years, 1923-I927, or in several cases on the year 1927 alone.
The atlas furnishes a wealth of excellent geographic material. It is apparently as carefully compiled as could be expected in a country so recently launched on a modern way of doing things. GEORGE D. HUBBARD
AGRICULTURAL ATLASES OF SCOTLAND AND IRELAND
L. DUDLEY STAMP. An Agricultural Atlas of Ireland. 60 pp.; maps, diagrs. George Gill & Sons, Ltd., London, I931. II 1 x 91 inches.
H. J. WooD. An Agricultural Atlas of Scotland. 64 pp.; maps, diagrs. George Gill & Sons, Ltd., London, I93I. 114 x 9Y inches.
The value of the dot map as a source of material for study and a challenge to
interpretation is well exemplified in these two atlases. With the earlier "Agricul- tural Atlas of Wales" (1921) and the "Agricultural Atlas of England and Wales"
(1925) by J. Pryse Howell agricultural distributions in the British Isles are covered. In addition to the maps the atlases for Scotland and Ireland include graphs, tables, and explanatory text-the whole designed to be as graphic as possible. Among particularly arresting features one may note the map of " moorland, loch and forest "
(solid black), which makes the quarter of Scotland under grass and crops (white) look small indeed; and the decline in plowed land in Ireland since the middle of last century-in the Irish Free State the area of cultivated land in 1930 is less than
40 per cent that for I851. The maps for Scotland are for 1927 and are based on parish statistics that are
unpublished. The maps of Northern Ireland are for 1928. The Irish Free State data are for 1929; and here again access has been had to manuscript material, the statistics being published only in abstract. With small divisions and detailed analysis of localities faithful pictures of conditions have been created.
ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY OF THE NETHERLANDS
FRIEDRICH SCHUSSLER. Wirtschaftsgeographie von Niederland. 119 pp.; maps, diagrs., ills., bibliogr. (Badische Geogr. Abhandl. No. 8.) C. F. Muiller, Karls- ruhe i. B., 1931. RM. 4.50. 934 x 74 inches.
Like other German publications of a similar character, as for example the Stutt-
garter Geographische Studien, and the Aachener Beitrage zur Heimatkunde, the Badische Geographische Abhandlungen form a series that deals mainly with the
geographical problems of a section of Germany-in this case of the free state o' Baden. Within this series, however, there is also room for publications of a more
general interest. The first one of the type is Schiissler's book on the economic
geography of the Netherlands. While there exists an excellent study of the human geography of the Netherlands
from the hand of Albert Demangeon, there is little, either in French or in English,
5i6 5i6 5i6
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GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEWS
regarding the more purely economic geographic problems of the country. In recent
years a number of good studies on the Netherlands have appeared in the German
language, either on the entire country or on some particular problem, as for example the writings of J. Frost on agriculture. Schiissler's book deals with the present-day economic life in the Netherlands. In the first part (pp. 5-39) he discusses the natural and the human bases of that life. Probably in few other places in the world is it so difficult as it is in Holland to make a clean division between the natural and the cultural elements of the landscape. In fact, without the human influence, there would in many places be a seascape instead of a landscape.
The stereotyped order of discussion of surface features, natural drainage, climate, natural vegetation, and man, does not well fit the particular problems here encoun- tered. Many of the items included in the first parts of the description really belong under the heading of "Man as the Creator of the Cultural Landscape." Are not the numerous canals one of the most striking features with which man has changed the aspect of the landscape, in the low, marshy western, as well as the higher, sandy, eastern part of the country? Even the rivers, the Rhine included, have through regulation lost entirely their original character of free wanderers of the plain, man
having forced them into a semi-domestic state. In the process of creating the present cultural landscape, not the reclamation of lakes came first, as Schtissler seems to think, but the protection of the low swampy lands against rivers and sea, and their effective drainage by the building of dikes and the creation of "polders." Only after that was accomplished could man proceed to drain the lakes and, step by step, fight back the sea.
The principal part of the book (pp. 40-102) consists of a description of economic life in the Netherlands as it expresses itself in the various human activities, while the conclusion (pp. IO3-I I6) is a discussion of the economic geographic structure. These sections contain a mass of data on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, mining, industry, and communications and will undoubtedly form a welcome body of information for all who cannot avail themselves of the original sources.
There are various minor inaccuracies in the book. Sometimes the method of treatment is a little too schematic. It is hardly advisable to separate Rotterdam from its satellite ports, with which in reality it forms one large commercial-industrial complex along Nieuwe Maas and Nieuwe Waterweg. Some of the maps are rather unsatisfactory, especially that of the agricultural regions. Many of the boundaries follow lines marking the limits of major administrative divisions, where a comparison with good physical maps in any Dutch atlas might have given many valuable clews to the probable real location of these boundaries. The principle of the dot map is applied incorrectly: different types of dots for different things within the same area clearly defeat their own purpose.
The author does not give a definite answer to the question he raises, whether the Netherlands should be called an agricultural, an industrial, or a commercial country. The second term he rejects, on the grounds that Holland has no ores, no "Gross- industrie, " no great industrial concentrations. Even admitting that many of the Dutch industries have an agricultural basis, it is hardly possible to call the Nether- lands an agricultural country in the light of the fact that only between 20 and 25 per cent of the employed are directly engaged in agriculture.
As Schiissler says, the main factor determining the economic life of the Netherlands is its location amidst other densely populated and highly industrialized regions to which it has easy access. Such a location may offer many advantages, although in a period of high tariffs and disguised or direct import restrictions it may to a free trade country be fraught with much danger. Indications of that are found in the lists of exports and imports for the year I925 where, for example, stands an import of 274 million guilders from the United States, against an export to this country of only 71 millions. WILLIAM VAN ROYEN
517
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