tain hay-making leaves nothing to chance; too much depends upon the
crop. In fact, at high altitudes it becomes the only crop. Cereal
culture drops off with every increase of elevation. Norway has few
fields above 1600 feet;[1319] even barley fails to ripen above 2600 feet.
In the mountains of Wuertenberg we find pure _Graswirthschaft_ at 3000
feet elevation, with only a small garden patch near the dwelling.[1320] It
is interesting to take a tramp up one of the longitudinal or lateral
valleys of the Alps, and observe the economic basis of life gradually
change from agriculture to hay-making, till in some high-laid Alpine
cirque, like Bad Leuk or Barmaz at the head of the Val d'Ilez, one sees
only meadows and an occasional potato patch, which impresses the
lowlander as a last despairing effort in the struggle for existence.

[Sidenote: Winter industries of mountain peoples.]

Where climate and soil do so little for the support of life, man must do
much. Work must in some way be made to compensate for an ungenerous
Nature. The closely housed existence necessitated by the long severe
winters of high altitudes stimulates industries in the home. The winter
feeding of the stock involves little labor, so the abundant leisure
would otherwise be wasted. Hence it is no accident that we find almost
everywhere native mountain industries in a high state of development,
and often characterized by an artistic beauty which seems to be the one
flower of this barren environment. They are naturally based upon the
local raw materials of the mountains, such as wood, metals, clays, and
especially the wool of sheep and goats. Moreover, their products are
articles of small bulk and large value, adapted to costly mountain
transportation. Those of Kashmir are typical-carved wood, artistic metal
work in silver and copper, puttoo cloth, carpets and the famous Kashmir
shawls.[1321] The stark life of Tibet shows in its industries an
unexpected richness and beauty. The men spin and weave wool into puttoo
cloth of all grades; some of it is extraordinarily fine in texture and
color, and is exported by caravan in considerable quantity to northern
China and Mongolia. Pastil sticks, made of aromatic wood and impregnated
with musk and gold-dust, are a conspicuous commodity in the trade with
Peking. Tibet is rich in metals, especially silver and gold. Even the
nomad shepherds of the tablelands know how to purify gold-dust over a
fire of argols; hence it is